Care workers and home carers SOC 6135
Care workers and home carers (SOC 6135) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £33,400 per year. It is also on the Immigration Salary List, which can reduce the salary threshold. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
What does a care workers and home carer do?
Care workers and home carers attend to the personal needs and comforts of children, the elderly, the infirm and others with care and support needs (‘service users’) within residential care establishments, day care establishments or in their own homes.
Typical tasks
- assists and enables service users to dress, undress, wash, use the toilet and bathe
- serves meals to service users at table or in bed, and assists with feeding if required
- assists with service users’ overall comfort and wellbeing
- provides interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user
- helps with daily activities such as letter writing, paying bills, collecting benefits
- undertakes light cleaning and domestic duties including meal preparation as required
- monitors service users’ conditions by taking temperature, pulse, respiration and weight, and contributes to record keeping
- liaises with professional staff in carrying out care plans etc.
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements. In most cases workers will be required to register with the appropriate statutory body which involves satisfying the registration criteria. This would normally include holding or working towards the appropriate qualification for the job. Entrants must typically be 18 years old and have experience of working in a care environment. Both Off and on-the-job training is available. A wide range of qualifications including NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of care are available. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required.
Visa sponsorship requirements
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
What care workers and home carers earn in the UK
UK market basic pay at a glance
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most care workers and home carers in the UK earn between £24,492 and £32,968 in basic pay, with experienced professionals in the top 10% earning above £39,988. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 6135), sitting at the 76th percentile of what UK employers pay and £5,476 above the median. Since this falls below the general salary threshold, sponsors must pay at least £41,700.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
How to get sponsored as a care workers and home carer
- 1
Find a licensed sponsor on Hunt UK Visa Sponsors
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring care workers and home carers, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsors - 2
Confirm the salary meets the £33,400 going rate
Your employer must pay whichever is higher: the going rate for SOC 6135 (£33,400) or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
New entrants and ISL roles may qualify for a lower rate. See the New entrant & discount rates section below.
- 3
Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship
Your sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a reference number the Home Office uses to check the job offer, salary, and duties line up with an eligible SOC code.
- 4
Apply for a Skilled Worker visa at gov.uk
Submit the Skilled Worker visa application online within 3 months of your CoS assignment date. You'll also book a biometric appointment and pay the immigration health surcharge.
Apply on gov.uk - 5
Move to the UK and start work
Travel to the UK before your CoS start date and begin working for the sponsor named on the certificate.
New entrant & discount rates
If you're under 26, switching from a Student visa, or a recent UK graduate, your employer can pay the new entrant rate of £25,000 (70% of the going rate) for up to four years.
Because Care workers and home carers (SOC 6135) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers may apply a 20% discount to the standard going rate.
Roles under SOC 6135
Recent jobs under SOC 6135
Job Introduction Job Title: Shared Lives Worker Location : Hertfordshire Salary: £34,434 per annum progressing to £37,280 per annum Hours: 37 hours per week Contract: 6 Months Fixed Term Contract/Secondment to December 2026 About the team: We are currently looking to offer this exciting opportunity which has arisen in our Shared Lives Team; this service enables adults with a support need, to live in the local community within a family home. The role is a work anywhere role although will require
Skip to Content Sign In Connect with us Brainkind Privacy Policy X Facebook Linkedin Youtube © 2009–2026 Dayforce HCM, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences Delete Application Navigation Menu Search Jobs Recommended Jobs Brainkind Cookie Preferences When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as yo
About The Role At HC-One, we are looking for enthusiastic and committed Care Assistants to join our Flex Force team. If you’re looking to earn extra money while gaining valuable experience in the care sector, Flex Force is the perfect solution. With contracted hours and guaranteed set pay each month, you’ll also enjoy the freedom to choose shifts that fit around your family life or other commitments. Shifts will be offered across our care homes in the Wigan area, providing you with a variety of
About The Role At HC-One, kindness is at the heart of everything we do across our Dementia, Nursing, Residential and Specialist care homes. Our residents are people with their own stories to tell, and by joining us you’ll have the chance to give something back while helping them live with dignity and purpose. We’re looking for an enthusiastic and committed Night Care Assistant to join our team. Working under the guidance of a Registered Nurse, you’ll support the physical, emotional and social we
£36,231 - £40,640 assuming good attendance and up to 4 sleep ins per month Those huge small victories Working in our Children’s Homes means being a part of a young person’s day to day life. This means being there for the highest highs and lowest lows. Our shift leaders enable our young people to get their childhood back and create pathways to become well rounded adults – an incredibly rewarding role to have. There will be challenges along the way but there will also be the smallest moments which
Related occupations
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (613xx):
Frequently asked questions
Can care workers and home carers get a UK Skilled Worker visa?
Yes. Care workers and home carers roles fall under SOC 6135 (Medium Skilled - Specific Roles Only), so they qualify for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer will need a sponsor licence and must pay at least the going rate for this occupation. It's on the Immigration Salary List too, so a reduced salary threshold may apply.
What salary do care workers and home carers need for visa sponsorship?
The going rate for Care workers and home carers (SOC 6135) is £33,400 (£17.13 per hour). Immigration salary list rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
What job titles are covered by SOC 6135?
SOC 6135 covers a range of care workers and home carers roles, including: Community support workers, Home care workers, Residential care workers, Care workers and home carers not elsewhere classified.. Keep in mind that the Home Office matches jobs by duties rather than title alone. Two roles with the same title can fall under different SOC codes depending on the actual work involved.
How does the Immigration Salary List discount work for care workers and home carers?
Because Care workers and home carers (SOC 6135) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers can sponsor workers at a salary 20% below the standard going rate. This discount replaced the old Shortage Occupation List concession in April 2024.
Is there a lower salary for new graduates entering care workers and home carers roles?
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, or switching from a Student visa, you count as a "new entrant" and your employer only needs to pay 70% of the going rate (with an absolute floor of £33,400/year — the new-entrant minimum cannot go below that). For Care workers and home carers, that works out to £25,000. The discount lasts up to four years.
Where can I find care workers and home carers jobs with UK visa sponsorship?
We list Care workers and home carers roles from companies with a Home Office sponsor licence. Scroll down to see what's currently open, or search our full jobs database for more visa-sponsored positions across the UK.
This information is provided as guidance only and should not be treated as legal advice. Eligibility criteria and salary thresholds are based on the latest published government data. Always verify with the official UK government guidance or seek professional immigration advice.