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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · work sponsored · Leads to settlement

Health and Care Worker visa

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 11 September 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Source check: all 9 official citations reconfirmed 13 September 2026

Discounted Skilled Worker route for eligible NHS, adult social care, and allied health roles.

Requires sponsorshipLeads to permanent residencyUp to 5 years on initial grant; leads to settlement after 5 years continuous residence.In flux
Processing time
Main applicants usually receive a standard decision within 3 weeks after the applicable identity/document or biometric step. Dependants have separate guidance. Priority and super-priority are optional services when the application flow offers them.
Government fees
Reduced application fee versus standard Skilled Worker; Immigration Health Surcharge exemption. Check GOV.UK for the current fee schedule.
Typical duration
Up to 5 years on initial grant; leads to settlement after 5 years continuous residence.
Sponsorship required
Yes
Leads to permanent residency
Yes
Reviewed UK Home Office ↗

In short

Discounted Skilled Worker route for eligible NHS, adult social care, and allied health roles. Guidance updated 11 September 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/uk/health-and-care-worker#answer

What is the Health and Care Worker visa in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Health and Care Worker visa is a sponsor-led United Kingdom route. Indicative government fees are Reduced application fee versus standard Skilled Worker; Immigration Health Surcharge exemption. Check GOV.UK for the current fee schedule; indicative processing time is Main applicants usually receive a standard decision within 3 weeks after the applicable identity/document or biometric step. Dependants have separate guidance. Priority and super-priority are optional services when the application flow offers them; typical duration is Up to 5 years on initial grant; leads to settlement after 5 years continuous residence. This route can lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with UK Home Office on 1 June 2026.

UK work-route money stack

UK Skilled Worker cost, salary and settlement answer

Read the UK Skilled Worker route as one stack: visa fee, IHS, maintenance funds, salary floor and the 5-year ILR planning clock. The Health and Care Worker route is kept separate because its IHS and salary rules are materially different.

Skilled Worker costs

Application fee £819; IHS £3,105; show-only maintenance £1,270.

Modelled paid-away range: £3,924-£4,044; show-only range: £1,270.

Salary floor

General floor £41,700/year; discounted ISL/tradeable floor £33,400/year.

The occupation-specific going rate can still bind higher than the headline floor.

Health and Care split

Application fee £324; IHS £0; salary floor £25,000/year.

The IHS exemption is the reason this route should not be collapsed into a generic Skilled Worker cost claim.

Source dates: cost models checked 30 June 2026 and 1 July 2026; UK salary thresholds checked 10 September 2026. Compare the cost and salary figures with the linked route requirements before applying.

Overview

The Health and Care Worker visa is a sub-category of the Skilled Worker route for NHS staff, NHS contractor staff, adult social care workers, and certain health-adjacent roles. It offers reduced application fees, exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, and faster processing, although dependant rights for care workers were narrowed from March 2024.

Recent changes to this route

Guidance by nationality

Specific information for applicants from these countries. Don’t see yours? The general eligibility criteria above apply to everyone.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

  • ✓Job offer from an NHS body, NHS contractor, or a CQC-registered adult social care provider holding a sponsor licence.UK Home Office ↗
  • ✓Occupation on the Health and Care Worker visa eligible occupation list.UK Home Office ↗
  • ✓Salary meeting the route's threshold for the relevant SOC code.UK Home Office ↗
  • ✓English language at CEFR Level B2 or above in reading, writing, listening and speaking for new applications since 8 January 2026 (B1 continues to apply for existing route holders extending or updating). Doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives who passed their professional regulator's English assessment do not need to prove English separately.UK Home Office ↗

Common blockers

  • !Employer not an eligible health or care body under the rules.UK Home Office ↗
  • !Occupation outside the route's eligible list — for example, roles ineligible post-March 2024 changes to care visa rules.
  • !Care worker roles no longer permit dependants to join from March 2024 onwards, with limited transition exceptions.UK Home Office ↗

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Secure clinical or care job offer

    Apply for roles at NHS employers or CQC-registered care providers with sponsor licences.

  2. Pursue professional registration

    For nurses: NMC registration including OSCE. For doctors: GMC registration including PLAB or CESR. These run in parallel with visa steps.

  3. Receive Certificate of Sponsorship

    The licensed sponsor issues a CoS specific to the Health and Care Worker route.

  4. Apply online and submit biometrics

    Complete the online application, pay the reduced fee, and attend biometrics. IHS exemption applies automatically for eligible roles.

  5. Check your eVisa before travel and work onboarding

    Follow the decision email, check your eVisa and add the passport you will travel with to your UKVI account. Confirm the permitted start date with the sponsor and complete any professional registration and onboarding requirements. A new BRP collection is not the current process.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Health and Care Worker visa, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Health and Care Worker visa instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to United KingdomFirst steps after arrivingDestination moving checklist

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in United Kingdom. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. ApplyApplicant
    Apply for the Health and Care Worker visa ↗

    Use this GOV.UK form to apply after the eligible health or care sponsor issues the Certificate of Sponsorship.

    UK Home Office · verified

  2. Official guidanceEmployer
    Sponsor health or care workers ↗

    Employers use this guidance to become or remain licensed before sponsoring health and care workers.

    UK Home Office · verified

Fees and processing time

A typical Health and Care Worker visa application runs about £343.20 in government fees (single care-sector applicant, 3-year CoS, no priority). A decision then typically takes 3 weeks (GOV.UK shows a usual 3-week decision window for eligible applications outside or inside the UK after the applicable identity/document or biometric step; paid priority services are separate and conditional). Both change over time, so the dedicated pages below carry the itemised breakdown and the current official figures.

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Frequently asked questions

Can care workers bring dependants on the Health and Care Worker visa?+

Care workers and senior care workers need a listed exception: qualifying continuous UK employment and visa history from before 11 March 2024, or a specified child case. Other medium-skilled jobs have separate pre-22 July 2025 continuity or child conditions. Read the official dependant rules for the exact application and relationship requirements.

Is the Immigration Health Surcharge waived on this visa?+

Yes. Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependants are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge, which represents a significant cost saving over the standard Skilled Worker route.

Does this visa count toward UK settlement?+

Yes. Time on the Health and Care Worker visa counts toward the 5-year continuous residence requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain, subject to meeting all qualifying conditions at the time of settlement application.

Is the Health and Care Worker visa cheaper than the standard Skilled Worker visa?+

Yes. The Health and Care Worker visa offers a reduced application fee compared with the standard Skilled Worker route and exempts you and your dependants from the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is a significant cost saving. You still need a job offer from an eligible NHS body, NHS contractor, or CQC-registered care provider holding a sponsor licence. Check the current fee schedule on GOV.UK.

What professional registration do I need to work as a nurse or doctor on the Health and Care Worker visa?+

Clinical roles require professional registration evidence, such as NMC registration (including the OSCE) for nurses or GMC registration (via PLAB or CESR) for doctors. These registration steps typically run in parallel with your visa application. Confirm the requirements for your role on GOV.UK.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in United Kingdom

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: UK Home Office

Last checked: 1 June 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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