Scotland’s Migration Service supports healthcare employers across Scotland to understand and respond to changes in immigration rules.
How Scotland’s Migration Service supported employers
Health and social care employers across Scotland have seen major changes to visa rules in recent years.
These changes include updates to the Health and Care Worker visa route. They also affect salary requirements and international recruitment.
Many employers needed support to understand how these changes applied in practice and what steps to take next.
To help address this, Scotland’s Migration Service has delivered targeted support for the sector through webinars, partnerships, and one-to-one legal advice.
In January 2026, Scotland’s Migration Service delivered a session called Health and Care Visa Changes: What Employers Need to Know for Care Worker Roles. This session explained recent rule changes, including limits on overseas recruitment and updated eligibility requirements.
Following these changes, many NHS employers also needed support with salary queries. This included checking whether roles met the required thresholds and how going rates applied in practice. Scotland’s Migration Service provided clear, practical guidance to help employers assess eligibility and avoid delays in recruitment.
This built on earlier partnership work with NHS Education for Scotland (NES), including a July 2025 webinar on recruiting displaced international healthcare staff. That session explored ethical recruitment pathways, visa options, and practical approaches to workforce planning within NHS Scotland.
Across these sessions and advice appointments, employers were supported to:
- understand how visa rules apply to care and healthcare roles
- check salary requirements and eligibility
- explore alternative recruitment options where needed
- plan their workforce in line with current immigration rules
Scotland’s Migration Service continues to see strong engagement from the health and social care sector. Around 33% of employers who use the service, attend webinars, or stay in contact are from this sector.
This reflects the scale of workforce challenges, the impact of recent immigration legal changes on the sector, and the need for clear and simple immigration advice.
With this support, employers can better understand their options, reduce uncertainty, and make informed decisions about recruitment and sponsorship.
If you need support navigating visa changes in the health and care sector, Scotland’s Migration Service can help.