{"id":67,"date":"2021-02-02T11:31:42","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T10:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/?p=67"},"modified":"2026-09-14T15:48:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:48:36","slug":"how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Health and Care Worker Visa 2026: How to Apply"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Health and Care Worker visa<\/strong> is the cheapest way into the UK for anyone who qualifies for it. It carries a reduced application fee, a lower salary floor than the ordinary Skilled Worker route, and <strong>complete exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge<\/strong> for you and your family. On a five year visa that exemption alone is worth GBP 5,175 per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also closed to one large group of applicants in 2025, and that is the first thing to establish before reading anything else about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#Care_workers_can_no_longer_apply_from_abroad\" >Care workers can no longer apply from abroad<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#Which_professions_qualify\" >Which professions qualify<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#What_you_need\" >What you need<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#The_salary_threshold_which_has_two_levels\" >The salary threshold, which has two levels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#What_it_costs_and_what_it_saves\" >What it costs, and what it saves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#How_to_apply_in_the_order_that_works\" >How to apply, in the order that works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#Related_reading\" >Related reading<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/#How_the_Health_and_Care_visa_was_set_up\" >How the Health and Care visa was set up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Care_workers_can_no_longer_apply_from_abroad\"><\/span><strong>Care workers can no longer apply from abroad<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On <strong>22 July 2025<\/strong> the UK closed this route to new overseas applicants in <strong>care worker and senior care worker<\/strong> roles. Care providers can no longer sponsor someone in those roles from outside the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two things survive, and they matter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>People already in the UK.<\/strong> Existing holders can extend and can change sponsor until 22 July 2028, and providers can still recruit care workers already in the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Every other profession on this visa.<\/strong> Nurses, doctors, paramedics and allied health professionals were not affected. The route is fully open to them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction gets lost constantly, and it costs people the route. If you hold a nursing qualification and have been told the UK is closed, you have been told something untrue. Registering that qualification is what changes which door you are at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_professions_qualify\"><\/span><strong>Which professions qualify<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The visa covers qualified health and care professionals across seven broad areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Area<\/th><th>Roles<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Doctors and dentists<\/td><td>Medical practitioners, dental practitioners<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Nursing and midwifery<\/td><td>Nurses, midwives, dental nurses<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Allied health professions<\/td><td>Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, radiographers, podiatrists, paramedics, osteopaths and psychotherapists<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pharmacy and optical<\/td><td>Pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians, ophthalmic opticians, dispensing opticians<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Science and laboratory<\/td><td>Biological scientists and biochemists, physical scientists, laboratory technicians, medical and dental technicians<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Psychology and social work<\/td><td>Psychologists, social workers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Management<\/td><td>Health services and public health managers and directors, residential and domiciliary care managers<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Professions eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa. Care worker and senior care worker roles are excluded for new overseas applicants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do not take an occupation code from a guide, including an older version of this one.<\/strong> Eligibility is decided by the occupation code on your certificate of sponsorship, and UK immigration moved from the SOC 2010 numbering to SOC 2020 in April 2024. Every four digit code published before then is against the old scheme. Take yours from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/health-care-worker-visa\/eligible-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the official list of eligible jobs<\/a> and confirm it with your employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_you_need\"><\/span><strong>What you need<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>certificate of sponsorship<\/strong> from an approved sponsor: an NHS body, an organisation providing services to the NHS, or a provider regulated by the Care Quality Commission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A job on the list of eligible occupations, at the required skill level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A salary meeting the threshold below.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Professional registration<\/strong> with the relevant UK regulator, such as the NMC for nurses and midwives or the GMC for doctors. This is usually the longest part of the whole process and the part to start first.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>English at level <strong>B2<\/strong> on the CEFR scale, in all four skills, for applications made on or after <strong>8 January 2026<\/strong>. It was B1 before that, and B1 still applies if you held the visa before that date and are extending. If your regulator has already accepted an English assessment you will not usually need to prove it again, and OET Grade B or IELTS Academic 7.0 sits comfortably above the visa requirement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proof of funds, unless your employer certifies they will cover your first month.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_salary_threshold_which_has_two_levels\"><\/span><strong>The salary threshold, which has two levels<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Your role<\/th><th>Minimum salary<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>On a national pay scale, which covers most NHS roles<\/td><td><strong>GBP 25,000<\/strong>, or the going rate for the role, whichever is higher<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Not on a national pay scale<\/td><td><strong>GBP 31,300<\/strong>, or the going rate, whichever is higher<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Health and Care Worker visa salary minimums. Both sit well below the GBP 41,700 general Skilled Worker floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national pay scale route is the one most NHS applicants use, because Agenda for Change bands are national pay scales. If your offer is from an NHS trust at a stated band, that is the figure the Home Office will look at, and the GBP 25,000 floor is what applies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compare that with the ordinary <a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/the-uk-skilled-worker-visa-how-to-apply\/\">Skilled Worker visa<\/a>, where the general floor is GBP 41,700. The gap is the single biggest reason to establish whether you qualify for this route rather than that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_it_costs_and_what_it_saves\"><\/span><strong>What it costs, and what it saves<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Health and Care Worker visa<\/th><th>Ordinary Skilled Worker visa<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Application fee, up to 3 years<\/td><td>GBP 324<\/td><td>Around GBP 950<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Application fee, over 3 years<\/td><td>GBP 628<\/td><td>Around GBP 1,900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Immigration Health Surcharge<\/td><td><strong>Exempt<\/strong><\/td><td>GBP 1,035 per adult per year<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Five year cost of the surcharge alone<\/td><td><strong>Nothing<\/strong><\/td><td>GBP 5,175 per adult<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Health and Care Worker visa costs against the ordinary route. Fees are revised most Aprils.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dependants pay the same application fee and are <strong>also exempt from the health surcharge<\/strong>, which is where the saving really shows. A family of four on a five year visa avoids over GBP 20,000 in surcharge that the ordinary route would charge them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will still need proof of funds of GBP 1,270, held for 28 consecutive days, plus GBP 285 for a partner, GBP 315 for a first child and GBP 200 for each additional child, unless your employer certifies your first month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_apply_in_the_order_that_works\"><\/span><strong>How to apply, in the order that works<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start professional registration first.<\/strong> NMC, GMC or the relevant regulator. Nothing else can complete without it and it takes the longest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find a sponsor: an NHS trust, an organisation serving the NHS, or a CQC regulated provider. Check them against the Home Office register of licensed sponsors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get your certificate of sponsorship, and check the occupation code on it against the current eligible jobs list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apply online, separately from your partner and each child, and give biometrics at a visa application centre.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set up your UKVI account when the visa is granted. Your status is an online eVisa now, not a card: biometric residence permits were phased out and expired on 31 December 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/health-care-worker-visa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The official guidance is on gov.uk<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhsemployers.org\/articles\/skilled-worker-health-and-care-visa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NHS Employers publishes the sponsor side<\/a>, which is worth reading if you want to understand what your employer has to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_reading\"><\/span><strong>Related reading<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/list-of-companies-hiring-nurses-in-uk-2025\/\">UK employers hiring nurses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/the-uk-skilled-worker-visa-how-to-apply\/\">The ordinary UK Skilled Worker visa, for comparison<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/would-the-uk-shortage-occupations-list-be-cancelled-soon\/\">The wider set of UK immigration changes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/shortage-occupations-for-the-uk-skilled-worker-visa\/\">What is on the UK shortage occupation list<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/jobs\">Browse UK healthcare roles with visa sponsorship<\/a> on our board, and check any sponsor against the Home Office register before committing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Last checked September 2026. Salary thresholds and fees are revised regularly, usually each April, and the care worker closure has transitional arrangements running to 22 July 2028. Confirm figures and your occupation code on gov.uk before applying.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<!-- sj:merged:27 -->\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_Health_and_Care_visa_was_set_up\"><\/span><strong>How the Health and Care visa was set up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Health and Care visa was created in 2020 as a cheaper, faster version of the old Tier 2 route for qualified doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Three concessions defined it, and they are still what makes it worth using over the general Skilled Worker route:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A reduced application fee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A faster decision, originally promised within three weeks of biometric enrolment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eligibility has always been defined by occupation code rather than by job title, which is why two people who both call themselves healthcare workers can get different answers. The professions in scope at launch included medical practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dental practitioners, medical radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, podiatrists, psychologists, ophthalmic opticians and biological and physical scientists. The list has been adjusted since, so check the current one against your own occupation code before you apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Health and Care Worker visa is the cheapest way into the UK for anyone who qualifies for it. It carries a reduced application fee,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"2","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"https:\/\/shortagejobs.com\/blog\/how-to-apply-for-the-healthcare-worker-visa\/","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-united-kingdom"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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