In May 2024 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed capping the number of visas the government issues every year. The annual cap, which will progressively be lowered each year to cut migration numbers, will not affect foreign students and seasonal workers. More than 300,000 work visas were given in the year ending March 2024, which is more than double the number granted in 2019, according to official statistics. While the tightened regulations led to a huge decline in the number of health and social care visa applications in May, according to interior ministry figures, care providers have warned that the sector is struggling to fill tens of thousands of vacancies. Labour's shadow home minister Yvette Cooper dismissed the proposed policy as a "meaningless announcement".
