A Health and Care Worker Visa allows non-British medical professions to come to the UK to work in an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care.
The visa is open to qualified doctors, nurses, and professionals who are employed in health and social care. There are requirements to successfully be granted the visa.
To apply for this visa, you must make an application online, which will be processed by the Home Office.
You are allowed to take on additional work for up to 20 hours a week while in the UK on this visa. You can work in a shortage occupation, or in the same occupation code and at the same level as your main job.
The visa can lead to settlement in the UK after 5 years.
How do you apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa?
Applicants must fill out this online form and submit their supporting documents alongside it.
After you have applied for the visa, you will usually receive a decision within 3 weeks.
The decision may take longer in certain circumstances (e.g. if your supporting documents need to be verified, or if you need to attend an interview).
You may be able to pay to get a faster decision- which will be explained when you apply.
How long can you stay in the UK on Health and Care Worker Visa?
On this visa, you can stay in the UK for up to 5 years.
You can apply to extend the visa if you want to you want to change jobs or employer.
Can you extend a Health and Care Worker Visa?
Yes, you can apply to extend the visa. You must do this before the visa expires.
Once your visa expires, you have 30 days to leave the UK. If you don’t do this, you could be deported, or possibly banned from re-entering the UK in the future.
How much does a Health and Care Worker Visa cost?
The application fee is:
- £247 per person if you are staying in the UK for up to 3 years
- £479 per person if you are staying in the UK for more than 3 years
You will also need to meet a financial requirement, to show that you (and any dependant family members) have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK.
You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account, and this money should be available for at least 28 consecutive days from the date you made your application.
Your dependant family members (partner and/or children) will also need to prove they can support themselves while they are in the UK. Check how much they’ll need.
Click here to read the guidance on financial evidence to learn more about the money you need and what proof is required.
What are the requirements for a Health and Care Worker Visa?
To successfully apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you must meet the eligibility criteria below:
- Work as a medical, healthcare, or adult social care professional.
- Have a job offer from an approved UK employer.
- Meet the English language requirements.
- Have at least £1,270 in your bank account to support yourself while you are in the UK.
- have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you have been offered in the UK.
- be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do.
How do I know if my job is eligible for a Health and Care Worker Visa?
To be eligible for the visa, you must meet all the following requirements:
- you are a qualified doctor, nurse, or professional in healthcare or adult social care
- your job is eligible for this visa
- you will be working for a UK health and care sector employer that has been approved by the Home Office
- you will be paid the minimum salary or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing - whichever is higher
Job Occupation Code
You can check if your job makes you eligible for a Health and Care Worker Visa.
You will need to know your job’s 4-digit occupation code.
Your job must be in the list of occupation codes, in order to qualify for the visa. So, you should search for your job in the ONS occupation coding tool.
Not every job title is included on this platform. If you cannot find your exact job title, try searching for similar jobs. Make sure the job description matches what you will be doing in your UK job.
For example, if you are a radiographer, then type in ‘radiographer’ in the coding tool, and this will generate the code 2217: Medical Radiographer.
To learn more, read our blog article on Top 10 Jobs on the UK Shortage Occupation List.
Job Offer
You must hold a job offer from an approved UK employer, before you apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa.
Your job offer must be from:
- the NHS
- an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
- an organisation providing adult social care
Your employer must hold a sponsor licence, or apply for one if they are not currently approved. Click here to view the full list of approved employers.
To qualify for the Health and Care Worker Visa, your employer must give you a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’. This is not a physical documents, but it is an electronic record which contains a reference number, which you’ll need for your visa application.
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
Salary requirements
To be eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa, you will normally be need to be paid a salary of at least £20,480.
If the ‘going rate’ for your job is higher than £20,480, you will usually need to be paid at least the going rate.
Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. How you find the going rate depends on your job.
You will have different salary requirements if your job falls in certain occupation codes, such as 2112: biological scientists and biochemists.
Click here to view the list of occupation codes that have different salary requirements.
Click here to view the going rate if your job is in one of these occupation codes.
What supporting documents do I need to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa?
You will need to submit the following supporting documents alongside your application:
- Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number - your employer will give you this, so you should ask them if you don’t have one.
- The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number - this will be on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Proof of your knowledge of English.
- A valid passport or other document that proves your identity and nationality.
- Your job title and annual salary.
- Your job’s occupation code.
- Evidence that you have enough money to support yourself in the UK (e.g. bank statements)
- Proof of your relationship to your dependant family members, if you want to bring them with you to the UK.
- Your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country.
- A criminal record certificate, if you are working in certain jobs. (e.g. you may be working with vulnerable people).
- A certified translation of your personal documents, if they are not in English or Welsh.
- Any additional documents that UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requests.
Health and Care Worker Visa
Can I bring my partner and children with me on a Health and Care Worker Visa?
Yes, you can apply to bring your partner and children with you to the UK as your ‘dependants’, if they are eligible.
If their application is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours.
A dependant partner or child can be a:
- husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner
- child under 18
- child over 18 if they are currently in the UK as your dependant
You and your partner must be in a marriage or civil partnership that is recognised in the UK, and you must have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply.
You must prove your relationship to any dependant family members you are applying for. You must also prove that your dependant child lives with you. For instance, you can provide a marriage certificate, a birth certificate for your child, and evidence of your address.
Your dependant family members are also required to have enough money to support themselves while they are in the UK with you.
You - or your partner or child - will need:
- £285 for your partner
- £315 for one child
- £200 for each additional child
Read more advice about the financial requirements for dependants here.
The immigration professionals at Synergy Immigration Solutions understand the complexity of the UK’s immigration laws and the issues that can arise during the application process.
That is why we house all the support services you need for immigration applications, under one roof. This means one cost, for complete support on your visa application.
We enjoy working with individuals who need assistance with their visa applications- whether it is a worker visa, sponsorship visa, student visa or visitor visa.
- We will liaise with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) on your behalf- saving you time, effort, workload, and stress.
- We will answer your questions and address any concerns. We are proud to offer a bespoke personalised service, tailoring our advice to suit your needs and ensure that your application has the best chance of success.
- We process all applications in an efficient and timely manner and keep our clients well-informed throughout the process.
Rest assured, you are in good hands if you leave your visa application to us.
It is vital that the correct documentation is in place to ensure the application is approved. We would always recommend that you appoint a specialist such as Synergy Immigration Solutions to manage this process for you.
Synergy Immigration Solutions is an OISC-registered company, offering a wide range of UK immigration visa services for both corporate and individual clients needing assistance with their visa issues and concerns.
Visit the Synergy Immigration Solutions website here to learn more.
Contact Synergy Immigration Solutions here, to get your visa today.
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