What is the Health and Care Worker visa?

The Health and Care Worker visa allows overseas nationals with medical or care-related skills to work in the UK in eligible roles within the NHS, an approved NHS supplier, or the adult social care sector. Successful applicants can live and work in the UK for a period of five years and extend their visa as many times as they wish. After five years of continuous residence, they may also become eligible to apply for settlement (also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain).

What are the differences between the Health and Care visa and the Skilled Worker visa?

The Health and Care visa is a type of Skilled Worker visa. The Health and Care Worker Visa is only for medical professionals and those in eligible health and care professions. The Skilled Worker visa is for other professions and jobs outside of health and care. In addition, there are several benefits of a health and care worker visa compared to a Skilled Worker visa, as follows:

The Health and Care Visa is fast tracked by UKVI, meaning that applications are handled as a priority and processed within three weeks from the point the applicant has provided their biometric information. This compares to some other work visas which can take between eight and twenty weeks to process.
The application fee for a Health and Care Visa is much lower than for the Skilled Worker Visa at £590 compared to £1,519 if applying for more than 3 years.
There is no requirement to pay the healthcare immigration surcharge for the Health and Care Visa. This is normally £1035 for each year of your stay.

New rules for Health and Care Worker Visa in 2025

From 22 July 2025, the minimum skill level requirement for the UK Skilled Worker visa has been raised to RQF Level 6 (equivalent to degree level). As a result, roles below RQF Level 6 are no longer eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa, unless they appear on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage Occupation List. For example, the following roles are no longer eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship:

SOC 6135 care workers
SOC 6136 senior care workers
SOC 1231 healthcare practice managers
SOC 3213 medical and dental technicians
SOC 3219 health associate professions (not elsewhere classified)
SOC 6132 ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
SOC 6133 dental nurses

While some roles at RQF Level 3 to 5 that are included on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List still qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, applicants in these roles are no longer permitted to bring dependants.

Existing health and care workers can still extend or switch their visas, even thought their current jobs are at RQF level 3- 5, provided they meet other requirements.

Eligible occupations for Health and Care Worker visa in 2025

The UK Health and Care Worker Visa is available to the following occupations (note the four-digit number is the standard occupation code – SOC):

1171: health services and public health managers and directors
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

Health and Care Worker Visa requirements

There are several eligibility requirements that must be met when applying for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa. Specifically, you must:

You job is eligible for this visa and you have a job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a UK employer
Meet the minimum salary requirement
Meet the English language requirement
Have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK

To check if you are eligible for a UK Health and Care Worker visa, speak to one of our Skilled Worker Visa solicitors. Call us on 02037442797 for advice on your UK Health and Care Worker visa.

Job offer requirements

You must have an offer for a role with one of the above occupation codes. If you are unsure of the occupation code of the job you have been offered, you can use the ONS occupation checking tool. Alternatively, check with your employer, who will be able to provide this information.

Your job offer must be from one of the following:

the NHS
an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
an organisation providing adult social care

Your employer (sponsor) must be licenced to employ overseas workers with Health and Care Visas. A full list of the types of organisations you can work for can be found on the Home Office website.

Meet the minimum salary requirement

The minimum salary you must be paid will depend on the type of job you have. For example:

If your salary is not based on national pay scales, you will generally need to earn at least £31,300 per year or the going rate for your job, whichever is higher.
If you are paid according to national pay scales, the minimum salary is £25,000 or your job’s going rate, whichever is higher.

The going rate is set by the UK government and reflects the typical salary or hourly rate for each eligible occupation. It varies significantly depending on the profession. You can check the going rate for your role in the Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations, Table 3

You may still qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa on a lower salary, typically £25,000 or 80% of the job’s going rate, whichever is higher, if any of the following apply:

Your role is on the Immigration Salary List
You are classed as a new entrant
You hold a relevant STEM PhD qualification

Meet the English language requirements

To apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you must meet the English language requirements, either by:

passing an approved language test for reading, writing, speaking and understanding English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, or;
having a degree-level academic qualification that was taught in English.
being from an exempt country.

Evidence of savings

You will also need to show you have enough money to support yourself while in the UK (£1,270 held in your bank for 28 days). This will not be required if you have already been in the country for one year or more on a valid visa. If you do not have sufficient support funds, you may choose to ask your employer to provide a letter of support, which the Home Office will also accept.

How to apply for the health and care worker visa

The process of applying for a Skilled Worker visa from outside of the UK is completed online on the Home Office website. You will be in a position to complete and submit your application once you have your job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship, and the supporting information listed below. If necessary, you can complete part of the application and save your progress, allowing you to complete the process at a later date.

The application steps are as follows:

Check your eligibility for a health and care worker visa
Secure a job offer from a licensed sponsor in the UK
Receive your Certificate of Sponsorship from your UK employer
Prepare the documents you will need to prove your eligibility for a health and care worker visa
Complete the online application form
Pay the application fee.
Upload any documents required to support your application.
Arrange a biometric appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken if this is required. You will be advised how you can prove your identity and supply your biometrics (i.e. fingerprints and photo). This can be done either by having your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application centre in the country in which you are located or by using the Home Office’s mobile phone ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app. The app allows you to scan your identity documents and upload these to the Home Office.

You can expect to receive a decision within 3 weeks of your application date if submitted outside the UK. If more information is needed to support your application, you will be contacted by UKVI.

Reiss Edwards can handle the Health and Care Visa application process for you and your family members. Call us on 02037442797 for advice on your UK Health and Care Worker visa.

UK Health and Care Worker Visa required documents

Some of the information and documents you may need to provide to support your Health and Care Worker Visa application include:

Your passport (with a blank page)
Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
Your job title and annual salary
Your job’s occupation code
The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number (as shown on your Certificate of Sponsorship)
Evidence of sufficient personal savings to support yourself
Proof of your relationship to your spouse/partner and children (e.g. marriage and birth certificates)
Provide a criminal record certificate if you are applying from outside the UK, unless your job is in one of the following occupation codes:
- biological scientists and biochemists (2112)
- physical scientists (2113)
Proof of your English language proficiency
TB test results (if you are from a country for which this is required)
UK PhD certificate or Ecctis reference if your PhD is not from the UK

Health and care worker visa extension

You will be able to further extend your health and care worker visa as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria; this means you must:

still have the same job as when you were given your previous permission to enter or stay in the UK – this must be in the same occupation code
be working for the employer who gave you your current certificate of sponsorship
continue to meet the salary requirements

Your partner or children will also be able to extend their visa. However, they will need to apply separately, either at the same time as you or at any time before their current visa expires.

Health and care worker visa costs

The health and care worker visa application fee is as follows:

Up to 3 years: £304 per person
More than 3 years: £590 per person

The application fee remains the same whether you apply from inside or outside the UK.

References:

GOV.UK: Health and Care visa: guidance for applicants

GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupations

GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations