Last year saw a significant fall in the number of people recognised as Skilled Workers moving to Britain.
Over the course of 2025, there were 45,797 Skilled Worker visas issued, lower than at any point since 2021 and the ninth consecutive quarterly decline.
Data from the Work Rights Centre also shows that the health and social care sectors were the worst to be impacted by this drop in applications and approvals. Arrivals trained in relevant roles has plummeted from 107,847 in 2023 to just 3,178 in the 12 months to January.
Adult social care now has a 6.3% vacancy rate – three times the national average – with 78,330 roles open for recruitment. Care roles more generally have a 7.6% vacancy rate. Meanwhile, in healthcare visas for nurses have fallen 93% and GPs by 30% since the 2022 peak, leaving 25,504 empty positions in the NHS.
‘The government’s narrow focus on reducing immigration comes at a time when other aspects of the system are in urgent need of reform,’ a spokesperson for the Works Rights Centre said said. ‘It is time to change focus.’
These figures come following year-on-year tightening of eligibility criteria and benefits associated with Skilled Worker visas. This includes raising minimum salary requirements and limiting the right of dependents, alongside increased costs for organisations sponsoring people looking for work in the UK.
Image: Maxime / Unsplash
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