- What are the requirements for obtaining a Health and Care visa?
- What are the Health and Care Worker visa requirements?
- How to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa
- What are the Health and Care Worker visa costs?
- What are the Health and Care visa processing times?
- Taking on additional work or a second job
- New rules on secondary employment from 27 August 2023
Healthcare professionals from around the world are encouraged to work in the UK health sector using the Health and Care WorkerVisa.
The Health and Care Workers visa offers applicants fast-tracked entry to the UK, reduced visa fees, and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge. As part of the program, a dedicated team within UKVI supports migrants and their dependents in the processing of their visa applications.
The new immigration system in the UK opened to applications on 4 August 2020.
Below you will find information on eligibility criteria, the application process, Health & Care visa costs, and processing times for this visa route.
We at MymedicalBank do not act as visa agents or offer visa services, so please consider this as a guide to help you on your journey to obtaining a visa.
What are the requirements for obtaining a Health and Care visa?
It is possible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa if you are a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional, or adult social care worker.
The program is open to individuals wishing to apply for entry clearance or leave to remain under the skilled worker route if they will be taking up a job in one of the occupations listed under a prescribed Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code list.
The list of eligible professions is subject to change and currently includes:
SOC code Eligible job roles
1181 Health services and public health managers and directors
1242 Residential, day, and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
2112 Biological scientists and biochemists
2113 Physical scientists
2211 Medical practitioners
2212 Psychologists
2213 Pharmacists
2214 Ophthalmic opticians
2215 Dental practitioners
2217 Medical radiographers
2218 Podiatrists
2219 Health professionals not elsewhere classified eg audiologists and occupational health advisers
2221 Physiotherapists
2222 Occupational therapists
2223 Speech and language therapists
2229 Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified eg osteopaths and psychotherapists
2231 Nurses
2232 Midwives
2442 Social workers
3111 Laboratory technicians
3213 Paramedics
3216 Dispensing opticians
3217 Pharmaceutical technicians
3218 Medical and dental technicians
3219 Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
6141 Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
6143 Dental nurses
6145 Care workers & home carers
6146 Senior care workers
For an applicant to qualify for the visa, the role must also fall under one of the above SOC categories. A sponsoring organization must also be either an NHS body or trust, a provider of medical services to the NHS, an adult social care organization, or another medical or social care organization listed in the official guidance. Those who are engaged or employed by, or registered with, any of the following industry bodies may qualify:
General Chiropractic Council
General Dental Council
General Medical Council
General Optical Council
General Osteopathic Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
Health and Care Professions Council
Northern Ireland Social Care Council
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
Scottish Social Services Council
Social Care Wales
You will not be eligible for the new Health and Care visa if you do not work for a designated organization in one of the prescribed occupations, though it is still possible to apply under the standard Skilled Worker visa if you fall outside of the new visa route.
What are the Health and Care Worker visa requirements?
In order to qualify for the Skilled Worker visa route, Health and Care visa applicants must meet the following criteria:
Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a UK-licensed sponsor
You must have an offer of a qualifying job that meets the relevant salary threshold
To have sufficient personal savings to support yourself upon arrival in the UK in some cases
Ensure that you have a good understanding of the English language
Be able to prove that you are capable of traveling, as well as provide your travel history in the past five years
If you are from a listed country, you must have valid tuberculosis test results
If you will be working with vulnerable people as a healthcare professional, you must provide a criminal record certificate from anywhere you lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
In order to be eligible, you must meet the salary requirement, which is either to be over the minimum salary threshold or to be over the appropriate rate for the job you have been offered.
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It may also be necessary for some applicants to prove that they can support themselves financially. In order to apply from overseas, you must prove you have had £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 consecutive days.
A minimum of 31 days must have passed since the date you applied for your visa. In the event, you apply from within the UK and have held a valid visa for at least 12 months, or if your employer covers your costs for the first month you are in the country, you will not be required to meet this financial requirement.
If you are eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa, your employer will inform you when you are hired. So that you can fill out the visa application correctly, you need to have this knowledge. You must also explain how your new position meets visa eligibility requirements in the note field of your CoS.
As proof of your eligibility for a Health and Care Worker visa, you will also need to provide an explanation, as well as possibly documentary evidence, as to the contractual arrangements with the NHS if your UK sponsor is a private organization that provides healthcare services commissioned by the NHS.
How to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa
Applicants for the Health and Care visa must first be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship by their UK sponsor. In order to apply online at the Home Office, you must have a unique reference number.
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In order to proceed with the application process, you must complete all the required information and pay the fee (see below). In addition, you will have to provide various supporting documents.
As soon as the Home Office receives your application, it will evaluate your information and documents. You will either be offered:
Book a biometrics appointment if it is not possible to reuse biometrics supplied with a previous application,
You will be advised how to enroll in biometrics using an ID app.
Documentation supporting the Health and Care Worker visa
If you are applying for a UK visa, you will be required to provide various supporting documents, including, where applicable, the following:
You’ll need a letter or statement from your bank or building society proving you have sufficient personal savings. This is unless your CoS demonstrates your sponsor can support you.
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English proficiency proof
Valid passport or travel document to prove you are eligible to travel
Documents showing your travel history, such as expired passports
If you are from one of the countries listed, your tuberculosis test results
Certified copy of a criminal record.
You will usually need to prove your English proficiency by passing an approved English language test with a minimum CEFR level B1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening unless you are exempt, such as if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country. The academic qualification must have been taught in English and is recognized as equivalent to a UK bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree by UK NARIC.
If you are applying as a doctor, dentist, nurse, or midwife, you can rely on your professional body’s assessment as proof of your language ability.
Can my partner or dependents join me in the UK?
Your immediate family members are allowed to accompany you in the UK with the Health and Care visa. In addition to your spouse or partner, you must include any children you are responsible for.
You will need to obtain written confirmation from your UK sponsor that your dependents are eligible to join you in the UK if you are already in the country. The sponsor should provide a letter or email describing the organization for which you work, and, if not an NHS body, how the organization qualifies.
What are the Health and Care Worker visa costs?
Visa application fees for Health and Care visas are lower than those for other skilled workers.
For those who qualify under this visa, the fees apply equally to applicants and dependents.
Health and Care Worker visa applications made outside the UK
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for three years or less – main applicant and dependants £247
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants £479
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for three years or less – main applicant and dependants £247
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants £479
Health and Care visa applications made within the UK
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Worker Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for three years or less – main applicant and dependants £247
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years -main applicant and dependants £479
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for three years or less – main applicant and dependants £247
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants £479
The reduced visa fees also apply to dependents.
All applicants and dependents eligible for this visa are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Immigration Health Surcharges will be paid by frontline workers in the health and social care sector who do not qualify for the new Health and Care Visa but may be reimbursed. This is to recognize the role that those who have come to the UK to work during the pandemic have played.
What are the Health and Care visa processing times?
As soon as UK Visas and Immigration receives your application, it will be prioritized and fast-tracked.
Therefore, healthcare professionals applying via this route can typically expect a decision within 3 weeks of providing their biometric information. Compared to the current 8-20 week wait time for skilled worker visas, this is a significant improvement. The UKVI processing of Ukrainian scheme applications continues to be affected by delays following the pandemic, so it is recommended that you seek advice when making your application on current processing times.
A dedicated NHS support and visa processing team is also available, which enables visa applicants and sponsors to contact UKVI’s specialist team if they have any questions about the application process or visa eligibility.
Taking on additional work or a second job
The latest guidance indicates that Health and Care Worker visa holders can continue to work for their sponsor in their sponsored role while in the UK, allowing them to take on a second, or additional, job. However, they may need to apply to update their visa in certain circumstances to reflect this change. Workers in the healthcare field do not need to update their visas in the following cases:
The additional job they are working also qualifies under the Health and Care Worker route – so the number of hours they can work in this role is not restricted.
When they work on a Shortage Occupation List, they can work up to 20 hours per week without updating their visa.
They perform a voluntary, unpaid job in addition to their regular job.
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If the additional role is not a Health and Care Worker or Shortage Occupation List position or is more than 20 hours per week in an additional role that is on the Shortage Occupation List, Health and Care Workers will need to apply to the Home Office for an updated visa.
To change their status, the worker will need a new Certificate of Sponsorship from their second employer and supplementary information from the Home Office detailing the reasons for the change.
New rules on secondary employment from 27 August 2023
With effect from 27 August 2023, Health and Care Workers will only be able to work up to 20 hours of additional paid work without having to update their visas, if the second role has the same occupation code and level as their primary job or is on the Shortage Occupation List.
Health and Care Visa FAQs
How much does the healthcare surcharge cost health workers?
Those working in the health and care sector are exempt from the UK Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Which UK visa for health workers?
Eligible healthcare workers will be able to apply for a Health and Care visa via a new fast-track route.
- Are care workers eligible for the Health & Care visa?
Workers employed in eligible roles are eligible to apply for the Health and Care visa. In February 2022, caregivers were added to the Shortage Occupation List, but their status will be reviewed and modified by the government.
