The UK’s Health and Care Worker visa provides a specialised pathway for doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care workers who wish to contribute their skills to the National Health Service (NHS), the care sector and other approved health organisations.
For applicants, the visa offers an opportunity to live and work in the UK with streamlined conditions compared to other Skilled Worker routes. For employers, it creates a channel to address critical shortages in healthcare staffing. However, the rules governing eligibility, dependants, job changes, and long-term residency are detailed and subject to frequent updates.
This FAQ guide addresses the most common questions about the visa to help applicants and employers navigate the process.
Your employer must report your termination to UKVI within 10 working days. UKVI usually curtails your visa, giving you 60 days to leave the UK or make a new application.
Yes. You can work up to 20 hours per week in another eligible occupation outside your normal working hours. Overtime in your main role and voluntary work are unrestricted.
Yes. After five years of continuous residence under the Skilled Worker route, including the Health and Care Worker visa, you may qualify for ILR, provided:
You must update your visa if:
Additional paid work may require a new application if it exceeds the 20-hour limit. Zero-hour contracts are not permitted.
You must:
Yes. Dependants with PBS Dependent visas can:
Employers may recover some costs, depending on your contract. However, they cannot recover the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC), as this is explicitly prohibited.
Pros:
Cons:
The Health and Care Worker visa remains one of the most important routes for addressing the UK’s healthcare staffing needs, while also offering international professionals a secure and structured pathway to long-term residence.
For applicants, understanding the details — particularly around family eligibility, job flexibility, and salary requirements — is essential to making informed decisions. For employers, compliance and proactive workforce planning will ensure smoother recruitment and retention of skilled professionals.
For applicants, the visa offers an opportunity to live and work in the UK with streamlined conditions compared to other Skilled Worker routes. For employers, it creates a channel to address critical shortages in healthcare staffing. However, the rules governing eligibility, dependants, job changes, and long-term residency are detailed and subject to frequent updates.
This FAQ guide addresses the most common questions about the visa to help applicants and employers navigate the process.
1. Can my family join me in the UK?
- Applied before 11 March 2024: Spouses/partners and children can join as dependants if eligibility requirements are met.
- Applied on or after 11 March 2024 (care worker, home carer, senior care worker): Dependants are no longer eligible.
- Other roles (e.g., doctors, nurses): Still eligible to bring dependants.
2. What happens if I lose my job?
Your employer must report your termination to UKVI within 10 working days. UKVI usually curtails your visa, giving you 60 days to leave the UK or make a new application.
3. Can I take on a second job?
Yes. You can work up to 20 hours per week in another eligible occupation outside your normal working hours. Overtime in your main role and voluntary work are unrestricted.
4. Can I apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)?
Yes. After five years of continuous residence under the Skilled Worker route, including the Health and Care Worker visa, you may qualify for ILR, provided:
- You have not exceeded 180 days of absence in any 12-month period.
- You apply up to 28 days before reaching the five-year mark.
5. What are the salary requirements?
- General threshold: £29,000 per year (or higher, if applicable).
- National pay scale roles: £23,200 per year (or higher, if applicable).
- Based on a 40-hour working week; salaries are pro-rated for different hours. Bonuses and allowances typically do not count.
6. Can I switch jobs?
You must update your visa if:
- You change employers.
- Your job changes to a different occupation code.
- You switch from a shortage occupation to a non-shortage occupation.
Additional paid work may require a new application if it exceeds the 20-hour limit. Zero-hour contracts are not permitted.
7. What documents are required?
You must:
- Hold an eligible health or social care role.
- Have a licensed UK sponsor with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
- Prove English language ability.
- Meet salary, maintenance, and criminal record check requirements.
8. What are the financial maintenance rules?
- If your employer certifies maintenance, they agree to support you for your first month.
- Otherwise, you must show at least £1,270 in savings for 28 consecutive days (with day 28 within 31 days of your application).
- Additional funds are required for dependants.
9. Can my spouse work and my children study?
Yes. Dependants with PBS Dependent visas can:
- Work in most roles, except as professional sportspersons or coaches.
- Study, subject to Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) conditions for certain research fields.
10. What if my sponsor deducts visa costs from my pay?
Employers may recover some costs, depending on your contract. However, they cannot recover the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC), as this is explicitly prohibited.
Pros and Cons of the Health and Care Worker Visa
Pros:
- Lower visa fees compared to other Skilled Worker visas.
- Exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Clear pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years.
- Flexibility to take on supplementary work.
- Dependants (for most roles) can live, work, and study in the UK.
Cons:
- Care workers and related roles (applied on/after March 2024) cannot bring dependants.
- Sponsorship is tied to your employer — losing your job may shorten your visa.
- Strict salary thresholds may exclude lower-paid workers.
- Zero-hour contracts not allowed, limiting job structure flexibility.
Final Thoughts
The Health and Care Worker visa remains one of the most important routes for addressing the UK’s healthcare staffing needs, while also offering international professionals a secure and structured pathway to long-term residence.
For applicants, understanding the details — particularly around family eligibility, job flexibility, and salary requirements — is essential to making informed decisions. For employers, compliance and proactive workforce planning will ensure smoother recruitment and retention of skilled professionals.