Health and Care Worker Visa

In This Article

• What is the Health and Care Worker Visa?
• Who is eligible?
• Eligible employers
• Salary requirements
• Fees and savings vs standard Skilled Worker
• 2025/2026 updates
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Frequently asked questions
• Related terms

What is the Health and Care Worker Visa?

The Health and Care Worker visa is a route within the Skilled Worker framework, introduced in August 2020 specifically to support recruitment into the UK health and social care sector. It carries the same core requirements as a standard Skilled Worker visa — job offer, licensed sponsor, skill and salary thresholds — but offers:

• Reduced visa application fees (roughly 60% cheaper)
• Exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge (saving thousands of pounds)
• Priority processing within the standard queue
• Immigration Skills Charge exemption for the employer (publicly funded NHS/social care roles)

Who Is Eligible?

The Health and Care Worker visa covers specific occupations listed in Appendix Health and Care Eligible Roles in the Immigration Rules. These include:

Medical professionals:

• Medical practitioners (doctors, GPs, specialists)
• Psychologists
• Ophthalmic opticians
• Pharmacists and pharmacologists

Nursing and midwifery:

• Registered nurses (adult, mental health, learning disability, children's)
• Midwives
• Health visitors

Allied health professions:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Radiographers (diagnostic and therapeutic)
• Paramedics
• Speech and language therapists
• Dietitians

Social care:

• Senior care workers (SOC 6146) — note: this inclusion was controversial and may be reviewed
• Care home managers and supervisors in eligible settings

The applicant must hold (or be working toward) the relevant professional qualification and, where applicable, be registered with the relevant UK regulator (e.g., NMC for nurses, GMC for doctors, HCPC for allied health professions).

Eligible Employers

Not every healthcare employer qualifies. The employer must be:

• The NHS (any NHS Trust, Foundation Trust, GP practice, NHS England body)
• An adult social care provider regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), or
• Another publicly contracted or funded health/social care organisation

Private hospitals and clinics that do not hold NHS contracts typically do not qualify for the Health and Care Worker route — their sponsored workers must use the standard Skilled Worker route. This is one of the most common points of confusion for overseas healthcare professionals.

Salary Requirements

Salary rules for Health and Care Worker visa holders are broadly the same as Skilled Worker, but NHS and publicly funded roles are pegged to national pay scales:

• Agenda for Change (AfC) — nurses, AHPs, most NHS staff (Bands 2–9)
• Medical and dental pay scales — doctors, dentists, consultants
• National Living Wage / Minimum Wage — relevant for some care worker roles (though minimum salary requirements still apply)

For NHS roles, the going rate is effectively the AfC or medical pay scale rate for the relevant band or grade — not the ASHE-derived going rate used for most Skilled Worker roles.

Fees and Savings vs Standard Skilled Worker

For a 5-year visa, the IHS exemption alone saves the applicant £5,175. Combined with the lower visa fee, the total saving on a 5-year Health and Care Worker visa versus standard Skilled Worker can exceed £6,500 per applicant.

2025/2026 Updates

Social care restrictions (March 2024): The Home Office significantly tightened the social care sub-route by requiring overseas care workers to be recruited by registered CQC-regulated providers only, banning overseas care recruitment agencies, and imposing a requirement that overseas social care workers cannot bring dependants under certain salary conditions. These changes were made in response to concerns about exploitation in the sector.

English language upgrade (January 2026): Health and Care Worker visa applicants are now subject to the same B2 English language requirement as Skilled Worker applicants (new applications from January 2026).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming all private healthcare employers qualify. Only NHS and publicly contracted providers are eligible. Private hospital applicants need standard Skilled Worker visas.
• Not checking the eligible occupation list. A healthcare role that isn't on Appendix Health and Care Eligible Roles falls into standard Skilled Worker, with the full fee structure.
• Social care workers bringing dependants without checking income thresholds. March 2024 changes introduced income requirements for social care dependants.
• Relying on an agency rather than a direct employer. Overseas social care recruitment agencies can no longer sponsor workers — direct employer sponsorship only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a nurse work for both the NHS and a private hospital on a Health and Care Worker visa?

A Health and Care Worker visa is tied to the NHS or eligible employer as the main sponsor. Supplementary employment in the same occupation is possible within certain limits, but the primary role must remain with the eligible sponsor.

Do dependants of Health and Care Worker visa holders get free NHS access?

Dependants on Health and Care Worker visas are also exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge, giving them NHS access without the surcharge payment.

Is the Health and Care Worker visa faster to process?

Applications are prioritised within UKVI's queue, but it is not a separately tracked route. Priority processing add-ons (paid service) are available and typically result in decisions within 5 working days.

Can a care home in the private sector use the Health and Care Worker route?

Only if the care home is regulated by the CQC. Most private care homes are CQC-regulated, making them eligible. However, following March 2024 changes, they cannot use overseas recruitment agencies — they must hire directly.

Related Terms

• Skilled Worker Visa
• Certificate of Sponsorship
• Immigration Health Surcharge
• Immigration Skills Charge

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