The Health and Care Worker visa is a specialist UK Skilled Worker route for eligible medical, healthcare and adult social care roles. It has lower application fees than the standard route, and eligible applicants do not pay the immigration health surcharge. Most applicants need an eligible job, an approved sponsor, a valid certificate of sponsorship, the correct salary and the required level of English. Your occupation code and immigration history can change which rules apply.
Who can qualify?
You must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional in an occupation that qualifies for the route. The job must be with an eligible UK employer, such as the NHS, an organisation providing services to the NHS, or a qualifying adult social care provider.
Eligibility is based on the four-digit occupation code, not just the job title. Ask the employer to confirm the code before relying on a vacancy, because it affects sponsorship, salary and whether the role is eligible at all.
Sponsorship and the certificate of sponsorship
Your confirmed job offer must come from a Home Office-approved sponsor. The employer assigns a certificate of sponsorship, or CoS, containing details of the role, salary and sponsor. You normally need to apply within three months of the CoS being assigned.
For care workers and senior care workers working in England, the sponsor must also satisfy Care Quality Commission requirements. Healthcare visa sponsorship therefore depends on both the employer and the role meeting the immigration rules. For more detail on sponsor licences and CoS duties, see our UK work visa sponsorship guide.
Care worker visa rules changed in 2025
The biggest recent change concerns care workers and senior care workers. From 22 July 2025, new overseas recruitment into occupation codes 6135 and 6136 was closed. Someone abroad therefore cannot normally obtain a new sponsored care worker or senior care worker role under these codes simply because a UK employer has a vacancy.
Transitional arrangements remain for some people already in the UK. A person switching into one of these occupations may qualify before 22 July 2028 if they have been working legally for the sponsoring employer in the relevant role for at least three months before the CoS is assigned. Existing sponsored care workers may also be able to extend or change sponsor under the transitional rules.
For example, an overseas applicant offered a home care worker role coded 6135 after July 2025 should not assume the old overseas route is still open. Someone already lawfully working for a qualifying sponsor in the UK may be in a different position. Check the occupation code and immigration history before accepting an offer.
Salary requirements
There is no single salary figure for every health and care job. For many eligible healthcare roles, pay normally needs to be at least £25,000 a year or the relevant going rate or national pay-scale rate, whichever applies at the higher level. NHS work visa cases often use national pay scales.
Some occupation codes, including certain health managers, scientists, technicians, care workers and senior care workers, use different salary rules. Depending on the code, a higher threshold, lower going rate or another permitted salary option may apply. Always compare the salary on the CoS with the current GOV.UK rule for the exact occupation code rather than relying on an old recruiter message. Our Skilled Worker visa requirements guide can help with the wider sponsored-work framework.
English-language requirement
New applicants generally need to prove English at B2 level. This can usually be shown through an approved Secure English Language Test, an eligible UK qualification or a qualifying degree taught in English. Certain nationalities are exempt, and some regulated healthcare professionals can rely on an English assessment accepted by their professional body.
Transitional rules apply to some people who held this visa before 8 January 2026. Certain extension or update applications can continue under the earlier B1 position, and applicants who have already proved English successfully may not need to prove it again.
Fees and maintenance funds
The standard application fee is £324 per person for permission of up to three years and £628 per person for more than three years. Eligible Health and Care Worker applicants and dependants do not pay the immigration health surcharge.
You will usually need to show at least £1,270 in maintenance funds, held for 28 consecutive days, with the final day within 31 days before applying. You may be exempt if you have already been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months or your sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS.
Documents you may need
Core evidence normally includes your passport or other identity document, CoS reference number, proof of English, job title, annual salary, occupation code, employer name and sponsor licence number. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need bank evidence, relationship documents, a tuberculosis test certificate, criminal record certificates or certified translations.
Dependants
Many Health and Care Worker visa holders can apply with an eligible partner and children, but care workers and senior care workers face tighter rules. Dependants are generally allowed only under specific exceptions, including where the worker has been continuously employed in the UK in the relevant sponsored role since before 11 March 2024 or where certain child-related exceptions apply.
Length of stay and settlement
The visa can be granted for up to five years at a time and can be extended if you continue to meet the rules. After five years on qualifying routes, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you meet the residence, salary and other settlement requirements and your sponsor confirms that you are still needed for the job. Indefinite leave to remain requirements are therefore worth reviewing well before the five-year point.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a job offer before applying?
Yes. You need a confirmed eligible job with an approved sponsor and a certificate of sponsorship before submitting the application.
Can I still apply from overseas as a care worker?
New overseas applications for care worker and senior care worker roles under occupation codes 6135 and 6136 are generally closed from 22 July 2025. Transitional rules mainly protect certain people already in the UK or already sponsored in these occupations.
Do Health and Care Worker visa holders pay the immigration health surcharge?
No. Eligible applicants and their eligible dependants are exempt from the immigration health surcharge, although normal NHS charges for services such as prescriptions or dental treatment can still apply.
What English level is required?
New applicants generally need B2 English. Transitional arrangements can apply to people who held the route before 8 January 2026, so extension and update applicants should check the rule that applies to their immigration history.
Final checks before you apply
Before applying, confirm the occupation code, sponsor eligibility and salary on the CoS. Then check the English, maintenance, dependant and document rules against your own circumstances. Current, occupation-specific checking is essential.