This week (4 December 2023), the Home Secretary James Cleverly gave a statement to the House of Commons on legal migration. In this statement he set out the requirement for "care firms in England to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order to sponsor visas".
This will mean that only health and care organisations that fall under the scope of the CQC regulations are able to sponsor care worker visa applications.
All providers of health and social care who deliver services that fall within the scope of our regulation as set out under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 are already required by law to be registered with CQC. However, some organisations that deliver or coordinate health and care services are not registered with us, as the services they provide fall outside the scope of our regulation.
This includes provision of personal care or nursing care in cases where a care worker or a nurse works directly for the individual receiving care, or for a third party acting on their behalf. It also includes introductory or employment agencies who help people find registered nurses, nursing associates or care workers and do not manage or direct the nursing or personal care.
Read more details of exemptions from the scope of our regulation. Because these individuals and agencies provide services outside the scope of our regulation it means that, while they are providing legally recognised services, we do not regulate them and are not able to register them.
Read our recently published regulatory policy position on modern slavery and unethical international recruitment.