The Health and Care Worker visa allows eligible medical, health and adult social care professionals to work in the UK for an approved health or care sector sponsor. The route offers reduced application fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, but recent rule changes have made care worker, dependant and medium-skilled route planning much more technical.
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The Health and Care Worker visa is part of the Skilled Worker route. It is for eligible doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care professionals who have a confirmed job offer from an approved UK sponsor in an eligible health or care role.
The route can be used by applicants applying from overseas, by eligible applicants switching from inside the UK, and by existing visa holders extending or updating their permission. The worker must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, meet the correct occupation code and salary rules, satisfy the English language requirement, and provide the documents required for their circumstances.
Although the route can be attractive because of reduced application fees and Immigration Health Surcharge exemption, the rules are now more complex for care workers, senior care workers, medium-skilled roles and dependants. A professional review can help avoid mistakes before the application is submitted.
Important: These rules are especially important for care workers, senior care workers, medium-skilled roles and dependant family applications.
From 11 March 2024, care workers and senior care workers sponsored under occupation codes 6135 and 6136 are restricted from bringing partner and child dependants, unless a transitional or child-specific exception applies. The main transitional exception is where the worker has been continuously employed in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker and held Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker permission since before 11 March 2024.
From 22 July 2025, care workers and senior care workers are not included in the list of occupation codes eligible for a first Health and Care Worker visa application from overseas. Codes 6135 and 6136 now mainly appear for extension, update or switching scenarios, and an in-country switch normally requires the applicant to have worked legally in that job for the sponsor for at least 3 months.
From 22 July 2025, several medium-skilled health and care roles also have transitional restrictions. Applicants and employers should check whether the occupation code is eligible for a first application, extension, update, switch, additional work or dependant application before relying on the route.
These key points summarise the route before you prepare a Health and Care Worker visa application.
You may be able to apply if you have a genuine job offer from an approved UK health or adult social care sponsor and your role is listed as eligible for the Health and Care Worker route. Your employer must assign a valid Certificate of Sponsorship and confirm the role, occupation code, salary, start date and sponsor details.
You must normally show that you are qualified for the role, your job is eligible, your employer is approved by the Home Office, you meet the minimum salary or relevant going rate, and you can speak, read, write and understand English to the required level.
Some applicants also need TB test evidence, criminal record certificates, regulated professional registration or additional documents depending on their job, nationality, application location and previous UK immigration history.
The route covers many clinical and health-related roles, but not every health or care job is eligible. The correct occupation code matters because it controls eligibility, salary, going rate, dependant rules and whether the role is affected by transitional provisions.
Eligible roles include, among others, medical practitioners, specialist doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, pharmacists, optometrists, dental practitioners, radiographers, paramedics, podiatrists, social workers, laboratory technicians, pharmaceutical technicians and nursing auxiliaries and assistants.
Care workers and senior care workers require special caution. New overseas recruitment under those codes is no longer treated in the same way as earlier versions of the route. In England, a sponsor of a care worker or senior care worker must also be registered with the Care Quality Commission where required.
| Salary issue | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Occupation code | Controls route eligibility and the correct going rate. |
| Annual salary | Must meet the relevant threshold and going rate for the role. |
| Working hours | Can affect whether the salary meets the going rate calculation. |
| National pay scale | Many healthcare roles use national pay scale rules rather than a simple flat figure. |
| CoS consistency | The CoS should match the real role, pay, employer and start date. |
Ask us to review your job offer, salary, occupation code and Certificate of Sponsorship before you submit your Health and Care Worker visa application.
The exact documents depend on your job, sponsor, occupation code, country of residence, professional registration, family members and immigration history. A general list is useful, but it should not be treated as a complete legal checklist for every applicant.
Most applicants need their Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, passport or identity document, English language evidence, job title, annual salary, occupation code, sponsor licence details and any additional documents required for their personal circumstances.
Depending on the case, UKVI may also ask for evidence of maintenance funds, TB test results, criminal record certificates, relationship evidence for dependants, PhD or Ecctis evidence where relevant, certified translations and professional registration evidence.
We can complete a focused document check or provide full end-to-end support if you want expert immigration visa advisers to prepare the application for you.
The standard Health and Care Worker visa application fee is currently £324 per person for a visa of up to 3 years and £628 per person for a visa of more than 3 years. The fee is the same whether applying from inside or outside the UK.
Applicants and eligible dependants do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This is one of the main financial advantages of the Health and Care Worker visa compared with many other UK work routes.
You must usually have at least £1,270 available to support yourself in the UK unless you are exempt, have been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months, or your sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Dependants must meet separate financial requirements if they are applying and are not exempt.
| Cost item | Current position |
|---|---|
| Application fee – up to 3 years | £324 per person |
| Application fee – more than 3 years | £628 per person |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | Not payable for Health and Care Worker applicants and eligible dependants |
| Main applicant maintenance | Usually £1,270 unless exempt or sponsor certifies maintenance |
| Dependant maintenance | Usually £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child unless exempt |
| Professional fees | Separate from Home Office fees and third-party costs |
A partner and dependent children may be able to apply to join or remain with a Health and Care Worker visa holder, but this depends on the worker’s role and whether any restrictions apply. Dependants generally receive permission ending on the same date as the main applicant.
The rules are not the same for all Health and Care Worker visa holders. Doctors, nurses and many other eligible health professionals may still be able to sponsor dependants where the dependant requirements are met. Care workers, senior care workers and certain medium-skilled workers are subject to specific restrictions and transitional exceptions.
For care workers and senior care workers, dependants are generally restricted unless the worker has been continuously employed in the UK in that role and held Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker permission since before 11 March 2024, or a child-specific exception applies.
We can review your role, occupation code, visa history and family evidence before you prepare dependant applications.
The right application route depends on where you are, what permission you currently hold, whether you are changing sponsor or job, and whether the role is eligible for a first application, in-country switch or extension. The application is made through the Skilled Worker form and the Health and Care Worker option must be selected where the sponsor has confirmed eligibility.
If you are applying from outside the UK, you can usually apply up to 3 months before the start date shown on your Certificate of Sponsorship. If you are already in the UK, switching is not allowed from certain categories, including visitor, short-term student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker and Domestic Worker in a Private Household routes.
If you change employer, change occupation code or take certain additional work over 20 paid hours a week, you may need to update your visa before starting the new role. You should not assume that a new job can start simply because you already hold Health and Care Worker permission.
| Your situation | What this usually means |
|---|---|
| Applying from overseas | Check whether the job code is eligible for a first application and whether the sponsor and salary are correct. |
| Switching inside the UK | Check switching eligibility and any special rules for Student visa holders or care worker roles. |
| Changing employer or job | A new CoS and visa update may be required before starting the new role. |
| Adding a second job | You may need a visa update if the second job exceeds 20 paid hours a week or does not fall within permitted supplementary work rules. |
You can usually apply to extend if you have the same job, the same occupation code, the same sponsor and you still meet the salary requirements. You must apply before your current permission expires and you should not travel outside the Common Travel Area while the application is pending.
If you have changed employer or job, you may need to update your visa instead of using a straightforward extension route. Care worker, senior care worker and medium-skilled cases may need additional review because some eligibility and dependant rules now depend on when the original Certificate of Sponsorship was issued and whether continuous permission has been held.
An extension application should be planned before the current visa expiry date so that salary, CoS, sponsor, family and any route-change issues can be resolved in time.
Ask us to check your CoS, salary, occupation code, sponsor details and dependant position before your extension is submitted.
A Health and Care Worker visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain after 5 years if the applicant meets the settlement requirements. ILR gives the right to live, work and study in the UK without time-limited immigration permission, and may later support British citizenship planning.
For ILR, you usually need to have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years on a qualifying route, meet the salary requirement, still be needed for your sponsored job, and provide confirmation from your sponsor. Most applicants aged 18 to 64 must pass the Life in the UK test. You usually do not need to prove English again on this route because it was assessed at the visa stage.
Absences, job changes, salary history, sponsor letters, dependant timelines and previous visa categories should be checked well before the ILR application. The current ILR application fee is £3,226 per applicant and standard decisions usually take up to 6 months.
We can review your 5-year timeline, absences, salary evidence, sponsor letter and dependant position before you apply for ILR.
We provide practical immigration support for Health and Care Worker visa applicants, dependants and UK health or care sponsors. Our support can be limited to a focused document check or extended to full application preparation, legal representations and submission support.
Because the route now contains important restrictions for care workers, senior care workers, medium-skilled roles and dependants, we focus on early issue spotting. We check whether the role is eligible, whether the sponsor and CoS support the application, whether the salary is correct and whether the family position has been properly assessed.
A strong application should check the sponsor, occupation code, salary, CoS wording, dependant position and documents before submission. This is especially important after the care worker and medium-skilled rule changes.
Before submitting your application, ask us to review your Certificate of Sponsorship, salary, documents and family position.
The Health and Care Worker visa is a UK work visa route for eligible medical, health and adult social care professionals who have a confirmed job offer from an approved UK health or care sector sponsor. It forms part of the Skilled Worker route and offers reduced visa fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
You may be able to apply if you are a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional, your job is eligible, your employer is approved by the Home Office, you have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, you meet the salary requirement and you satisfy the English language requirement.
From 22 July 2025, care workers and senior care workers are not included in the list of occupation codes eligible for a first Health and Care Worker visa application from overseas. Codes 6135 and 6136 may still be relevant in certain extension, update or in-country switching scenarios, so advice should be taken before relying on those roles.
Care workers and senior care workers sponsored under occupation codes 6135 and 6136 are generally restricted from bringing partner and child dependants unless a transitional or child-specific exception applies. The main transitional exception is where the worker has been continuously employed in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker and held Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker permission since before 11 March 2024.
Many Health and Care Worker visa holders in eligible higher-skilled health roles may be able to bring a partner and dependent children if the dependant requirements are met. The restrictions mainly affect care workers, senior care workers and certain medium-skilled roles subject to transitional rules.
The current fee is £324 per person for a visa of up to 3 years and £628 per person for a visa of more than 3 years. The fee is the same whether the application is made from inside or outside the UK.
No. Health and Care Worker visa applicants and eligible dependants do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. They can use the NHS from the date their visa starts, although some services such as prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests may still involve charges.
You usually need at least £1,270 available to support yourself in the UK unless you are exempt, have been in the UK with valid permission for at least 12 months, or your sponsor certifies maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship. Dependants have separate financial requirements unless exempt.
Common documents include the Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, passport or identity evidence, English language evidence, job title, salary, occupation code and sponsor licence details. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need maintenance evidence, TB test results, criminal record certificates, dependant relationship evidence, Ecctis evidence or certified translations.
You may need a criminal record certificate if you are applying from outside the UK and your role is within the relevant occupation codes. The requirement can depend on your age and where you have lived. Some occupation codes are excluded, so the requirement should be checked carefully before applying.
After the online application, identity verification and document submission are completed, GOV.UK usually states a decision time of around 3 weeks for Health and Care Worker applications. Cases can take longer if documents need to be verified, an interview is needed or personal circumstances require further checks.
You may be able to switch from inside the UK if your current immigration category allows switching and you meet the Health and Care Worker requirements. You cannot normally switch from categories such as visitor, short-term student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household.
If you change employer, change job or move to a different occupation code, you may need to update your visa and obtain a new Certificate of Sponsorship before starting the new role. Care worker and senior care worker cases also need CQC and transitional-rule checks where relevant.
Yes, you can usually extend if you have the same job, the same occupation code, the same employer and you still meet the salary and eligibility requirements. If your role or sponsor has changed, you may need to update your visa rather than complete a simple extension.
Yes. A Health and Care Worker visa can lead to indefinite leave to remain after 5 years if you meet the settlement requirements. These include residence, salary, sponsor confirmation, suitability and Life in the UK requirements. Dependants usually need their own 5-year dependant residence period.
Yes. We can provide a focused Certificate of Sponsorship and document-checking service, or full application support where you want expert immigration visa advisers to prepare and submit the application with supporting representations.
These related pages may help if you are comparing Health and Care Worker, Skilled Worker, sponsor licence, extension and ILR options.
Compare the wider Skilled Worker route for sponsored roles outside Health and Care eligibility.
Support for UK employers who need sponsor licence approval before hiring overseas workers.
Help for sponsors managing duties, audits, CoS records and worker reporting.
Plan settlement after 5 years, including absences, salary and sponsor confirmation.
Review extension, update and route-change issues before your visa expires.
Compare UK work visa routes before choosing the best immigration strategy.
If you are applying, switching, extending, updating your sponsored job or planning ILR, our expert immigration visa advisers can review your CoS, salary, documents, dependant position and timing before you submit.
