International Recruiting – East of England

About the programme

International Recruitment East (IRE) is a government-funded programme aimed at improving adult social care provision across the East of England. The programme supports care providers in the ethical and safe recruitment of international care staff, and ensures the safety, wellbeing and equipping of all internationally recruited adult social care staff. This is essential to ensuring the highest quality of care for people who draw on adult social care services across the East of England.

IRE is supported by the twelve local authorities across the East of England, Skills for Care, and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) East.

The Care Workers’ Charity administers IRE grants using its existing systems for managing and processing crisis grants, in line with the eligibility criteria agreed with IRE. These grants do not need to be paid back and are not part of public funding.

You must be living and working in the UK to be eligible for any IRE grant.

Who is eligible?

Grants are available to international recruits working in adult social care who have been displaced due to their most recent employer’s sponsor licence being revoked by the Home Office. Grants are ring-fenced to care workers living in the following areas:

• Bedford Borough
• Central Bedfordshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Essex
• Hertfordshire
• Luton
• Milton Keynes
• Norfolk
• Peterborough
• Southend
• Suffolk
• Thurrock

Please note: if you have received a total of £2,000 or more in grants from us, you are unfortunately not eligible for any further funding.

What grants are available?

There are two types of grant available. You can apply for one of each type within a 12-month period. If after 12 months your employer’s licence is revoked again, you may apply for a visa fee reimbursement grant only.

1. Visa fee reimbursement

If your employer’s licence has been revoked and you need to update your visa to move to a new adult social care employer, you can claim back the cost of your visa fee once you have paid it and started your new role.

The amounts that can be reimbursed are:

• Basic visa fee for under three years: up to £324
• Basic visa fee for over three years: up to £628
• Priority service (processed within 5 days): an additional £500 on top of the basic fee, in exceptional circumstances only
• Maximum claimable amount: £1,128 (£628 basic fee plus £500 priority service)

 

To be eligible for visa fee reimbursement you must:

• Be moving from an organisation whose sponsor licence has been revoked
• Have paid the visa fee yourself
• Provide receipts for the fees paid
• Claim within 5 months of starting your new role
• Have a right to work in the UK with at least one month remaining on your visa

 

You can apply up to one month before your start date if you have already been offered a new role.

Please note: we can only reimburse your own visa fee. We cannot award grants towards visas held by dependants.

2. Work expense grants

If your employer’s licence has been revoked, you can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help with costs directly related to finding or starting new employment in adult social care.

Eligible costs include:

• Travel expenses
• Childcare
• Car repairs
• Contribution towards a car purchase
• Electric bike or scooter
• Internet for a year
• Uniform or work clothing
• Training-related expenses
• Driving lessons and tests

 

To be eligible for a work expense grant you must:

• Be moving from an organisation whose sponsor licence has been revoked
• Have a right to work in the UK with at least one month remaining on your visa (you will need to provide a copy of your visa)
• Show that the expense is directly related to finding or starting new employment in the social care sector

 

Additional criteria for driving lessons

If you are applying for driving lessons specifically, you must also:

• Have social care work experience
• Provide proof of a provisional driving licence
• Provide evidence that you have passed your theory test
• Provide evidence that you have booked a practical driving test
• Have at least two months remaining on your visa after your test date, to allow time to find a new sponsor if needed