UK Skilled Worker Visas: What the Latest Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Report Reveals

In July 2025, the UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee released a critical report examining the Skilled Worker visa route, the main pathway for non-UK nationals to work in the country post-Brexit. This visa route was designed to attract needed skills and support economic growth. However, the findings reveal serious policy gaps, risks of exploitation, and insufficient systems to protect migrant workers and meet sector needs sustainably.

What is the Skilled Worker Visa Route?

Introduced in December 2020, the Skilled Worker visa replaced the EU free movement system. It allows employers to sponsor overseas workers for roles requiring specific skills, with the aim of supporting sectors facing shortages.

Between December 2020 and December 2024:

• 1.18 million people applied, including 630,000 dependants.
  
  

• Nearly 648,100 Health and Care Worker visas were issued (389,600 dependants) after the route was expanded to include care workers in 2022.
  
  

Key Findings: What Went Wrong?

1. Poor Planning and Lack of Impact Assessments

The Home Office expanded the visa route quickly, especially into social care, without evaluating sector needs, regional capacity, or potential risks to migrants. For example, it forecast issuing 360,000 visas over three years but ended up issuing 931,000 – nearly three times the estimate. Such underestimation led to strain on compliance systems and public services.

2. Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers

The expansion into social care aimed to reduce high vacancy rates, which it did temporarily. However, it also created serious risks of exploitation:

• Workers faced debt bondage, paying illegal recruitment fees before arrival.
  

• Many were forced to work excessive hours or threatened with visa cancellation if they raised concerns.
  

• There was evidence of trafficking and forced labour, particularly due to sponsor dependency.

  Approval rates for Health and Care Worker visas dropped from 99% in 2021 to 81% in 2024 after the Home Office introduced stronger checks due to widespread abuse and fraudulent applications.

3. Weak Sponsor Compliance and Enforcement

The sponsorship system relies heavily on employers following the rules. However:

• Only 1% of sponsors underwent enhanced compliance checks in 2024.
  

• Compliance staff fell from 65.5 full-time equivalents (FTE) in 2021 to 46 FTE in 2024, despite the rising number of visa holders.
  

• 470 care provider sponsor licences were revoked between 2022 and 2024, affecting around 34,000 migrant care workers – many of whom risked destitution or undocumented status.
  
  

4. Customer Service Failures

Applicants faced:

• Long delays for ‘complex’ applications (18% of cases), with no published processing targets or tracking.
  

• Lack of real-time updates, forcing many to rely on agents or employers, increasing risks of exploitation.
  

• Outdated IT systems, with planned upgrades to sponsorship processes now delayed until 2028.
  
  

5. Rising Asylum Claims

Alarmingly, the number of Skilled Worker visa holders claiming asylum rose from 53 in 2022 to 5,300 in 2024. This indicates either trafficking, false job offers, or systemic failures in ensuring genuine employment pathways.

6. Sudden Policy Changes Impacting Care

In 2025, the Government announced it would end overseas recruitment for care workers to reduce net migration. While addressing political targets, this risks worsening social care shortages as the UK population ages, without a clear plan for building a sustainable domestic workforce.

Why Does This Matter for Tulia and Migrant Justice?

At Tulia, we know migrant workers are vital to the UK’s economy and communities. However, this report shows that:

• Immigration policy is not protecting migrant dignity or rights.
  
  

• Rapid expansions without safeguards create exploitation risks.
  
  

• Policy reversals without workforce planning harm care systems and vulnerable service users.
  
  

Tulia’s Recommendations for an Ethical Skilled Migration System

✔ Conduct mandatory impact assessments before any visa route changes to understand sector needs, regional capacity, and migrant risks.
✔ Strengthen sponsor compliance, including routine checks and clear public reporting on enforcement actions.
✔ Ban recruitment fees effectively, with accountability for UK sponsors using overseas agents.
✔ Create safeguarding pathways for displaced workers, ensuring those losing sponsorship can find new jobs safely or regularise their status.
✔ Upgrade customer service systems, including real-time application tracking and simplified multilingual guidance.
✔ Include migrant voices in policy-making, particularly through bodies like the Labour Market Evidence Group, to ensure routes meet worker and sector needs fairly.

This report highlights an immigration system that often prioritises political targets over human dignity and sector realities. Migrant workers are not just economic units – they are individuals with skills, families, and dreams, deserving protection and respect.

At Tulia, we will continue advocating for immigration policies that are ethical, rights-based, and grounded in real workforce needs, ensuring the UK remains a safe and fair destination for migrant workers.