Health and Care Worker Visa – Work in the UK’s NHS, Social Care or Approved Health Sector
The Health and Care Worker Visa allows qualified medical professionals, care workers, and social care staff to work in the UK with an approved Home Office sponsor.
Eligibility for the Health and Care Worker Visa
To qualify, you must:
1. Have a confirmed job offer in an eligible health or care role
Your role must be on the Health and Care eligible occupation list (e.g., doctors, nurses, carers, physiotherapists, radiographers, health professionals).
2. Have a Certificate of Sponsorship
Your UK employer must be Home Office approved and provide a CoS with details of your job, salary, and start date.
3. Meet the minimum salary requirement
You must earn at least £31,300 OR the “going rate” for your occupation — whichever is higher.
Some applicants (e.g., care workers, new entrants, certain STEM roles) may qualify under a lower salary threshold if they meet specific criteria.
(See the salary FAQ section below — fully updated.)
4. Meet the English language requirement
Minimum level: B1 CEFR in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
5. Meet the financial requirement
You must show that you can support yourself unless exempt.
6. Meet tuberculosis testing requirements (if applicable)
Salary Requirements – 2025 Updated Rules
Your salary must meet:
Either:
£31,300 minimum, OR
the lower going rate for your specific occupation code
Lower salary options may apply if you:
Are under 26 (new entrant)
Hold a relevant STEM PhD
Work in a post-doctoral health research role
Are applying as a care worker under permitted exemptions
Important: “Shortage occupation list” no longer applies. It has been replaced by the Immigration Salary List (ISL).
English Language Requirement
You can meet the English requirement (B1) through:
A SELT from an approved test provider
Examples: IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI, Trinity College London.
A degree taught in English
UK degree: automatically accepted
Overseas degree: requires ECCTIS confirmation
UK school qualification
GCSE / A-level / Scottish equivalent in English, gained in a UK school.
Exemption
Doctors, nurses, and midwives who passed the professional body English test do not need an additional SELT.
Dependants – Updated 2025 Rules
Dependants include:
Husband, wife, or partner
Children under 18
Children over 18 if already a dependant in the UK
However, care workers and senior care workers have restrictions introduced on 11 March 2024.
A care worker can bring dependants only if:
They were already working in the UK on the route before 11 March 2024, OR
They are the sole surviving parent of a child in the UK, OR
Their partner also holds a Health and Care Worker Visa, OR
Their child was born in the UK
Your page must include these — many firms still have outdated information.
We recommend checking the latest GOV.UK rules before submitting, as dependant policies for care workers change frequently.
What You Can and Cannot Do
You CAN
Work for your sponsor
Work a second job (with restrictions)
Study
Bring eligible dependants
Apply for ILR after 5 years
You CANNOT
Access public funds
Change employer without a new CoS
Work as a professional sportsperson
Ready to Apply?
At Fard Solicitors, we ensure every application is:
accurate
fully compliant
supported by correct documentation
optimised for fast approvalContact us today for expert help with your Health and Care Worker Visa.
FAQs
You must earn £31,300 per year or the going rate for your specific occupation code — whichever is higher.
In some cases (new entrants, STEM PhD holders, authorised care roles), a lower salary threshold may apply.
Salary thresholds change regularly. Always check the latest guidance on GOV.UK.
Yes — most Health and Care Worker Visa applicants can bring their partner and children.
However, care workers and senior care workers have restrictions introduced in March 2024. They can only bring dependants if they meet exemption criteria (for example, already working in the UK on this visa before 11 March 2024).
Dependants’ rules are subject to change — please check GOV.UK for the most current information.
The visa is normally granted for up to 5 years, depending on your employment contract. You can extend it as many times as needed and apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 years of continuous residence.
You must typically show that you have:
£1,270 for yourself,
£285 for your partner,
£315 for the first child, and
£200 for each additional child.
You do NOT need to show funds if you have lived in the UK for 12 months or your employer confirms financial support on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
Most applicants receive a decision within:
3 weeks if applying from outside the UK
8 weeks if applying inside the UK
Fast-track services may be available for an additional fee.
Processing times can vary — check GOV.UK for the latest information
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