Health & Care Worker Visa: the complete guide
Lower fees, no Immigration Health Surcharge, and a fast-track route into the UK for doctors, nurses, and eligible health professionals. Everything you need to know, updated for 2026.
What is the Health & Care Worker Visa?
The Health and Care Worker Visa is a sub-category of the Skilled Worker route, designed specifically for medical professionals and eligible health and social care workers coming to work in the UK. It offers the same route to settlement as the standard Skilled Worker Visa but with significantly lower fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge — making it one of the most cost-effective ways to move to the UK for work.
The visa is available to work for the NHS, an NHS supplier, or in adult social care with an approved employer. Your employer must hold a sponsor licence and issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship before you can apply.
Who can apply?
To qualify for the Health and Care Worker Visa you must meet all of the following requirements:
Your employer must be on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors and must issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for an eligible role.
You must be working for the NHS, an NHS supplier, a statutory body, or a CQC-registered adult social care organisation.
At least £23,200/year or the going rate for your occupation, whichever is higher. NHS pay scale roles have their own salary floors — often lower than the standard Skilled Worker threshold.
From January 2026, all new applicants must demonstrate English at CEFR Level B2 (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). Accepted via approved test or exemption.
Which jobs qualify?
The visa covers a wide range of roles across the NHS and adult social care sector. The following professions are among those currently eligible:
The full list of eligible occupation codes is published in the Health and Care Worker visa eligible occupations list on GOV.UK. Your SOC code determines both your eligibility and your minimum salary threshold.
What does it cost?
The Health and Care Worker Visa is significantly cheaper than the standard Skilled Worker Visa. The two biggest savings are the reduced application fee and full exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
| Cost item | Health & Care Visa | Skilled Worker (comparison) |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (up to 3 years) | £284 | £827 Save £543 |
| Application fee (over 3 years) | £590 | £1,636 Save £1,046 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | Exempt | £1,035/year per person |
| Immigration Skills Charge (employer) | £0 | £1,000/year (standard) |
| Priority processing (optional) | £500 | £500 |
The application process
Check your SOC code against the GOV.UK eligible occupations list. Your employer should be able to confirm this. Care worker codes 6145 and 6146 are no longer eligible for new overseas applicants.
Your employer must assign you a CoS before you apply. The CoS must explicitly state that you are applying under the Health and Care Worker route — this is what triggers the reduced fee and IHS exemption.
You will typically need: valid passport, CoS reference number, proof of English language (B2 level), proof of professional qualifications, and evidence of funds (if required). Your employer will advise on role-specific documents.
Apply using the Skilled Worker visa application form on GOV.UK — when asked if you are applying for a Health and Care Worker Visa, select Yes. This routes your application to the correct fee and processing track.
Attend a visa application centre to provide your photograph and fingerprints, or use the UK Immigration: ID Check app if eligible. You can apply up to 3 months before your intended start date.
Most Health and Care Worker Visa decisions are made within 3 weeks. You will receive your eVisa digitally — there is no physical BRP issued for applications made from 25 February 2026 onwards.
Can I bring my family?
Whether you can bring dependants depends on your occupation code:
Degree-level roles (most doctors, nurses, allied health professionals)
Your spouse or partner and children under 18 can apply to join you as dependants. Dependants have the right to work freely in the UK. They are also exempt from paying the IHS under the Health and Care Worker route.
Below degree-level roles (care workers, nursing assistants — selected codes)
If your role is at below RQF Level 6 and is not on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, you cannot bring dependants. This restriction applies to new applicants from March 2024 onwards.
Path to ILR and British citizenship
After 5 years of continuous lawful residence in the UK under the Health and Care Worker Visa, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). This gives you the right to live and work in the UK without immigration conditions.
To qualify for ILR you must have:
- Lived in the UK continuously for 5 years on the Health and Care Worker route
- Not spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period
- Continued to meet the salary requirements for your role
- Passed the Life in the UK test
- Still be required for your job (evidenced by your employer)
Health & Care Worker Visa FAQs
It is a sub-category of the Skilled Worker route — you apply using the same form and must meet the same core eligibility criteria. The key differences are that the Health and Care Worker Visa has lower application fees, full IHS exemption, and is restricted to eligible health and care roles with approved employers. Everything else — sponsorship, points system, dependant rights (role-dependent), ILR path — follows the same rules.
Yes, but you must update your visa before you start work for the new employer. The new employer must also be a licensed sponsor on the Health and Care Worker route. You apply online using the same process — your new employer issues a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship and you submit an in-country application. Do not change jobs without updating your visa first, as this would breach the conditions of your permission to stay.
If the Home Office revokes your employer's sponsor licence, your leave to remain is typically curtailed to 60 days. Within that period you must either find a new licensed sponsor and submit a fresh visa application, or leave the UK. The 60-day window is absolute. It is worth checking your employer's sponsor licence status periodically via the public Home Office register — particularly if you work for a smaller or independent care provider.
Yes. If you are already in the UK on another visa (such as a Student Visa, Graduate Route, or standard Skilled Worker Visa) and you have a job offer in an eligible health or care role, you can switch to the Health and Care Worker Visa from inside the UK. You cannot switch from a Visitor Visa. Apply before your current permission expires.
No — and neither does your employer. The Immigration Skills Charge (normally £1,000/year for larger employers) does not apply to the Health and Care Worker Visa route. This is another significant cost advantage of this visa over the standard Skilled Worker route, and it benefits both workers and the NHS and care organisations that sponsor them.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. UK immigration rules change frequently — always verify current requirements on GOV.UK or consult a regulated immigration adviser before applying. Last reviewed March 2026.