The UK has relied on overseas doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers for decades. The primary reason for this is the shortage of staff that is unable to meet the rising demands from an aging population. To cater to the demand, the UK launched the Health and Care Worker Visa on 4 August 2020 as a fast-tracked route for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals from around the world to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible role with the NHS (National Health Service), an NHS supplier, or in adult social care. This is a sub-category route under the skilled worker route.
The visa offers an opportunity to foreign healthcare professionals looking to build a career in the UK, a clear pathway to permanent residency in the country, exemption from the immigration healthcare surcharge, and faster processing times. Employers, on the other hand, also benefit from having access to a global pool of talent, enabling them to deliver essential health and care services to people across the country.
The Health and Care Worker visa was initially opened on 4 August 2020 and was later incorporated into the revised UK Skilled Worker route under the UK’s points-based immigration system. The route was designed to attract international skilled workers to the UK, specifically for work in the health and care sector.
In February 2022, the route was expanded to include social care worker roles as the care sector was experiencing staff shortages caused by Brexit and the end of free movement with the EU.
A UK Health and Care Worker route allows medical professionals from across the globe to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible health and care job role with the NHS (National Health Service) UK, an NHS supplier, or in adult social care.
A medical professional must be a qualified doctor, health professional, nurse, or adult social care professional.
Successful applicants are permitted to work in the UK for up to five years, and they can extend their visa as many times as they wish, provided they remain eligible.
This visa also leads to ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain), also known as ‘settlement’ in the UK.
To obtain a UK Health and Care Worker visa, you need to follow straightforward steps. These steps give you a clear pathway from preparation for the initial application to getting a decision from the Home Office.
Here is the step-by-step pathway to the UK Health and Care Worker Visa.
To qualify for a UK Health and Care Worker visa, you must:
Be a qualified doctor, nurse, or health or adult social care professional
Work in an eligible job in the health or social care sector
Work for an approved UK employer (one with a sponsor licence)
Have a CoS (certificate of sponsorship) from your employer with information about the role, such as job details, salary, etc., that your employer has offered you in the UK
Be paid a salary (depends on role) that is equal to or above the minimum salary threshold
You must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English to at least level B1 of the CEFR.
Salary Requirements
An applicant will usually need to be paid at least £25,000 per year, or according to the ‘going rate’ for their job, whichever is higher (unless you have a job based on the national pay scale or a job based on the ASHE (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings)).
You will need to submit the following documents as part of your UK health and care worker visa:
Your CoS reference number – Ask your employer for this
Proof of your knowledge of English at Level B1 of the CEFR
A valid document showing your identity and nationality – your passport or other document
Your job title and annual salary
The 4-digit code of your occupation – this is normally mentioned on your CoS
Your employer’s name and their sponsor licence number - this will be on your certificate of sponsorship
You might need to provide more documents depending on your circumstances. For example, where relevant - a criminal record certificate if you are applying from overseas.
Apply for a health and care visa no more than 3 months before your employment start date. The work start date is recorded on your CoS (certificate of sponsorship). The CoS is generally valid only for 3 months.
You must apply online for a UK health and care worker visa. You need to pay the following standard application fee regardless of whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK. Pay the following amount depending on whether you’ll be in the UK for:
up to 3 years - £304 per person
more than 3 years - £590 per person
If your Health and Care Worker Visa application is successful, you will normally be granted leave to enter or leave to remain in the UK for a period that ends 14 days after the end date of your CoS. The maximum period of leave you can be granted on this visa is five years, based on the employment period stated on your CoS.
From 11 March 2024, new applicants for Care workers and Senior care workers are not allowed to bring dependants (partners and children) on their visa.
Statement of Changes HC 997, laid before the UK parliament, closed new certificate of sponsorships in occupations Care Worker (code 6135) and Senior Care Worker (code 6136) from 22 July 2025. This means no foreign nationals can apply for entry clearance for these 2 occupation codes under the Health and Care visa.
On the other hand, employers can no longer sponsor new international care workers under this route.
However, there is a transition period in place until 22 July 2028. During this period, individuals already in the UK under SOC code 6135 or 6136 may continue to apply to switch into or extend a Skilled Worker visa, provided they meet specific conditions.
This also means that care providers can sponsor or assign CoS to overseas workers already in the UK who have been working as a care or senior care worker for at least three months in the same SOC code and for the same sponsor.
Care providers in England, in order to sponsor care and senior care workers already in the UK (except migrants who were first granted permission in these roles under the Immigration Rules before 11 March 2024), must be regulated by the CQC (Care Quality Commission).
A person applying for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa enjoys several benefits compared to those applying under the general Skilled Worker route. These benefits include:
Applicants applying for a Health and Care Worker Visa are required to pay a significantly reduced application fee compared to the general skilled worker route. This reduced fee also applies to their partners and children applying as their dependants under this route.
UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) normally fast-tracks Health and Care Worker visa applications. As a result, the majority of health and care worker visa applicants can usually expect a decision on their application within 3 weeks of providing their biometric information (fingerprints and facial photograph). This is substantially quicker than the current usual time taken by the UKVI for Skilled Worker visa processing.
Health and Care Worker Visa applicants, along with their partners and children applying as dependants, are exempt from paying the IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge). This allows the applicant and their dependants to access NHS services without additional cost.
Successful applicants applying for entry clearance or permission to stay on this route are granted a leave of 5 years, after which they can apply to extend or ILR (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK, provided they are eligible.
The health and care worker visa gives an opportunity to international nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals to upskill and get further training in the UK. They can move to higher posts or senior roles.
This visa, other than working for your main sponsor, allows you to take up additional paid work up to 20 hours a week in another job or for your own business, or voluntary work, as long as you are still doing the job you are being sponsored for.
Another flexibility available with this visa is that you can change your job with the same or a different employer.
At Visa and Migration Ltd, we take pride in being approachable, responsive, and proactive in understanding and meeting the requirements of our health and care sector clients. Our team is highly experienced, specialised, and committed to providing clear, strategic, tailored, and dependable immigration advice, delivered with the highest quality of professionalism and care.
To speak with one of our immigration experts about your UK Health and Care Worker Visa application, sponsor licence application, or compliance obligations, please call us on +44 (0)20 3411 1261.
Switching into or extending a health and care worker visa
Change of employment or employer
Applying for ILR (settlement) as a health and care worker
Handling visa refusals
Fresh sponsor licence and ongoing sponsor licence compliance
