The Health and Care Worker visa is a UK work visa for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health and adult social care professionals who have a job offer from an approved employer. Compared with the standard work route, it costs considerably less, exempts the applicant and their family from the Immigration Health Surcharge and, if the requirements are met, can lead to settlement. Below are the rules, figures and steps as of October 2026, based on GOV.UK guidance.
What the Health and Care Worker visa is and how it differs
The Health and Care Worker visa (formerly Tier 2 Health and Care) is a dedicated work route for medical professionals. It allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an adult social care provider. The official description of the route is published on the Health and Care Worker visa page on GOV.UK.
The visa is tied to a specific employer and role. It can be granted for up to five years and extended as many times as you like while you continue to meet the requirements. If you change employer or job, you must update your visa with a new application. Imperial & Legal also covers the route in its overview What is the Health and Care worker visa?
The favourable terms follow a simple logic: the government wants to attract professionals the health system is short of, so it lowers the financial barrier for them. In return, the Home Office closely checks that the visa is used for the exact job it was granted for. That is why most refusals relate not to the applicant’s qualifications but to a mismatch in the occupation code, the salary or the details on the certificate of sponsorship.
Who can get a Health and Care Worker visa in 2026
Under the GOV.UK rules, you must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional, work in an eligible role for an employer approved by the Home Office, hold a certificate of sponsorship and a confirmed job offer, and be paid at least the minimum salary. For new applications, eligible occupations include the following groups (SOC 2020 codes in brackets):
- generalist and specialist medical practitioners (2211, 2212);
- nurses in all specialisms and midwives (2231–2237);
- pharmacists, optometrists, dental practitioners, radiographers, paramedics and podiatrists (2251–2256);
- physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychotherapists and clinical psychologists (2221–2226, 2229);
- social workers (2461);
- health services managers and managers of care homes and care services (1171, 1232);
- biomedical scientists, laboratory technicians and pharmaceutical technicians (2113, 2114, 3111, 3212);
- nursing auxiliaries and assistants (6131).
The full list with explanations is on the Your job page. The Home Office warns that not every job title is listed and that similar roles can fall under different codes, so you should compare your actual duties with the code description rather than rely on the job title in your contract.
What changed for care workers after 22 July 2025
Codes 6135 (care workers and home carers) and 6136 (senior care workers) are no longer available for new applications from outside the UK. Under these codes you can only extend or update your visa, or switch to it from inside the UK. To switch, you must have worked legally for your sponsor for at least three months. If you work in England, your employer must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
There are also restrictions on family members. Care workers and senior care workers can bring a partner and children as dependants only if they have been continuously employed in that role in the UK since before 11 March 2024, or in a few narrow situations, such as a child born in the UK. Details are on the Your partner and children page.
If your role is not on the list, that does not mean relocation is impossible. Some roles qualify for the standard Skilled Worker visa, and other situations may suit family, study or business routes. The right choice depends on your qualifications, your employer and your long-term plans.
Key requirements for a Health and Care Worker visa application
- Job offer from an employer holding a Home Office sponsor licence
- Certificate of sponsorship showing the role, occupation code and salary
- Role listed among the eligible occupation codes for this visa
- Salary at or above the threshold or the relevant national pay scale
- English language ability at CEFR level B2 or above
- Savings of at least £1,270 held for 28 days in a row, unless exempt
- Application made within three months of receiving the certificate
Each of these requirements is assessed separately, and failing any one of them leads to refusal. Below are explanations of the points where applicants most often go wrong.
Minimum salary
As a rule, you must be paid at least £25,000 a year or the going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher. For most health roles, the benchmark is the national pay scale by NHS pay band and UK area. Separate rules apply to codes 1171, 1231, 1232, 2113, 2114, 3111, 3211, 3212, 6135 and 6136, as set out on the Different salary requirements page. In every case, your employer must pay at least the National Minimum Wage and follow UK working time rules.
English language
Since 8 January 2026, new applications require CEFR level B2. If you held this visa before 8 January 2026 and are now extending or updating it, level B1 is enough. Nationals of a number of majority English-speaking countries are exempt, as are doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives who have already passed an English assessment accepted by their professional regulator. Ways to prove your English are listed on the Knowledge of English page.
Personal savings
You need at least £1,270 in your bank account for 28 days in a row, and day 28 must fall within 31 days of your application. You do not need to prove this if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or if your employer covers your costs for the first month and confirms this on your certificate of sponsorship.
Benefits of the Health and Care Worker visa for medical professionals
The main advantage of the route is cost. You, your partner and your children do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and can use the NHS from the date your visa starts, although some services, such as prescriptions and dental treatment, are still charged. The application fee is lower than for the standard work route, and a decision is usually made within three weeks.
- exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge for you and your family;
- a reduced application fee, the same whether you apply inside or outside the UK;
- visas of up to five years with no limit on extensions;
- the option to switch to this visa from inside the UK;
- additional and voluntary work in permitted circumstances;
- a route to settlement if the requirements are met.
These benefits are easy to lose through an error on the certificate of sponsorship or a wrongly chosen occupation code. Checking everything before you apply costs far less than a fresh application after a refusal.
Benefits of applying for a Health and Care Worker visa with Imperial & Legal
- Occupation code and salary check before the certificate is assigned
- Assessment of the English language and financial requirements
- Document preparation that reflects your professional registration
- Application support from inside or outside the UK
- Advice to employers on the duties of a licensed sponsor
- Assessment of your partner and children’s dependant eligibility
- Planning for visa extensions and a future settlement application
Once the requirements and benefits are clear, the next question is how much the process will cost and how long it will take.
Health and Care Worker visa costs and processing times
Costs fall into two parts: what the applicant pays and what the sponsoring employer pays. The figures below are taken from GOV.UK at the date of publication; always check the current amounts on the How much it costs page before you apply.
| Cost item | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee, visa of up to 3 years | £324 per applicant | Applicant and each family member |
| Application fee, visa of more than 3 years | £628 per applicant | Applicant and each family member |
| Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) | Not payable | — |
| Proof of funds (money held, not a payment) | £1,270 applicant; £285 partner; £315 first child; £200 each additional child | Applicant, unless exempt |
| Certificate of sponsorship | £525 | Employer |
| Immigration Skills Charge, first 12 months | £480 (small or charitable sponsors) / £1,320 (medium or large sponsors) | Employer |
| Sponsor licence | £611 / £1,682 | Employer |
You can apply up to three months before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship and must apply within three months of receiving it. A decision is usually made within three weeks of proving your identity and providing your documents, and a faster service may be available for a fee. A detailed breakdown of fees across UK visas is available in the guide UK visa fees.
How the Health and Care Worker visa process works
The process has five stages, from the first assessment to extending your status. The timeframes below are typical rather than guaranteed: actual processing times depend on the Home Office and the circumstances of each case.
Consultation and eligibility assessment
Certificate of sponsorship and job terms review
Document preparation and application submission
Visa decision and relocation to the UK
Visa extension and preparing for settlement
In practice, the second stage takes the most time: the certificate of sponsorship is assigned by the employer, and the whole outcome depends on the accuracy of its details. That is why it makes sense to start support before the certificate is issued.
Visa support
Health and Care Worker visa support at every stage
Eligibility check
Review of occupation code, salary and English before applying
Document pack
Selection and review of documents for your circumstances
Certificate review
Cross-check of the role and sponsor details on your CoS
Family visas
Assessment of dependant visas for your partner and children
Even when the scope of support is clear, the outcome depends heavily on the quality of the documents. Here is what you will need for the application.
Documents for your application
The core documents are the same for every applicant, while additional documents depend on your circumstances. The list is based on the Documents you’ll need to apply page.
- your certificate of sponsorship reference number, provided by your employer;
- a valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality;
- your job title, annual salary and occupation code;
- your employer’s name and sponsor licence number, shown on your certificate;
- proof of your knowledge of English;
- bank statements showing personal savings, unless your employer covers your costs;
- proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they apply with you;
- tuberculosis test results if you are from a listed country;
- a criminal record certificate if you apply from outside the UK, for most occupation codes;
- certified translations of any documents not in English or Welsh.
Applicants under 28 need a criminal record certificate from every country where they have stayed for a total of 12 months or more since turning 18, while those aged 28 or over need one from countries where they have stayed in the last 10 years. Only codes 2113, 2114, 3111 and 6132 are exempt. Obtaining certificates abroad can take several weeks, so it is worth requesting them while the certificate of sponsorship is being prepared.
Practical examples: how the rules apply in real situations
The same requirements play out differently depending on the profession, country of residence and family situation. The three typical scenarios below show what to look out for.
A nurse from abroad with an offer from an NHS trust
A nurse registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council receives an offer from a hospital trust. The role falls under codes 2231–2237, and the salary is set by the NHS national pay scale. If she has already passed an English assessment accepted by the regulator for her registration, a separate test may not be needed. The main risks are inconsistent details on the certificate and an incomplete set of criminal record certificates.
A care worker already working in the UK
A care worker is in the UK on another visa and works for a licensed adult social care provider. Switching to the Health and Care Worker visa under code 6135 is only possible after three months of lawful work for this sponsor, and an employer in England must be registered with the CQC. It is important to remember that, in this case, a partner and children cannot switch as dependants.
A doctor relocating with family
A specialist with an offer from a private clinic providing services to the NHS plans to relocate with a spouse and two children. Each family member pays the application fee but not the healthcare surcharge. If the employer does not certify maintenance for the first month on the certificate, the family must show £1,270 for the applicant, £285 for the partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for the second.
Imperial & Legal has already handled similar matters for clients, from work visas and certificates of sponsorship to sponsor licences for employers. Here are a few client stories:
Client stories on work visas and sponsorship
Obtaining a UK Sponsorship Licence for a Care Home
It started with an unusual telephone call where we were offered cooperation. A caller could not explain properly how our companies could help each other, but in the end, we established what was...
UK Skilled Worker Visa for Same-Sex Partners
Two young men contacted Imperial & Legal and asked for help in getting UK visas for them. Tsewang and Dodge are from India. They came from different provinces but lived together in...
Obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship and UK Skilled Worker Visa
Aigul is from Kazakhstan. She is an experienced pharmacist with a medical degree who finds a perfect job in the United Kingdom and wants to relocate...
One of these stories is about a care home chain that needed a sponsor licence. The owner explained why recruiting from abroad mattered to them:
Our priority is to provide the best service to elderly clients from all over the world. We want our patients to feel at home, so we are looking to employ foreign specialists. It turned out that it was difficult to obtain a UK sponsorship licence. We got in touch with Imperial & Legal who sorted it for us.
This example shows that a successful employee visa starts with the employer: without a valid sponsor licence and an accurate certificate, the application cannot be made.
For employers: the sponsor licence and your duties
Only an approved employer can hire a professional on a Health and Care Worker visa: the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an adult social care provider. If you do not yet hold a licence, you need to obtain one: according to GOV.UK, the fee is £611 for small businesses and charities and £1,682 for medium and large organisations, and processing usually takes around eight weeks. The procedure is described in the GOV.UK guidance UK visa sponsorship for employers, and practical details are on the Imperial & Legal page UK sponsor licence for employers.
- assigning a certificate of sponsorship for each worker, at £525 per certificate;
- paying the Immigration Skills Charge of £480 or £1,320 for the first 12 months, depending on the size of the organisation;
- registering with the CQC if you employ care workers in England;
- meeting salary requirements and working time rules;
- keeping HR records and reporting changes to the Home Office.
Breaching sponsor duties can lead to a downgraded rating, suspension or revocation of the licence, which affects every sponsored worker in the organisation. A step-by-step guide to recruitment is available in the article How to employ a foreign specialist for a UK company.
Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker: which to choose
Both routes belong to the same work visa system, and their requirements for the certificate of sponsorship, English and salary are similar. The difference lies in the range of employers and in cost. If the role and employer qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa, it is almost always the better option; if not, the standard Skilled Worker visa remains available.
| Criterion | Health and Care Worker | Skilled Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Employers | NHS, NHS service providers, adult social care | Any employer with a sponsor licence |
| Fee for a visa of up to 3 years | £324 inside or outside the UK | £819 outside the UK, £943 inside the UK (standard fee) |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | Not payable | Usually £1,035 per year |
| English language | B2 for new applications | B2 for new applications |
| Decision time | Usually 3 weeks | Depends on where you apply |
The Skilled Worker figures come from the GOV.UK page on the cost of that visa. The difference is especially noticeable for families: on a three-year visa, the healthcare surcharge for each family member on the standard route exceeds £3,000, while on the Health and Care Worker visa it is not charged at all.
Common mistakes by applicants and employers
Most refusals under this visa stem not from complex legal issues but from technical inconsistencies that could have been spotted in advance.
- A wrong occupation code on the certificate, where the worker’s duties do not match the code description.
- A salary below the threshold or the going rate for the code, including through miscounted working hours.
- Applying under code 6135 or 6136 from outside the UK, which has not been possible since 22 July 2025.
- Miscalculating the 28-day savings period or submitting statements older than 31 days.
- Missing criminal record certificates from every country where the applicant lived during the relevant period.
- Starting a new role or working for a new employer without updating the visa.
Each of these mistakes can be caught during preparation, before the fee is paid. If you have doubts about the occupation code or the terms of employment, it is sensible to review your situation with a specialist before applying.
A correctly obtained visa is not just about relocating but also about planning ahead. Many applicants want to know how this status relates to permanent residence.
The route to settlement: current rules and the proposed reform
According to GOV.UK, after five years on a Health and Care Worker visa you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) if you meet the requirements. ILR gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like. The status and how to obtain it are covered in the article Settle in the UK: how to do it and what it entails.
At the same time, the government has proposed a reform of settlement. In the consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, the standard qualifying period would rise from five to ten years, and a separate 15-year baseline was consulted on for Health and Care Worker visa holders and workers in roles below RQF level 6. A five-year reduction was proposed for certain skilled public service roles at RQF level 6 and above. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026; at the date of publication these changes are not in force, and transitional arrangements are still being considered.
English language requirements for settlement are also rising: according to the Home Office announcement of 5 March 2026, most applicants will need a higher, A-level equivalent standard from March 2027. That is why it is worth planning for settlement from the first year of your visa, not a few months before you apply.
Preparing for your visa: key takeaways
The Health and Care Worker visa remains one of the most accessible UK work routes for medical professionals, but after the 2025–2026 reforms the pool of eligible applicants has narrowed and English requirements have risen. The success of an application is decided at the early stages: choosing the occupation code, preparing the certificate and assembling the documents.
Key points
- the visa is for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and other professionals with an offer from an approved employer;
- new applications from care workers outside the UK have not been accepted since 22 July 2025;
- the application fee is £324 or £628, and no healthcare surcharge is payable;
- new applications require English at level B2;
- a decision is usually made within three weeks;
- settlement is currently available after five years, but the reform may extend this period.
