- Conference
- 2026 National Community Conference and Seminar
- Date
- 6 November 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes migrant workers are essential to the community sector, yet many face difficulties such as:
– Restrictions on changing employers;
– Fear of dismissal or deportation for speaking out;
– Barriers to training and progression; and
– Low pay and undervaluation.
Migrant care workers employed under the Health and Care Worker visa are tied to sponsor employers — organisations licensed by the Home Office to employ overseas workers.
Unlike other staff, these workers’ immigration status depends entirely on their sponsor. If they lose their job or wish to leave, their visa can be curtailed, often within 60 days, unless they find another sponsor.
A migrant care worker on a sponsored visa can only move to a new employer if that new organisation also holds a Home Office sponsor licence and issues a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
The worker must then apply for a new visa before starting the new job. If they leave their old employer before this is approved, their visa may be cut short, forcing them to find another sponsor quickly or risk removal from the UK.
By contrast, British citizens or those with Indefinite Leave to Remain can change jobs freely without fear of deportation.
This system can give sponsor employers a lot of power and leaves migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation, fear, and dependency. This is well documented and publicly recognised by such figures as the Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Conference notes recent government proposals in white paper CP1326, to extend the standard qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from 5 years to 10 years.
Conference believes this will deepen exploitation, insecurity, and workforce shortages in social care, not improve fairness or stability. This disregards migrant workers’ vital contribution, many of whom already fear raising concerns about unfair treatment, poor pay, or unsafe conditions, due to threats of dismissal or deportation.
Conference calls for the continuation of campaigns for fair treatment, freedom of movement between employers, and access to training and development for all care workers. Defending migrant workers is essential to protecting quality care and equality in our sector.
Conference therefore calls on the Community Service Group Executive to work together with the NEC and Labour Link to:
1)Achieve a national campaign against the proposed 10-year visa term and support retention of the current 5-year visa and 5-year ILR route,
2)Lobby the UK Government and devolved administrations to guarantee migrant care workers the freedom to change employers without losing their visa status,
3)Work with UNISON’s Migrant Workers Network and Labour Link to raise public and political awareness of exploitation in the care sector,
4)Develop guidance and resources for branches to support migrant members facing exploitation, intimidation, or unfair treatment, and
5)To Promote a national campaign message that migrant care workers are skilled, valued professionals who deserve dignity, fair pay, and equal opportunities for training and progression.