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Health and Care Worker Visa

Fast-track route for eligible NHS and senior care roles.

Sourced from GOV.UK · Updated April 2026
The short answer

For qualified doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. The route closed to overseas recruitment of care workers (SOC 6135/6136) from 22 July 2025 following the Immigration White Paper — domestic recruitment only for new care worker applicants.

£304Application fee from
—IHS per year
3 weeksDecision (outside UK)
Up to 5 years, extendableInitial leave

Who can apply

  • Job offer from the NHS, an NHS supplier, or (for pre-existing applicants only) an approved adult social care employer
  • Certificate of Sponsorship from licensed sponsor
  • Occupation on the eligible SOC code list for healthcare
  • Salary at or above the relevant threshold (NHS-national-pay-scale rates apply for medical roles)
  • English language B1 CEFR (B2 from 2026 for non-medical applicants)

How to apply

  1. Get a qualifying job offerAccept a role from an approved health or care sponsor on the eligible list.
  2. Register with UK professional bodyGMC (doctors), NMC (nurses), HCPC (AHPs) etc. — can often start in parallel.
  3. Obtain Certificate of SponsorshipEmployer issues CoS — valid 3 months.
  4. Apply onlineApply up to 3 months before start date. IHS is waived.
  5. Biometrics & decisionAttend VAC and receive decision — typically 3 weeks.

Documents you’ll need

  • Passport
  • Certificate of Sponsorship reference number
  • English language evidence
  • Enhanced DBS / criminal record certificate
  • Registration with GMC, NMC, HCPC or other relevant UK professional body
  • Evidence of qualifications

Good to know

No Immigration Health Surcharge — substantial saving vs Skilled Worker.
Care worker (SOC 6135/6136) route: closed to new overseas recruitment from 22 July 2025.
Existing care workers in the UK can still extend and switch employers until 2028.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

  • The general minimum is £25,000 per year (or £20,960 for new entrants), or the going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher. NHS roles follow the Agenda for Change pay bands which usually exceed these thresholds — for example, registered nurse band 5 is £31,081.

  • Yes. The main applicant is fully exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge. This saves £1,035 per year compared to a standard Skilled Worker visa. Dependants are NOT exempt — they pay IHS at the dependant rate.

  • New overseas applicants for standard care worker roles (SOC 6135) have been blocked since March 2025 following widespread sponsor abuse. Senior care worker roles remain open. Registered nurses, doctors, midwives, paramedics and allied health professionals are unaffected.

  • Standard processing is 3 weeks for out-of-UK applications. Priority service (5 working days) costs £500. NHS roles are typically processed quickly given the licensed sponsor's established track record. Care home sponsors can sometimes be slower due to additional compliance checks.

  • Most can — registered nurses, doctors, midwives and allied health professionals can bring spouse and children. Care workers cannot bring dependants on new applications since January 2024 (this is separate from the March 2025 closure for the main role).

Source: GOV.UK — Health and Care Worker Visa · Last verified April 2026

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Verified against gov.uk · April 2026·Editorial policy
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