UNISON said the plans to extend qualification for Indefinite Leave to Remain status from 5 to 15 years will deepen the staffing crisis in social care.

General secretary Andrea Egan said: ‘If the Government's serious about fixing social care, it should immediately scrap these cruel plans that will make it harder to recruit staff.'

The union said overseas restrictions on overseas workers had failed to lead to a rise in the number of UK workers taking social care jobs.

The number of new international recruits hired into care jobs plunged from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 30,000 in 2025/26.

Over that same period, the number of social care jobs filled by British workers has dropped by 70,000.

The union called for international care staff to be given sector-wide visa sponsorship rather than tying them to one employer in order to prevent exploitation.

A Government spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister has set out his plan to start to mend our broken social care system based on a better deal with its workforce – with better progression, pay, training and job security at its heart. 

‘A consultation on elements of our earned settlement reforms has now closed, and we will set out our response in due course.'

Under the consultation plans key public service workers, including doctors and nurses, could qualify for settlement after five years, while high earners and entrepreneurs could qualify sooner.