UK HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA

The UK Health and Care Worker Visa is open to qualified doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and persons working in the adult social care sector who wish to undertake an eligible health or social care job in the UK.  The UK Health and Care Worker Visa is a part of the Skilled Worker Visa.

The UK Health and Care Worker Visa can lead to settlement in the UK after 5 years.

Most UK Health and Care Worker Visa applicants can be accompanied or joined by a dependent partner and children. However, dependents of care workers and senior care workers (occupation codes 6145 and 6146) are no longer permitted to come to or stay in the UK.

Requirements for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa

In order to qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You are aged 18 or over;
• You are a qualified doctor, nurse, allied health professional or person working in the adult social care sector;
• You will work in an eligible health or social care job, which falls within a list of specified Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes;
• You will be employed or engaged by a UK health or care sector employer that has been approved by the Home Office;
• You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer for the job you are planning to do, with information about the role you have been offered;
• If you have a Certificate of Sponsorship for occupation code “6145 – Care workers and home carers” or  “6146 – Senior Care Workers” you will work for a CQC regulated employer;
• You will be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code;
• You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0);
• Your sponsor has paid any required Immigration Skills Charge;
• You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds;
• You have provided a criminal record certificate, if working with vulnerable people; and
• You have provided a valid TB certificate, if from a listed country.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

To discuss your UK Health and Care Worker Visa application with one of our immigration barristers, contact our Health and Care Worker Route lawyers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa Eligible Jobs

In order to qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to work in an eligible health or social care job, which falls within a list of specified Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes:

• 1171 Health services and public health managers and directors
• 1231 Health care practice managers
• 1232 Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
• 2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists
• 2114 Physical scientists
• 2211 Generalist medical practitioners
• 2212 Specialist medical practitioners
• 2221 Physiotherapists
• 2222 Occupational therapists
• 2223 Speech and language therapists
• 2224 Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists
• 2225 Clinical psychologists
• 2226 Other psychologists
• 2229 Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2231 Midwifery nurses
• 2232 Registered community nurses
• 2233 Registered specialist nurses
• 2234 Registered nurse practitioners
• 2235 Registered mental health nurses
• 2236 Registered children’s nurses
• 2237 Other registered nursing professionals
• 2251 Pharmacists
• 2252 Optometrists
• 2253 Dental practitioners
• 2254 Medical radiographers
• 2255 Paramedics
• 2256 Podiatrists
• 2259 Other health professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2461 Social workers
• 3111 Laboratory technicians
• 3211 Dispensing opticians
• 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians
• 3213 Medical and dental technicians
• 3219 Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
• 6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
• 6132 Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
• 6133 Dental nurses
• 6135 Care workers and home carers
• 6136 Senior care workers

This is an exhaustive list. You must be taking up a job in one of the above occupations to be eligible for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa. However, some roles may still be eligible within the general Skilled Worker category.

Approved UK Health and Care Sector Employers

In order to qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to be employed or engaged by a UK health and care sector employer that has been approved by the Home Office.

A wide variety of types of organisations have been approved by the Home Office to sponsor health and care sector employees under the UK Health and Care Worker Visa route, including:

• NHS Foundation Trusts, NHS Trusts, and various other healthcare-related agencies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland;
• Institutions or organisations providing regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, registered with the Care Quality Commission;
• Entities regulated under the Care Standards Act 2000 or the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016;
• Parties to medical or dental services contracts;
• Providers of care services in Scotland, registered with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, or engaged in NHS-related services;
• General Practitioner Federations and entities contracted by the Northern Ireland Regional Health and Social Care Board for Family Practitioner Services;
• Bodies registered with or monitored/inspected by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority;
• Regulatory bodies such as the General Chiropractic Council, General Medical Council, etc;
• Organisations registered with the CQC currently carrying out regulated activities.

If you are not sure whether your employer is an approved employer for the purpose of the UK Health and Care Worker Visa route, our immigration barristers can advise you further.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Requirement

In order to obtain a UK Health and Care Worker Visa you must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do. This is an electronic record rather than a physical document.

Your UK Health and Care Worker Visa Certificate of Sponsorship will need to have been issued by an employer that is authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job in question under the Health and Care Worker route. 

The typical employer will be the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an organisation providing adult social care. However, as set out above, a wide variety of organisations can be approved by the Home Office as health and care sector sponsors under the Health and Care Worker Visa route. Where an employer is not currently approved as a licensed sponsor, they can apply for a Sponsor Licence if they are eligible.

Your employer will be required to include a brief explanation in the Certificate of Sponsorship setting out how you meet the Health and Care Visa eligibility requirements. Where an employer is an organisation that provides services commissioned by the NHS, evidence of any contractual arrangements with the NHS may be required to be disclosed. 

Your Health and Care Worker Visa Certificate of Sponsorship must have been issued not more than 3 months before the date of your Health and Care Worker visa application.

Your Certificate of Sponsorship must include certain mandatory information, including:

• details of your name, job and salary;
• a start date which is no more than 3 months after the date your Health and Care Worker visa application;
• confirmation that the Certificate of Sponsorship has not been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused and has not been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office.

Care Worker and Senior Care Worker Sponsorship

Care homes in England are now required to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) (the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England) to sponsor migrants as care workers and home carers (6135) or senior care workers (6136) under the Health and Care Worker visa route. 

Therefore, if you apply for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa to work in England with a Certificate of Sponsorship for occupation codes ‘6135 – Care workers and home carers’ or  ‘6136 – Senior Care Workers’,  you must work for an employer registered with the CQC.

The sponsor must be currently carrying out activities regulated by the CQC and must not be ‘dormant’ on their register or have requested to become ‘dormant’.  This does not apply to applicants who will be working solely in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Care workers and senior care workers holding a UK Health and Care Worker Visa that was granted before 11 March 2024 may apply to extend their permission with the same sponsor, and settle, without the CQC regulation requirement applying to them.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa Salary Requirement

In order to qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code.

If you are being sponsored for one of the following national pay scale SOC 2020 occupation codes, you will need to be paid a salary of at least £23,200 per year or the ‘going rate’ for the job as set out in Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, whichever is higher:

• 2211 Generalist medical practitioners
• 2212 Specialist medical practitioners
• 2221 Physiotherapists
• 2222 Occupational therapists
• 2223 Speech and language therapists
• 2224 Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists
• 2225 Clinical psychologists
• 2226 Other psychologists
• 2229 Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2231 Midwifery nurses
• 2232 Registered community nurses
• 2233 Registered specialist nurses
• 2234 Registered nurse practitioners
• 2235 Registered mental health nurses
• 2236 Registered children’s nurses
• 2237 Other registered nursing professionals
• 2251 Pharmacists
• 2252 Optometrists
• 2253 Dental practitioners
• 2254 Medical radiographers
• 2255 Paramedics
• 2256 Podiatrists
• 2259 Other health professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2461 Social workers
• 3213 Medical and dental technicians
• 3219 Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
• 6131 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
• 6132 Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
• 6133 Dental nurses

You will need to meet a different salary requirement if you are being sponsored for one of the following Health and Care Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) jobs:

• 1171 Health services and public health managers and directors
• 1231 Health care practice managers
• 1232 Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
• 2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists
• 2114 Physical scientists
• 3111 Laboratory technicians
• 3211 Dispensing opticians
• 3212 Pharmaceutical technicians
• 6135 Care workers and home carers
• 6136 Senior care workers

Health and Care Worker Visa applicants who are being sponsored for one of the above-mentioned jobs may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds the following:

• The general salary threshold – for most jobs this is £29,000 per year, but may be £26,100 or £23,200 per year if the worker scores ‘tradable points’ (see below); and
• The applicable ‘going rate’ for the SOC 2020 occupation code in Appendix Skilled Occupations – or a percentage of the ‘going rate’ if the worker scores ‘tradable points’ (see below).

Some sponsored Health and Care Workers applying for a Health and Care Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) job may be paid less than £29,000 per year, where they are awarded additional so-called ‘tradable points’ for other attributes:  

• An applicant with a PhD qualification which is relevant to the job may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £26,100 per year and 90% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code;
• An applicant with a PhD qualification in a STEM subject which is relevant to the job may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £23,200 per year and 80% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code;
• An applicant with a job offer for a job on the Immigration Salary List may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £23,200 per year and the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code;
• An applicant who is a new entrant to the labour market at the start of their career may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £23,200 per year and 70% of the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code.

What is the ‘Immigration Salary List’?

The Home Office maintains a list of skilled roles where employers find it difficult to secure adequate numbers of workers with the required skills to fill their vacancies.  As set out above, employers are able to recruit migrants to fill occupations on the Immigration Salary List on a salary below the general salary threshold. 

Occupations that are eligible for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa (other than national pay scale occupations) and are on the Immigration Salary List may be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both £23,200 per year and the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code.

Who is a ‘New Entrant to the Labour Market’?

New entrants to the labour market include those under the age of 26 at the date of application (or switching from a Student or Graduate Visa), those sponsored in specified postdoctoral research positions and those working towards professional qualifications, registration or chartered status.  As set out above, if you qualify as a new entrant to the labour market then the salary threshold requirement will be reduced.

An applicant will not qualify as a new entrant if granting their application would result in their combined period of permission as a Skilled Worker, Tier 2 Migrant and/or Graduate exceeding 4 years in total.

English Language Requirement for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa

In order to qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa you will need to demonstrate English language ability on the Common European Framework of Reference scale (CEFR) for Languages in all 4 components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) to at least level B1 (intermediate).

Prospective employees applying for entry clearance or leave to remain as a Health and Care Worker will satisfy the English language requirement if they:

• Are a national of a majority English-speaking country;
• Have passed a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider;
• Have been awarded a degree-level academic qualification taught in English;
• Obtained a GCSE/A Level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Highers or Advanced Higher in English while at school in the UK; or
• Have already shown they met the requirement, of level B1, in a previous successful application for entry clearance or permission to stay.

If you are being sponsored to work as a doctor, dentist, nurse or midwife you do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you have already passed an English language assessment  accepted by the relevant professional regulatory body. 

Immigration Skills Charge Requirement

Your employer must also have paid in full any required Immigration Skills Charge. This payment cannot be transferred to the applicant.

The Immigration Skills Charge is a charge for each foreign worker that a sponsoring employer seeks to employ.  The Immigration Skills Charge must be paid each time a sponsoring employer assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship to a migrant.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa Financial Maintenance Requirement

Subject to the exemptions below, you will need to have cash funds of at least £1,270 available to show that you can support yourself in the UK.

You will need to have held the money for at least 28 consecutive days ending not more than 31 days before the date of your UK Health and Care Worker Visa application.

If you are applying for permission to stay and have been in the UK with permission for 12 months or more at the date of application, you will meet the financial requirement and will not need to show funds.

You will also be exempt  if your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK to an amount of at least £1,270, if necessary.  Your sponsor will need to confirm this on your Certificate of Sponsorship by completing the ‘Sponsor certifies maintenance’ section.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa Criminal Record Certificate Requirement

If you are applying for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa from outside the UK, you will need to provide a criminal record certificate from the relevant authority in any country in which you have been present for 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the 10 years before the date of application, and while aged 18 or over, unless your job is one of the following occupation codes: 

• 2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists
• 2114 Physical scientists
• 3111 Laboratory technicians
• 6132 Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)

Benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa

UK Health and Care Worker Visa applicants enjoy the following benefits compared to other Skilled Worker Visa applicants:

• Visa Fee Reduction: Health and Care Worker Visa applicants pay a reduced visa application fee. The visa fee reduction also applies to partners and dependents of Health and Care Visa applicants;
• Fast-Track Entry: UK Visas and Immigration prioritises Health and Care Worker Visa applications, with the aim of processing Health and Care Worker Visa applications within 3 weeks;
• IHS Exemption: Health and Care Worker Visa applicants, and their dependent partner and children, are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Switching into the UK Health and Care Worker Visa Route

If you currently have leave to remain in another immigration category, you may extend your stay by switching into the UK Health and Care Worker Visa route unless you have, or were last granted, permission as a Visitor, Short-term student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household or have leave to remain in the UK outside of the Immigration Rules. 

If you have, or last had, permission as a Student, you will only be able to switch into the Health and Care Worker Visa route if you fulfil one of the following conditions:

• You have completed the course of study for which your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned; or
• The course finished before the start date on your CoS ; or
• The course was leading to a PhD award and you have completed at least 24 months of the course.

Is There a Cooling off Period in the UK Health and Care Worker Visa Route?

Under its predecessor route, those applying for entry clearance or to switch into the Tier 2 (General) route had to have not been in the UK as a Tier 2 (General) migrant during the past 12 months.  Under the Skilled Worker route, which includes the Health and Care Worker Visa route, the 12-month ‘cooling off period’ has been removed.  There is no restriction on when applications to enter the Health and Care Worker Visa route can be made.

Duration of a Health and Care Worker Visa

If your application for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa is approved you will be granted entry clearance or permission to stay for a period ending 14 days after the end date of your Certificate of Sponsorship (which may be up to a maximum of 5 years after the start date of your Certificate of Sponsorship). Your certificate of sponsorship will state for how long your employer is sponsoring you.

You can usually apply to extend your Health and Care Worker visa if you still meet the salary requirements and :

• You have the same job as when you were previously were given permission to enter or stay in the UK; or
• Your job is in the same occupation code as when you were previously were given permission to enter or stay in the UK; or
• You are working for the same employer who issued your current certificate of sponsorship. 

Maximum Time in the UK Health and Care Worker Visa Route

Under the former Tier 2 (General) route, those applying for entry clearance or to switch into the route had to satisfy a requirement to spend a maximum of six years in the route. 

Under the Health and Care Worker route, the six-year maximum length of stay in the route has been removed. There is no restriction on the length of stay and you may be granted up to 5 years leave at a time.  

Conditions of Stay as a Health and Care Worker

UK Health and Care Worker Visa holders are permitted to work in the job they have been sponsored for.  They may also undertake supplementary employment provided they continue to work in the job for which they are being sponsored.

You will need to apply to update your Health and Care Worker Visa if you want to change your job and your new job is with a different employer; or your job changes to a different occupation code.

Settlement as a Health and Care Worker

In order to qualify for Settlement as a Health and Care Worker, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:

• You have spent a continuous period of 5 years in the UK;
• The 5-year continuous period consisted of time with permission on any of, or any combination of, the following routes: Skilled Worker, Global talent,  Innovator, Innovator Founder, Tier 2 Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, Representative of an Overseas Business, Tier 1 Migrant (other than as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Migrant), Scale-up;
• You have not been outside for more than 180 days during each year of the 5-year continuous period;
• You have passed the Life in the UK test (unless aged 65 or over); 
• Your sponsor is still a Home Office approved sponsor;
• Your sponsor still requires you to work for them for the foreseeable future;
• You are being, and will be paid for the foreseeable future, at least the general ILR salary threshold or the going rate requirement, whichever is higher.

Health and Care Worker Visa Application Fees and Fee Reduction

Individuals applying for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa will pay reduced application fees where their employer has confirmed on their Certificate of Sponsorship that they meet the eligibility criteria of the route.  The reduction of fees also applies to partners and dependents. The fee reduction should operate automatically through the online application process.

The published fees, in effect from 10 April 2024, are the same for entry clearance applications made outside of the UK and leave to remain applications made within the UK, including applications to switch into this category. 

• Where a Certificate of Sponsorship has been issued for you to stay in the UK for 3 years or less the fee is £284.
• Where a Certificate of Sponsorship has been issued for you to stay in the UK for over 3 years the fee is £551. 

Exemption from Immigration Health Surcharge

Health and Care Worker visa applicants and their dependents are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Charge.

Fast Track Entry & Expedited Visa Processing Times 

The Home Office published guidance states that UK Visas and Immigration will prioritise Health and Care Worker Visa applications, with the aim that the vast majority are processed within 3 weeks from the date biometrics are taken.

Dependants of Health and Care Workers

Health and Care Workers may be joined or accompanied by a dependent partner over the age of 18 and/or a dependent child under the age of 18. 

Since 11 March 2024, social care workers (occupation codes 6145 and 6146) have not been permitted to bring dependents to the UK.  However, care workers and senior care workers holding a Health and Care Worker Visa that was granted before 11 March 2024 may be accompanied or joined by dependents, including in cases where they change jobs to another sponsor who meets the CQC regulation requirement.

The Health and Care Worker Visa fee reduction applies to partners and children applying as dependents of Health and Care Visa applicants as does the exemption from Immigration Health Charge.

How Our Immigration Barristers Can Help

Our team of business immigration barristers has experience in assisting employers and Health and Care Workers across a variety of industries in companies of all sizes. Our barristers can help you with planning to ensure that you meet your start date and ensure that your career progression will fit your immigration goals.

We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our clients’ needs. We are a highly driven team, dedicated to providing clear and reliable immigration advice to Health and Care Workers as part of a professional and friendly service.