Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to decrease the time it takes for sponsorship licences to be issued to immigrant care workers.

Adult social care providers who wish to sponsor international workers under the Health and Care Visa can apply for a sponsorship licence. Individual workers then need to apply for a visa once they have a job offer from a licensed sponsor. The Home Office is currently providing decisions on sponsorship licences in five weeks against an eight week service standard.

The Department is supporting the adult social care sector on international recruitment. This includes providing £15 million to help areas establish local support arrangements, which can include support for the sponsorship licence application process. The Department is also producing new guidance for the sector, including on the sponsorship licence process.