Visa crackdown forces DWP’s own foreign-born staff to leave the UK - The i Paper

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Hundreds of civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could be forced to leave the UK due to “cruel” visa rule changes, The i Paper has been told.

At least 1,500 benefits and JobCentre staff from overseas are no longer eligible for skilled visas, says the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents government workers.

Foreign nationals working at the DWP told The i Paper they felt “heartbroken” and betrayed. They had expected to move on to skilled worker visas and settle in Britain once their current graduate visas had ended.

Shorts Scroll to previous short Scroll to next short What we know about Ranulph Fiennes care home row When you could buy gene-edited bananas that don’t go brown How long will the warm weather last for? Snooker champion Graeme Dott jailed for child sex abuse 1 2 3 4 5 Caption: FALMOUTH, ENGLAND – MARCH 14: Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes poses for the photographer on March 14, 2022 in Falmouth, England. Sir Ranulph visited Falmouth during his Living Dangerously speaking tour on which he recalls his adventures for theatre audiences around the UK. (Photo by Hugh R Hastings/Getty Images)

news What we know about Ranulph Fiennes care home row

Once described as “the world’s greatest living explorer”, Sir Ranulph Fiennes disappeared from public view in 2024.

Members of his family allege they have not been allowed to visit him. 1 2 3 4 5 Who is Ranulph Fiennes? Ranulph Fiennes, 82, is a famed explorer, known for his Transglobe Expedition.

He is related to actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes.

In September this year, his relatives raised the alarm that they had not been allowed to visit him.

Fiennes disappeared from public in 2024 after opening up about his Parkinson’s diagnosis. The Ranulph Fiennes case should make every family have one difficult conversation 2 min read 1 2 3 4 5 Allegations of a family rift In September, The Telegraph published its first story airing concerns from friends who alleged Fiennes’ wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, was not allowing anyone else to see him. Caption: London, UNITED KINGDOM: British Explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, aged 62, scales a climbing wall during a press conference in East London, 26 February 2007. Fiennes will attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps in March 2007 to raise money for the Marie Curie charity which cares for terminally ill patients. Fiennes suffers from vertigo, a heart condition and has lost fingers from his left hand to frost bite. AFP PHOTO/CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)

Caption: Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his wife Lady Louise, after returning to Britain following a failed attempt to climb Everest.

The newspaper reported allegations that Fiennes had been moved around multiple care homes under false names. 1 2 3 4 5 Campaign to free him The explorer’s stepson, Alex Millington-Cotes, has said he is desperate to visit Fiennes again, and told the BBC he wants power of attorney removed from his mother.

“He’s not an isolated type of person, and so to see him isolated now is very painful,” he said. The Ranulph Fiennes case should make every family have one difficult conversation 2 min read Reform’s £72m could torpedo GB News with the launch of ‘Farage TV’ 4 min read 1 2 3 4 5 King urged to help Concerned friends reportedly wrote to King Charles, an old friend of Fiennes’, but the Palace was also unable to get through to him.

Alex Millington-Cotes has launched a fundraiser to “locate and safeguard” the explorer. Louise Millington-Cotes has not responded to the allegations 1 2 3 food When you could buy gene-edited bananas that don’t go brown Caption: ATZENBRUGG, AUSTRIA – JULY 09: Bananas are pictured on the first tee during the first round of the Austrian Open at Diamond Country Club on July 09, 2020 in Atzenbrugg, Austria. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Step aside banana bread, scientists at a start-up in Norwich have created bananas that keep their colour in your fruit bowl for longer before turning brown.

The flashy new fruit can even stay yellow for up to 24 hours after peeling. 1 2 3 Everything you need to know Tropic Biosciences has developed gene-edited bananas which can last longer.

The start-up used the CRISPR-Cas9 process to tweak three genes which make bananas turn brown.

The start-up used the CRISPR-Cas9 process to tweak three genes which make bananas turn brown.

It means the fruit does not produce the polyphenol oxidase enzyme responsible for pesky fruit-bowl browning.

It means the fruit does not produce the polyphenol oxidase enzyme responsible for pesky fruit-bowl browning.

The bananas have marketing approval from the environment secretary but must pass the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) checks before they can go on sale. 1 2 3 Why is this significant? According to Gilad Gershon, the CEO of Tropic, the edited bananas can resist browning by an extra day or two. He said this would “open up a lot of value in reducing waste”. Caption: (GERMANY OUT) Obst, ueberreife, braune Bananen (Photo by Bonn-Sequenz/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

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Caption: JOLFA, IRAN – SEPTEMBER 18: Tropical plants are being cultivated in Iran’s largest greenhouse, located on the banks of the Aras River, which forms the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in Jolfa, Iran on September 18, 2025. Situated within the Aras Free Zone along the Aras River, the complex spans approximately 240 hectares, with 150 hectares covered by glass greenhouses. With to a hydroponic system imported from the Netherlands, plants are grown in a water-based environment using nutrient solutions instead of soil. The facility also produces 46 tons of tropical fruits such as bananas, papayas, blueberries, and dragon fruit. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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It is not known how long it could take for the FSA to approve the bananas for safe sale in the UK. If they make it through, they will need to be labelled as “gene edited”. 1 2 3 weather How long will the warm weather last for? Caption: People out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge on a warm September day. Temperatures in parts of the South East of the UK reach into the mid 20s. September 22, 2026. High pressure will be the dominant influence across much of the UK through the start of the week, bringing warm conditions and some sunshine for many areas. Photo released 22/09/2026

Photographer: James Linsell Clark / SWNS

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Tuesday is set to be warm and sunny, with a brief spike in temperatures, but later in the week, the mercury will struggle to get beyond 20°C. 1 2 3 Warmer than average On Tuesday, temperatures are set to hit 26°C in London and parts of the South East, continuing into a muggy night.

Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir forecasts:”A breezy day, but also a warm one… temperatures today will be well above average for this time of year, particularly for England and Wales.” Caption: People on Cullercoats Beach, North Tyneside, at sunrise. Picture date: Sunday September 27, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

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Caption: Motorists in Ansty in Warwickshire pass woodland showing autumnal colour. Picture date: Monday September 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire

1 2 3 Fresher end to the week Nasir warned there is a risk of “some intense bursts of rain” followed by showers on Wednesday.

The Met Office forecast that the weather will turn “a little fresher from Thursday with showers or longer spells of rain at times, mainly in the west”.

As the week goes on, temperatures are set to drop, with very few areas expected to reach 20°C or above. 1 2 3 Caption: File photo dated 19/01/13 of Graeme Dott. Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school-aged children, following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Issue date: Monday August 24, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

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crime Snooker champion Graeme Dott jailed for child sex abuse Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school-age children.

In August, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour and on Tuesday he was sentenced to seven years in prison. 1 2 3 What you need to know The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Dott subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993 and 1996 and the boy between 2006 and 2010.

The jury heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately and kissed them. Caption: Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott, who is accused of sexually abusing two children between 1993 and 2010, arrives at the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, August 24, 2026. REUTERS/Lesley Martin

Caption: PICTURE ADVISORY. Editors of newspapers printed or that have editions circulating in Scotland and all Internet subscribers or broadcasters whose content is visible in Scotland are advised to seek legal advice before publication of this photograph as, under Scottish Law, the use of a picture of an untried person may be held to be in Contempt of Court.

General view of Glasgow High Court where former world snooker champion Graeme Dott appeared accused of child sex offences. He denies the charges. Picture date: Monday August 24, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

1 2 3 What did the victims say? One of Dott’s victims, now in her 40s, told the court Dott had sexually abused her on multiple occasions.

The second victim, now in his late 20s, also said he was sexually abused on multiple occasions.

Lord Harrower, the judge, told Dott he had “robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood”.

He added the behaviour bore “the hallmarks of grooming”. Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott charged with child sex offences 1 min read

Labour MPs criticised the “reckless and self-defeating” Home Office visa rules – warning of a staffing crisis at the DWP as the Government tries to implement major changes to benefits and work schemes.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces a backbench rebellion on immigration, although on Sunday he hinted that some reforms could be watered down. The Prime Minister and his Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, have angered MPs over plans to extend the time it takes for migrants to get settled status.

Benefits staff and work coaches fall foul of rule changes

Foreign nationals working in relatively low-paid roles at the DWP – in customer support, benefits processing and as work coaches – have fallen foul of visa rules changes.

The increased salary thresholds made under the Conservatives in April 2024 had already caused some of the department’s lowest-paid staff to leave the UK, the PCS said.

However, further changes announced by Labour in July 2025 have affected more staff from overseas.

Labour raised the eligibility for skilled worker visas to degree-level jobs only. The visa category known as 4111, for low-level administration roles, was removed.

It means that the DWP can no longer sponsor its own staff who are doing jobs not considered to require degrees.

Many of the foreign nationals started their DWP jobs on two-year graduate visas, expecting that they would be able to move on to skilled workers’ visas later.

But they now face the prospect of having to leave the UK. Staff, whose names have been changed to protect their identities, told The i Paper about having their career hopes dashed.

‘The changing of the goalposts is crazy and unfair’

Miriam*, a DWP admin worker from West Africa, has been working for the department for almost two years. She earns under £33,000.

Her graduate visa is set to run out this year. Without any route to a skilled worker visa, she is preparing to leave the UK.

“It is really frustrating. I had hopes of building a career here. My parents sacrificed a lot for me to come to the UK, and it feels like I will be going back with nothing.

“There has been so much anxiety,” Miriam added. “It’s disappointing and depressing. The job is actually really good. I have enjoyed it and I wanted to contribute.”

David*, another DWP admin worker from West Africa, has a graduate visa that runs out in 2027.

He also fears that he will have to leave the country if he cannot find a new, higher-skilled job elsewhere that meets visa requirements.

“We have established our lives here,” David told The i Paper. “We are not asking for special treatment. We are only asking for stability and fairness.

“The constant changing of the goalposts is crazy. It’s unfair. It is leaving people who are contributing to the UK economy heartbroken.”

David said he was disappointed in the DWP. “The department is not ready to come up with any solution. They don’t seem to be fighting for us.”

‘Cruel’ loss of talent in months ahead, warns union

The PCS has previously highlighted the case of Farouq Ahmed. He had to leave his DWP admin job and return to Nigeria in May 2025 because he failed to meet the £30,960 salary threshold in place at the time.

In July 2025, Labour raised the general salary threshold for jobs on the immigration salary list to £33,400. It made it even more difficult for some DWP staff to meet the requirements.

At least 1,500 DWP workers could be forced to leave the UK because of the removal of the 4111 visa code and raised salary thresholds, according to the PCS’s estimate.

Relatively few will be able to move into higher-skilled jobs, union officials fear, leaving the vast majority at risk of exiting the UK when all their graduate visas run out by the end of next year.

Dozens of foreign civil servants at the department have already had to leave the UK in recent months, said union officials.

“These staff members have studied in the UK, invested in their futures here, and are already contributing to essential services,” said PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote.

“Forcing them to leave is not only cruel, it’s a loss of talent and investment the UK can’t afford.”

Buket Erdogan, a senior solicitor at Ashton Ross Law, said the removal of the 4111 code is one of the “most notable casualties” of Labour’s July 2025 visa rule changes.

The immigration specialist said she knew of admin workers in the private sector who had been forced to leave the UK recently, adding: “It’s effectively an informal deportation.”

Labour MPs warn of ‘weaker and slower’ benefit services

The potential disruption to DWP staffing comes as Labour ministers push on with plans to .

Labour MP Andy McDonald said the prospect of the DWP losing hundreds of frontline benefits workers and work coaches was “completely self-defeating”.

The MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East said changes made in July 2025 “unfairly penalise” people doing vital jobs – “effectively telling low-paid public servants they’re not welcome”.

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, said the visa changes were “a dreadful injustice to dedicated public servants”. And Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, said the Government’s “reckless” rule changes “deepen an already severe staffing crisis”.

She said the frontline DWP staff play a crucial role “yet ministers seem content to force them out, leaving services weaker, slower, and with devastating consequences for the people who rely on them”.

The Home Secretary wants to double the time it takes for migrants to get indefinite leave to remain in the UK from five to 10 years.

Some foreign workers, like those on health and social care visas, will have to wait 15 years for permanent residency.

Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, sent a letter to Mahmood signed by 100 Labour backbenchers criticising the proposals for “moving the goalposts”.

Former deputy PM Angela Rayner joined the rebellion by attacking the move as “un-British”. Starmer and Mahmood are thought to be considering whether they will have to water down the plans.

McDonald told The i Paper the earned settlement proposals “risk doubling down” on the “injustice” of the visa rule changes.

Johnson also called for a U-turn. “The Government must think again and stop pandering to the toxic immigration rhetoric we’re seeing from the far right.”

However, Reform UK has questioned why government departments need to sponsor workers from abroad to join the civil service.

“The priority of the DWP should be getting British people into work, not relying on visa schemes to staff the benefits system,” said a spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s party.

The Labour Government said it accepts that some of its civil servants are working on “time‑limited visas”.

It did not challenge the PCS union’s estimate that at least 1,500 DWP staff could be affected by rule changes when asked about numbers.

A spokesperson said that “visa sponsorship depends on individual circumstances”, adding: “We take staff welfare seriously and offer a wide range of support to colleagues working on time‑limited visas.”