The decline was particularly evident when looking at applications for the health and social care visa, which dropped by 82% in July 2024 compared with July 2023. The number of dependents brought to the UK by people on healthcare workers on visas reduced by 71%. This data was published last Thursday (8 July).
Home secretary Yvette Cooper asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the number of overseas workers coming to the UK, to “look at key occupations [and] understand the reasons behind their reliance on international recruitment”. These occupations included technology and telecommunications professionals and engineers.
The decline follows tightened immigration measures implemented by Rishi Sunak's government in March this year, which raised the salary threshold for skilled workers, reduced the number of roles on the shortage occupation list, and restricted health and care workers from bringing dependents with them to the UK.
Khyati Sundaram, CEO of ethical AI hiring platform Applied, explained that the decline could worsen skills shortages faced by UK employers.
“The fall in overseas workers is worsening the skills shortage for employers who depend on international recruitment to fill the talent gap and bring unique perspectives and knowledge to teams,” she told HR magazine.
Read more: Skills gap to worsen by 2035, research suggests
According to research by the National Foundation for Educational Research, the skills gap in the UK will worsen from 13% of workers who lack essential skills needed for their jobs to 22% in 2035.
The Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to examine which roles the UK is short of, reasons for those shortages, and how each sector has responded and adapted, other than by recruiting from overseas.
Employers should have the same recruitment strategy for local and overseas workers, commented Derek Mackenzie, CEO of Investigo, part of recruitment firm The IN Group.
He told HR magazine: “Attracting overseas workers shouldn’t differ from attracting any candidate for employers. The process revolves around fair pay, and giving staff purpose in the work that they do, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that offers supportive policies, training opportunities and career progression.
"If that doesn’t attract overseas workers, then employers will need to shift their employment strategies to fill skills gaps and could also need to bridge gaps with interim solutions."
HR can encourage overseas workers to apply for roles at their company by moving towards skills-based hiring, Sundaram added.
“The most impactful thing employers wishing to overcome the talent shortage can do is focus on skills, instead of past experience and education, on job adverts and when assessing applicants,” she continued.
Read more: UK work immigration changes: What HR needs to know
“This ensures that overseas workers won’t be put off from applying out of fear that their international qualifications or past employers won’t be recognised or valued.
“This approach also simultaneously unlocks a deeper well of UK talent. Career switchers, those who have taken career gaps, or didn’t attend university, will feel encouraged to apply because they know they will be assessed solely on whether they have the skills needed to succeed in the role.”
The new government should seek to both encourage overseas workers to the UK and bridge skills shortages at home, Shazia Ejaz, director of campaigns and research at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, told HR magazine.
She said: “Policymakers must find a balance between helping domestic talent to shine while accepting that takes time.
“We need a fair and flexible immigration system that meets the needs of employers and helps grow the economy, because while politicians talk of sky-high migration numbers, we have sky-high levels of worker shortages and economic inactivity.
“A note of caution for the government is that we should remember that survey after survey shows people support immigration by those who are here to work, pay tax and build a life.”
