Home Office Can't Trace 154,402 Care‑Visa Migrants — Overstay Risk, Removals Uncertain

UK ministers admitted they cannot say how many of the 154,402 people issued social care work visas since 2022 remain in the country, switched status, left, or overstayed. The data gap stems from systems that don’t link visa status to residence or employment over time. The route was tightened and later scrapped, prompting a steep fall in new visas. The disclosure fuels calls for tighter caps, better tracking, and faster removals of any overstayers.