UK Health and care worker visa Guidance

Written by: Muhammad Usman Rasheed
Last Updated: 08 January 2026

This guidance is intended to provide information on the Health and Care Visa. The Health and Care Visa is part of the Skilled Worker Visa. As the Health and Care Visa currently forms part of Skilled Worker, anyone wishing to apply for the Health and Care Visa must meet all of the requirements for the relevant route.

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What is the health and care worker visa?

The Health and Care Worker Visa allows healthcare and social care professionals to live and work in the United Kingdom. It is designed for people such as doctors, nurses, and care workers who have the right skills and can speak English well.

This visa was introduced by the UK Government on 4 August 2020 to help support the UK’s health and care services. One of the biggest benefits of this visa is that it is faster and cheaper than many other work visas. Applicants pay lower visa fees, get priority processing, and do not need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Who Can Apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa?

You may be eligible if you are:

  • A doctor or nurse
  • An allied health professional
  • An eligible social care worker
  • Employed by an approved UK sponsor
  • Able to speak, read, and write English to the required level

Benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa

  • Fast-track visa processing
  • Lower visa application fees
  • No Immigration Health Surcharge
  • Ability to bring dependants
  • Pathway to UK settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

Eligible Job Role (SOC Codes) For Health And Care Worker Visa

You must be offered a job that appears on the official Health and Care Worker Visa occupation list, identified by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes.

Eligible roles include (but are not limited to):

  • Doctors and medical practitioners
  • Nurses and midwives
  • Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and radiographers
  • Psychologists and therapists
  • Pharmacists, optometrists, and dental practitioners
  • Social workers
  • Care workers and senior care workers (subject to additional rules)
  • Paramedics and ambulance staff
  • Laboratory and pharmacy technicians

⚠️ This is an exhaustive list. You must work in one of the approved occupations to qualify.

Approved Employer Requirement

You must be employed or engaged by an approved UK organisation, such as:

  • NHS bodies in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland
  • Local authorities or health boards
  • Regulated health and social care providers
  • Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered organisations
  • Social care regulators, such as Social Care Wales or the Scottish Social Services Council
  • Professional regulatory bodies, including the GMC, NMC, HCPC, and GPhC

Special Rules for Care Workers and Senior Care Workers

If your role is:

  • Care Worker (SOC 6135) or
  • Senior Care Worker (SOC 6136)

Then:

  • Your employer must be CQC registered, and
  • If switching into this route, you must have been working legally for your sponsor for at least 3 months before your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS is issued).

Transitional rules apply for some applicants who were granted visas before 11 March 2024.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) For Health And Care Worker Visa

You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from your UK employer confirming:

  • Your job title
  • SOC code
  • Salary
  • Start date

Minimum Salary Requirement

To qualify for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa, you will usually need to be paid a minimum salary of £25,000 per year.

However, if the official “going rate” for your job is higher than £25,000, you must be paid at least the going rate for that role.

Each eligible occupation has its own going rate, which is set by the UK government and linked to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code for your job.

Jobs With Different Salary Rules

Different salary requirements apply if your job falls under one of the following SOC codes:

  • 1171 – Health services and public health managers and directors
  • 1231 – Health care practice managers
  • 1232 – Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
  • 2113 – Biochemists and biomedical scientists
  • 2114 – Physical scientists
  • 3111 – Laboratory technicians
  • 3211 – Dispensing opticians
  • 3212 – Pharmaceutical technicians
  • 6135 – Care workers and home carers
  • 6136 – Senior care workers

For these roles, the going rate may vary, and in some cases employers may be allowed to pay less than the standard going rate if specific conditions are met.

Salary Requirements for Other Health and Care Jobs

If your job is not listed above, your salary will usually be assessed using the NHS national pay scales.

These salaries:

  • Are based on NHS pay bands
  • Vary depending on the UK region where you work
  • Automatically meet visa salary requirements when correctly applied

If you are unsure about:

  • Your job role, or
  • Your NHS pay band,

you should ask your employer to confirm this before applying.

Key Points to Remember

  • Minimum salary is usually £25,000, unless the going rate is higher
  • You must meet the higher of £25,000 or the going rate
  • Care workers and senior care workers have special salary rules
  • NHS roles often rely on national pay scales
  • Salary details must be confirmed in your Certificate of Sponsorship

Requirements for a Health and Care Worker Visa

In order to successfully qualify for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to mee the following requirements:

  • You hold a valid licence as a physician, nurse, health care provider, or adult social care worker;
  • You hold or will hold a position that qualifies under the approved occupation codes list in the health or social care sector;
  • You are employed by or will work for a UK employer in the health and care sector that has received the Home Office’s approval;
  • You have been issued and assigned with a valid ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer;
  • You mee the English language requirement to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0);
  • You will be paid the minimum salary OR the ‘going rate’, whichever is higher;
  • You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds OR your employer ticked the box in CoS to certify your maintenance;
  • You must provide a criminal record certificate, if working with vulnerable people; and
  • You need to have a valid TB certificate (if applicable).

We recommend that you must book an appointment with an immigration lawyer to discuss the exact requirements and list of documents required for you health care visa application.

Documents required for health care worker visa

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

  • your certificate of sponsorship reference number – your employer will give you this
  • proof of your knowledge of English
  • a valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
  • your job title and annual salary
  • your job’s occupation code
  • the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number – this will be on your certificate of sponsorship

Ask your employer for a copy of your certificate of sponsorship if you do not have one.

Application fees For Health And Care Worker Visa

The standard application fee depends on whether you’ll be in the UK for:

  • up to 3 years – £304 per person
  • more than 3 years – £590 per person

The fee is the same whether you apply from inside or outside the UK.

How long it takes to get a decision

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

You’ll be contacted if your application will take longer, for example because:

  • your supporting documents need to be verified
  • you need to attend an interview
  • of your personal circumstances, for example if you have a criminal conviction

Money to support yourself

You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK.

You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.

Switch to health and care worker visa

You might be able to apply to change (‘switch’) to a Health and Care Worker visa if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa.

If you switch to health and care worker visa, your partner or child’s visa will not automatically switch to this visa. If they do not switch their visa, it will be valid until its original end date. They can either apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for as long as your employer is sponsoring you for, up to 5 years at a time. Your certificate of sponsorship will say how long your employer is sponsoring you for.

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