Qualified doctors, nurses and adult social care professionals turn to the Health and Care Worker visa when they secure a job offer from an NHS trust, an NHS supplier or a registered care provider. This route sits inside the Skilled Worker framework but removes the Immigration Health Surcharge and cuts application fees. Employers gain quicker access to overseas talent while applicants receive faster decisions and a direct line to settlement after five years.
The visa targets genuine shortages in hospitals, clinics and care homes. In 2026 the Home Office keeps the main structure intact yet applies stricter filters. New overseas applications for care workers and senior care workers stopped in July 2025. B2 English became standard for fresh applicants from January 2026. Transitional protections allow extensions for people already in the UK on the route.
This guide explains qualification steps, the 70-point calculation, salary thresholds tailored for health roles, required documents, application flow and life after approval. Every detail aligns with current Home Office guidance.
Overview of the Health and Care Worker Visa
The visa allows you to live and work in the UK in an approved health or adult social care position. You receive an eVisa linked to your UKVI account that confirms your status digitally.
You can work full-time in the sponsored role, study part-time, carry out voluntary work for registered charities or statutory bodies, and travel in and out of the country. Partners and children under 18 can join as dependants. Partners hold unrestricted work rights.
Leave lasts up to five years and extends indefinitely when you continue to meet the rules. After five continuous qualifying years you become eligible for indefinite leave to remain. Settlement removes time restrictions and opens access to public funds if you qualify.
Certain advantages set this visa apart from the standard Skilled Worker route. Fees drop to £304 for stays up to three years and £590 for longer. No Immigration Health Surcharge applies so you start using NHS services from the visa begin date. Decisions normally arrive within three weeks.
Benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa
- Reduced visa fees apply to the main applicant and any dependent partners and children applying under the same route.
- The Immigration Health Surcharge exemption covers the applicant and all qualifying dependants, allowing immediate NHS access without additional cost.
- Priority processing means UK Visas and Immigration aims to issue most decisions within three weeks of the biometric appointment, though actual timelines vary depending on appointment availability and application complexity.
Core Eligibility Requirements
- Age: You must be 18 or older (no upper limit).
- Job Offer: A genuine, full-time position with an eligible employer in health or adult social care, matching approved SOC 2020 codes (e.g., 2211 doctors, 2231 nurses/midwives, 2251 pharmacists, 2461 social workers). Care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) allow only extensions or in-country switches, no new overseas hires since July 22, 2025.
- Sponsor: Your employer must hold a valid Home Office sponsor licence (NHS trusts or CQC-registered care providers qualify). They issue your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), detailing the role, salary, and code.
- Salary: At least the higher of £25,400 general threshold or your job’s “going rate” (from ASHE 25th percentile data). Discounts for new entrants (£25,400 + 70% going rate), relevant PhDs (STEM: +80%; non-STEM: £28,900 +90%), or Immigration Salary List roles (ends April 2026).
- English Language: B2 level (not B1) for new applicants from January 8, 2026, prove via UKVI IELTS (5.5+ each band), English degree (Ecctis verified), UK qualifications, or majority English nationality. Pre-2026 holders retain B1 for extensions.
- Skills Charge: Your sponsor pays this (NHS often exempt); not your responsibility.
- Funds: £1,270 for 28 days (waived if sponsor certifies or you’ve lived lawfully in UK 12+ months).
- Criminal Record: Required if your role involves vulnerable people (e.g., care workers).
Eligible Jobs and SOC 2020 Codes
Your role must appear in Appendix Skilled Occupations under one of the following SOC 2020 codes:
1171, 1232, 2113, 2114, 2211, 2212, 2221, 2222, 2223, 2224, 2225, 2226, 2229, 2231, 2232, 2233, 2234, 2235, 2236, 2237, 2251, 2252, 2253, 2254, 2255, 2256, 2259, 2461, 3111, 3211, 3212, 6131.
Roles under codes 6135 (care workers and home carers) and 6136 (senior care workers) were removed from the Skilled Worker route on 22 July 2025 for new overseas entrants. In-country applicants on these codes may still apply to extend, provided they have been working lawfully with their sponsor for at least three months before the Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned. These codes have a removal date of 22 July 2028 on the Immigration Salary List.
Healthcare roles not on this list may still qualify under the general Skilled Worker route, but will not benefit from the reduced fees or IHS exemption specific to this route.
Professional Registration
Many eligible roles require the applicant to hold professional registration before a sponsor can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Nurses and midwives with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC);
- Doctors with the General Medical Council (GMC);
- Allied health professionals like physiotherapists, radiographers with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC);
- Pharmacists with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC);
- Dentists with the General Dental Council (GDC).
Where registration has been accepted by the relevant regulatory body following an English language assessment, the Home Office treats the English language requirement as met for visa purposes.
Start the registration process early. Delays can postpone sponsorship, lead to visa refusals or result in withdrawal of a job offer.
Documents Needed for Health and Care Worker Visa Application
Gather these items:
- Valid passport or travel document
- Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
- Proof of B2 English
- Job contract showing salary, occupation code and start date
- Bank statements for maintenance funds when required
- TB test certificate if applicable
- Criminal record certificate for relevant roles
- Marriage or birth certificates for dependants
Keep digital copies ready for upload.
Points Requirements – How the 70-Point System Works
You accumulate 70 points in the same way as Skilled Worker applicants. Fifty points come from fixed requirements. The final 20 points come from salary or tradeable characteristics.
Mandatory Points (50 Total)
Sponsorship and job offer deliver 20 points. The employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and assign a genuine Certificate of Sponsorship that describes the role, salary and occupation code.
Skill level brings another 20 points. The position must align with an eligible SOC 2020 code listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations. Most roles sit at RQF Level 6 or above. Transitional medium-skilled codes such as care workers and senior care workers remain open only for extensions or in-country switches under strict conditions.
English language adds 10 points. You demonstrate B2 level across reading, writing, speaking and listening. UKVI IELTS requires at least 5.5 in each skill band. Approved alternatives include a degree taught in English or nationality from a majority English-speaking country. Extensions for pre-January 2026 grants often keep the B1 standard.
Tradeable Points (20 Needed)
Salary usually provides these 20 points. You meet the higher of £25,000 per year or the occupation-specific lower going rate based on 25th percentile earnings data. Many NHS positions follow national pay scales that start at £25,000.
Lower salaries become possible through tradeable factors:
- New entrant status (under 26, recent graduate, student visa switch) allows £25,000 and 70 percent of the lower going rate.
- Relevant STEM PhD allows £25,000 and 80 percent.
- Relevant non-STEM PhD allows £28,200 and 90 percent.
- Job on the Immigration Salary List allows £25,000 and the full going rate (the list phases out by December 2026).
Care worker roles require at least £12.82 per hour even when the annual figure meets the threshold. Only guaranteed basic pay counts.
How to Calculate Points for Health and Care Visa
Consider a registered nurse in occupation code 2231 earning £32,000 with B2 English and an NHS Certificate of Sponsorship.
Mandatory points total 50: 20 for sponsorship, 20 for skill level, 10 for English.
Tradeable points reach 20 because the salary clears £31,300 and the lower going rate.
The total hits 70 and the application qualifies.
A senior care worker earning £26,000 under transitional rules can also reach 20 tradeable points when new entrant status applies and the salary meets £25,000 plus 70 percent of the lower going rate.
Salary Thresholds in Detail
National pay scale occupations (covering most doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and social workers) require a minimum of £25,000 per year or the going rate in Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, whichever is higher.
ASHE-based occupations (including health managers, biochemists, laboratory technicians, care workers and senior care workers) carry a general threshold of £29,000 per year, subject to permitted reductions through tradeable points.
For settlement (ILR), the standard salary requirement is £31,300 per year or the going rate for the relevant SOC code, whichever is higher, though lower transitional thresholds apply for workers sponsored before 4 April 2024.
Certificate of Sponsorship
The Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic document generated through the Home Office’s Sponsorship Management System. It must include your full name, job title and proposed salary, the relevant SOC 2020 code, a start date no more than three months after your application date, confirmation the CoS has not been withdrawn, and a statement confirming eligibility for the Health and Care Worker route.
Where the sponsoring employer provides NHS-commissioned services but is not itself an NHS body, the Home Office may request evidence of the contractual arrangement. The CoS must have been assigned no more than three months before the date of application.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Secure the job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship first. Apply online up to three months before the start date on the CoS. Pay the fee of £304 or £590 depending on length. Prove identity through the ID Check app or a visa centre appointment. Submit supporting documents during the process.
Apply from Outside the UK
You must apply online for a Health and Care Worker visa using the Skilled Worker application form. Select “yes” when asked if applying under the Health and Care Worker route. Apply now. You can save progress and return later via your UKVI account.
Proving Identity
Prove your identity during the application by either:
- Using the free ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your passport and create/link your UKVI account.
- Attending a visa application centre for fingerprints and photo (bring passport; collect same day).
The application tells you which method applies based on your nationality and document type. Centers may require travel to the nearest location.
Decision Timeline
Expect a decision within 3 weeks after submitting documents and identity proof. Delays occur if documents need verification, an interview is required, or due to personal circumstances like criminal convictions.
After Approval – What Happens Next
The visa binds you to the sponsor and role listed on the CoS. Any change of employer or occupation code triggers a new application. Supplementary work up to 20 hours per week is permitted in another eligible health or care position outside your main hours.
Redundancy usually leads to curtailment with a 60-day grace period to find a new sponsor or leave. Settlement opens after five continuous years when you pass the Life in the UK test, maintain the salary level and keep absences below 180 days in any 12-month period.
FAQs
How do you qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa in the UK?
Hold relevant qualifications, receive a genuine job offer in an eligible occupation code from a licensed sponsor, obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship, score 70 points, meet the salary threshold, prove B2 English unless exempt, show maintenance funds and provide required health or criminal record checks.
What is the minimum salary for a UK Health and Care visa?
Usually £25,000 per year or the lower going rate, whichever is higher. Discounts apply for new entrants, PhD holders and Immigration Salary List roles.
Which IELTS is required for a UK Health and Care visa?
UKVI IELTS Academic or General Training at B2 level with at least 5.5 in each skill band.
What qualifications do I need to be a caregiver in the UK?
No degree is required for the visa in care worker roles. Employers typically expect NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent, plus practical training and DBS clearance.
Can I apply as a caregiver in the UK without experience?
Possible if all visa criteria are met, but new overseas applications for care workers closed in 2025. Employers usually prefer some experience or training.
Is the UK stopping a Health and Care visa?
The visa continues for doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers stopped in 2025. Transitional extensions remain available for existing holders.
Conclusion
The Health and Care Worker visa provides a practical route for essential health professionals. Focus on securing a qualifying job offer from a licensed sponsor, meeting the 70-point threshold with appropriate salary and B2 English, and preparing documents thoroughly. Rules evolve so check GOV.UK frequently. Start your application when you hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.
