Not Just Advice – Legal Strategy That Works
Health & Care Worker Visa UK
The UK Health and Care Worker Visa allows qualified doctors, nurses, and care professionals to work in approved health and social care roles across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Applicants benefit from reduced visa application fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge for themselves and their eligible dependants.
For detailed assistance, you can call 020 3384 4389 or Start Your Free Health & Care Visa Assessment to speak with our immigration solicitors.
- Featured In
- Excellent Reviews
- 5.0 rating
“I have been using SABZ solicitor since 2018. I have always been a happy client. Recently my husband case has been dealt by Mr Talal Talha, he handled our case professionally and in no time we have received a positive feedback from the home office.”
Jivika
- Excellent Reviews
4.7 (832 Reviews)
Struggling With a Complex Health and Care Worker Visa Process? Get Help Now
No more confusion or wasted time. Tell us about your case, and we’ll provide an expert-backed, realistic plan to secure your UK visa.
The Health and Care Worker Visa UK is for skilled medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and eligible adult social care workers, who wish to work in the UK for Home Office-approved sponsors in roles listed as eligible under the Skilled Worker route. Successful applicants may be granted permission to work in the UK for a period of up to five years, depending on the length of their Certificate of Sponsorship, and can extend their stay if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
After five years of lawful residence on this route, applicants may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), subject to meeting the settlement requirements. The Health and Care Worker Visa also offers specific benefits compared to the Skilled Worker Visa, including lower application fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, but it is limited to approved health and care roles, while the Skilled Worker Visa applies across a wider range of professions.
Health and Care Worker Visa at a Glance
Purpose of the Route
The Health and Care Worker Visa allows eligible health and adult social care professionals to work in the UK for Home Office-licensed sponsors, including the NHS, private healthcare providers, and CQC-registered care providers, in roles listed as eligible under the Skilled Worker route.
Part of the Skilled Worker Route
This visa sits under the Skilled Worker route and offers reduced application fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge for applicants and their eligible dependants.
Eligible Professions
Eligible roles include doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, radiographers, physiotherapists, and certain adult social care and health professionals, provided the role appears on the approved eligible occupation list and meets the relevant SOC code requirements.
Minimum Salary Requirement
Applicants must meet the applicable salary threshold for the role, which is usually the higher of the general Skilled Worker salary requirement or the relevant national pay scale or going rate for the profession, as set out in the Immigration Rules at the time of application.
When applying for a Marriage Visitor Visa, you do not need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This visa is for a short, single stay and does not grant access to the UK’s public healthcare system.
The visa may be granted for a period of up to five years and can be extended if the applicant continues to meet the eligibility and sponsorship requirements, with the option to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after completing five years on this route.
When applying for a Spouse visa, you must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge to cover your healthcare costs while in the UK. Since February 2024, the surcharge has been £1,035 per year, following a 86% increase. For in-country application, it will be for 30 months and out-country application, it will be for 33 months.
A partner and dependent children under 18 may join the main applicant in the UK. Dependants are permitted to work or study and are also exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, subject to the applicable conditions.
The Marriage Visitor Visa allows for a single stay of up to 6 months. This visa cannot be extended, and you must leave the UK at the end of this period.
Applications are usually decided within around three weeks from the date of biometric enrolment when applying from outside the UK. Priority services may be available in some locations, but availability is not guaranteed and depends on the visa application centre.
This visa allows you to get married or register a civil partnership, but you cannot work, study, or live in the UK. You must use this visa solely to visit and get married.
This route applies across the whole of the UK, allowing eligible health and care professionals to work in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Trusted Legal Experts for NHS & Care Sector
Working in UK healthcare requires careful compliance with immigration and sponsorship rules. Our immigration solicitors regularly support NHS trusts and private-sector care providers by assisting healthcare professionals with sponsor-related checks, document preparation, and dependent visa applications.
Whether you are a registered nurse, senior care assistant, or healthcare manager, we prepare and review applications to ensure they are accurately presented in line with Home Office requirements, helping to reduce the risk of delays or refusals.
Benefits
Advantages of Hiring UK Immigration Solicitors
Navigating Home Office requirements can be complex. Our UK immigration solicitors provide structured legal guidance for Health and Care Worker Visa applications, supporting accurate preparation and submission so applicants can pursue lawful employment in the UK healthcare sector in line with immigration rules.
97.37%
Success Rate
37,573
Applications Approved
93.7%
Immigration Appeal Win Rate
4.9/5
Average Rating
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
-
Evidence-based case preparation
-
Home Office compliance checks
-
Success rate optimisation
-
Risk mitigation strategies
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
Work With Trusted, SRA-Regulated UK Immigration Experts
Your immigration journey is too important to risk on unqualified or unregulated help. Every case we handle is prepared by SRA-regulated solicitors who apply structured legal reasoning, precise documentation checks and full compliance with Home Office and UKVI rules.
Our accreditations are your assurance that you are working with a reputable, experienced and highly trained legal team. We combine decades of immigration expertise with strict professional standards to give you clarity, confidence and complete peace of mind — no matter which visa or application route you are pursuing.
Who is eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa?
To be eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa, you must meet the requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). In summary, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old on the date of application.
- Have a confirmed job offer in an eligible health or adult social care role.
- Ensure the role offered appears on the approved eligible occupation list for the Health and Care Worker route.
- Work for a UK employer that holds a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence and is authorised to sponsor Health and Care Worker visas.
- Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by your sponsoring employer, containing accurate details of the role being offered.
- Meet the English language requirement at CEFR level B1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, unless an exemption applies.
- Be paid the applicable salary threshold or the relevant going rate for the role, whichever is higher, in accordance with the Immigration Rules.
- Provide a criminal record certificate where required, particularly for roles involving work with vulnerable people.
- Provide a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you are applying from a country where this is required by the Home Office.
Eligibility is assessed based on your individual circumstances, the role offered, and compliance with the Immigration Rules in force at the time of application.
Eligible Occupations
To qualify for the Health and Care Worker Visa, the job you are offered must fall within an eligible occupation code approved for the Health and Care Worker route under the Skilled Worker Immigration Rules. Eligibility is determined by the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, not by job title alone.
The following SOC occupation codes are eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa:
Code | Job Title |
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 (for example, audiologists and occupational health advisers) |
2221 | Physiotherapists |
2222 | Occupational Therapists |
2223 | Speech and language therapists |
2229 | Rherapy professionals that are ‘not elsewhere classified’, such as 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 | Nental nurses |
6146 | Senior care workers |
This list is exhaustive for the Health and Care Worker route. Roles within the health or care sector that fall under different SOC codes are not eligible for this visa. However, some roles that do not qualify under the Health and Care Worker route may still be eligible under the standard Skilled Worker Visa, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
Sponsor Requirements
In addition to holding a job in an eligible occupation, applicants must have a genuine job offer from a UK employer that holds a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence and is authorised to sponsor workers under the Health and Care Worker route.
An eligible sponsor may include:
- An NHS body or NHS trust
- An organisation providing medical services to the NHS
- A provider of adult social care services
- Another health or social care organisation listed as eligible in the Home Office guidance
Where the sponsoring employer is a private organisation delivering NHS-commissioned healthcare services, applicants may be required to provide evidence confirming that the role is part of an eligible NHS-commissioned service. This may include an explanation of the contractual relationship with the NHS and, where applicable, supporting documentation.
From 11 March 2025, care providers in England wishing to sponsor migrant workers under the Health and Care Worker route must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This requirement applies only to new sponsorship arrangements and does not affect care workers who were already sponsored on this route before that date, provided they continue working for the same sponsor and remain eligible under the Immigration Rules.
Minimum Salary Requirements for Health and Care Worker Visa UK
To qualify for the Health and Care Worker Visa, applicants must meet the salary requirement set out in the Immigration Rules for the Skilled Worker route.
In most cases, this means the salary offered must be at least the higher of:
- The general Skilled Worker salary threshold, or
- The relevant going rate or national pay scale for the role, as defined for the applicable SOC occupation code.
Where a role is subject to a national pay scale, such as many NHS positions, the salary must meet or exceed the applicable rate for the role and grade.
Some applicants may be permitted to rely on lower salary thresholds where specific provisions apply under the Immigration Rules, such as for certain health and care roles or where permitted tradeable points criteria are met. Any such application must strictly satisfy the conditions set out in the relevant Home Office guidance in force at the time of application.
Salary requirements are assessed based on the terms stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship and must continue to be met throughout the period of sponsorship.
Table 1
Option | Minimum salary starting 4 April 2025 | Available Points |
F | The applicant’s income is the same as or more than:
| 20 |
G | Their pay is the same as or more than both of the following: they have a PhD in a field related to the job;
| 20 |
H | The applicant possesses a PhD in a STEM field relevant to the job, and their salary exceeds or equals both:
| 20 |
I | The applicant has a job on the Immigration Salary List that is being paid more than or similar to that of the following:
| 20 |
J | The applicant is new to the job market and just starting, and their income is the same as or more than:
| 20 |
K | The person applying is being sponsored to work in a listed health or education job, and their income is the same as or higher than:
| 20 |
Â
Requirement of Maintenance
Some applicants will also have to show proof that they can pay their own expenses. If you are applying from outside of the UK, you must show that you have had £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 days in a row. The 28th day must be less than 31 days after the day you applied for your visa.
You won’t have to show this proof of money if you apply from inside the UK and have had a valid visa for at least 12 months. If your sponsor is A-rated, they can also send a letter of support saying they can pay for your costs for the first month you are in the country.
Health and Care Visa UK IELTS Requirement
Unless you are excluded, like if you are from a country where English is the main language, you will have to show that you can speak and understand English. Most of the time, you will need to show that you passed an official English test with at least CEFR level B1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, or that you have an academic degree that was taught in English and is recognised by Ecctis as being the same as a UK bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree.
If you want to become a doctor, dentist, nurse, or midwife, the evaluation of your professional body will show that you can speak and write clearly.
What Does Criminal Record Certificate Requirement Mean?
In the case of obtaining entry clearance for certain jobs (generally jobs in the health, care, welfare, and education sectors), unless it is not feasible to do so, you will be required to provide a criminal record certificate for any country in which, since the age of 18, you have resided for a period of 12 months or more (continuously or cumulatively) in the ten years prior to your application date.
You must provide a criminal record certificate if you are applying from outside the UK unless your job is one of the following occupation codes: biological scientists and biochemists (2112) or physical scientists (2113).
You’ll need to provide a criminal record certificate if you’re applying from outside the UK and you work in:
- Education, for example, teachers, education advisers and school inspectors, childminders, teaching assistants
- Healthcare, for example, nurses, doctors, paramedics, managers, pharmacists, dentists and dental nurses, ophthalmic opticians
- Therapy, for example, psychologists, speech and language therapists, counsellors
- Social services, for example, social workers, managers, probation officers, welfare and housing officers
How to Apply for a Skilled Worker Health and Care Visa?
The first thing you need to do to get the Health and Care visa is to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your UK sponsor. Your application can be made online at the Home Office website using this unique reference number.
After you have filled out all the necessary information, the next step in the application process is to pay the fee. You will also have to send in a number of papers to support your application.
When the Home Office gets your application, they will look over the information and documents. They may offer to either set up a biometrics appointment (since biometrics sent with a previous application can’t be used again) or tell you how to enrol biometrics using an ID app.
As with any UK visa application, you will need to provide a number of papers and pieces of information to back up your case. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Description of Documents | Details |
Passport or travel documents that are up-to-date and valid | To show that you can travel  |
Any passports or travel papers that have expired | To prove your travel history |
Certificate of Sponsorship from your company (with a reference number) | Needed for the visa application |
Name of the employer and the sponsor licence reference number | To verify job information |
Proof that you have enough savings: a statement or letter from your bank or building society | Needed unless your COS shows that your A-rated sponsor can help you. |
Evidence of your English Knowledge | To fulfil the language requirement. |
Tuberculosis test results (if you are from one of the countries on the list) | Health requirement |
Evidence of a criminal history (unless your position is exempt) | To be sure there is no criminal background |
Proof of relationship for dependents (e.g., marriage certificate for spouse and birth certificates for children) | For dependant applications |
What is the Cost and Processing Time for a Health and Care Worker Visa UK?
When compared to the main Skilled Worker method, the Health and Care visa has lower application fees and faster processing. This is one of its best features.
Visa Cost
People who want to apply for this visa and their dependents must pay the same fees. The fees are the same for people who want to come or stay in the UK.
Health and Care Worker visa application fees outside the UK
Health and Care Visa – Skilled Worker – where a sponsorship certificate is fewer than three years – main applicant and dependants | £284 |
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants | £551 |
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 | £284 |
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants | £551 |
Fees for applying for a Health and Care visa in 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 | £284 |
Skilled Worker – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years -main applicant and dependants | £551 |
Skilled Worker – Shortage Occupation – Health and Care Visa – where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for over three years – main applicant and dependants | £551 |
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 | £284 |
This visa allows applicants and their dependents to apply without paying the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Processing Times
As a general rule, applications for health and care worker visas are expedited. Consequently, when healthcare professionals choose this approach to apply, they often hear back about their application within three weeks of providing their biometric data. The present processing period for a Skilled Worker visa is far longer than this.
If visa applicants or sponsors encounter any problems with the application procedure or Health and Care visa eligibility, they can contact UKVI’s team, which is available via a specialised NHS support and visa processing department.
Can I Switch my Existing Visa to a Health and Care Workers Visa?
You might be able to apply to change (‘switch’) to a Health and Care Worker visa UK if you’re already in the UK on a different type of visa.
Your partner or children will need to apply separately to switch their visa.
They can either apply at the same time as you, or at any time before their current visa expires.
You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until you get a decision. Your application will be withdrawn if you do.
Eligibility
- Your proposed job must meet strict job eligibility requirements
- You must have a satisfactory proficiency of English in speaking, reading, writing, and understanding.
- Also, you must leave the UK and apply for a Health and Care Worker visa from abroad if you’re in one of these categories.
Who cannot switch to a UK Health and Care Worker visa;Â
You cannot apply to switch to this visa if you’re currently in the UK:
- On a visit visa
- On a short-term student visa
- On a Parent of a Child Student visa
- On a seasonal worker visa
- On a domestic worker in a private household visa
- On immigration bail
- Because you were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds.Â
What Does ‘Cooling Off Period’ Mean in the Health and Care Worker Visa?
The Tier 2 cooling off period previously barred Tier 2 visa holders from returning to the UK for a period of 12 months after their visa expired or moving back to a Tier 2 visa from another UK leave category within 12 months (unless they earned more than £159,600).Â
It applied to people who were either abroad and had their last grant of Tier 2 leave expire or finish; or who were in the UK and had an earlier period of Tier 2 leave, but then transferred to a different immigration category and then tried to apply under Tier 2 again.
The Tier 2 cooling off period has been eliminated, allowing Tier 2 (General) and Health and Care Worker visa holders to apply for a UK visa without having to wait. Existing Tier 2 General visa holders will no longer be subject to these restrictions as a result of this adjustment.
The Tier 2 cooling off period had been troublesome for both sponsors and workers, and the revised rules provide Health and Care Workers with more flexibility in returning to the UK while also improving companies’ foreign recruitment possibilities.
There is no longer a 12-month ‘cooling off period’ for Health and Care Worker Visa holders. Â
Moreover, there is no restriction on the timing of applications for Health and Care Worker Visa holders.
How Long Does a Health and Care Worker Visa Last?
Visas for Health and Care Workers can be granted for a maximum of five years.
If the visa holder wants to extend the visa at this point, they can do so; if they have completed the five-year residency requirement, they may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Providing you follow the visa requirements, there is no limit to how many times you can extend the Health and Care Worker Visa UK.
Formerly, applicants to the Tier 2 (General) route had to spend up to six years in the route to be eligible for entry clearance or to switch to the route.
A six-year maximum stay has been removed from the Health and Care Worker Visa route. There is no duration limit.
It is necessary to apply for a new period of leave if the visa holder changes sponsors or jobs.
This means that if you continue working for your sponsor (and meet compliance requirements) for a continuous period of five years, you are eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain which will then afford you a status equivalent to permanent residency.
At this point, you become free from immigration control and enter and leave the UK at your leisure without any visa requirements.
You also enjoy all of the same rights as a settled person in the UK
Can Health and Care Workers Apply for Benefits or Change Jobs?
Health and Care Worker visa holders are allowed to work in the position they have been sponsored for. Additionally, they can work part-time in the same occupation code or less than 20 paid hours per week if they continue to work at the job for which they are sponsored.
Most benefits and state pensions are not available. Changing jobs and employers is not possible unless your visa is updated.
If you want to change jobs and your new employer is a different one; or if you are not in a graduate training programme; or if you leave a job on the shortage occupation list to take one that is not on the list, you need to apply for an update of your Health and Care Worker visa.
Additionally, if you are going to work more than 20 hours a week or if you are switching occupation codes, you will need to update your visa. Your second employer must issue you a new certificate of sponsorship, along with a letter explaining why you want to change your current stay authorisation.Â
There are important UKVI compliance considerations as well as Employer policy / contractual obligations and conflicts of interest which must be examined in detail, and it is therefore not recommended to take on additional work unless there are compelling reasons to do so.
Our expert team can discuss any concerns or requirements at length with you to ensure the most appropriate action is taken and your immigration status is safeguarded at all times.
When Do I Qualify for Settlement (Permanent Residency) on the Skilled Worker Route?
Settlement means that you are considered to be permanently in the UK and do not require any further visas. Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK.
It’s also called ‘settlement’. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.
You can use it to apply for British citizenship.
The following conditions must be met in order to qualify for settlement as a Skilled Worker:
- You have lived in the UK continuously for five years
- This period includes the time spent on any of the following routes, or any mix of them: Skilled Worker, Global Talent, Innovator, T2 Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, Overseas Business Representative, Tier 1 Migrant (except as a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Migrant), or Scale-Up
- Each year of the continuous five-year period you haven’t been outside longer than 180 days
- If you are under 65, you have passed the Life in the UK test
- Your sponsor is still an approved sponsor by the Home Office
- You are required to continue working for your sponsor
For the foreseeable future, you will be paid at least the general salary threshold or the going rate requirement, whichever is higher.
Do Health and Care Workers Pay an Immigration Health Surcharge?
Immigration Health Charges are not applicable to Health and Care Worker visa applicants and their dependents.
Can My Partner and Children Join Me?
It is possible for Health and Care Workers to have a dependent partner over 18 years of age and/or a dependent child under 18 years of age.Â
If you are a Health and Care Worker in the UK, your immediate family can also come to the UK with you as your dependents.
They will be free to work, study, or travel freely whilst subject to a dependent visa.
Dependant Visas are issued to the family members of migrants who qualify for the visa. Â
A dependent is defined by the Immigration Rules as:
- Husband, wife, or civil partner
- Unmarried or same-sex partner
- Child aged under 18 years at the time of application
For the purposes of the Dependant Visa, it is highly unlikely that any other family members would be eligible for dependant status.
A spouse or partner may obtain a dependent visa if the person they are dependent on is either:
- In the UK on a relevant visa
- Applying for a visa at the same time as you are making your application for a Dependant Visa
Same-sex or unmarried partners must also be able to show they have been in a subsisting genuine relationship akin to marriage for the past two years.
Dependant visas are available for children if:
- Both parents are applying for entry clearance at the same time
- Both parents are already in the UK and the child is applying to join them
- One parent is already in the UK and the other parent is applying for entry clearance to join them along with the child.
Dependant visas can only be applied for by the children of a sole parent if:
- The parent is the only surviving parent
- Also, the parent has sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing
- There are serious or compelling reasons for why the child can exceptionally apply as the dependant of only one of his/her parents.
Having sufficient finances to support a family without recourse to public funds is a requirement of the Dependant Visa.
As an example, if the visa applicant is the main applicant, he/she is required to submit evidence of having £285 in savings for their dependent partner, along with an additional £315 in savings for their first dependent child and £200 for each additional dependent child.
In addition to the fee reduction for Health and Care Workers, the exemption from Immigration Health Charges also applies to partners and children of Health and Care Visa applicants.
How to Extend a Health and Care Worker Visa UK?
You can get a Health and Care visa for up to five years. If you want to legally stay in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa extension before it runs out.
You can ask for an extension as long as you still meet the requirements for the visa. If you are still working for the same company that gave you your current Certificate of Sponsorship, in the same job with the same occupation code as when you applied for your last visa, and making the same amount of money, then you meet the requirements.
But after five years in the UK, you might want to apply to settle instead of extending your position under Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Families in the UK with dependant visas will also need to apply for an extension and show they are still qualified as dependants, or they can apply for ILR before their visa expires.
How can UK Immigration Solicitors help me?
Our expert legal team is highly experienced in assisting with the below services (where the option has been made available by UKVI)
New Applications – We can help you assess the merits, challenges, and solutions to any issues arising whilst making a new application for Health and Care Worker Visas
Dependents – We can help you make a successful application for your partner or children to join you as your dependents on your Health and Care Worker Visa.
Legal Representations – Where applicable, if you find yourself in an unusual or challenging situation and want the Home Office to take notice of your special circumstances to ensure that you are treated fairly and your rights are respected, our expert team can make both oral and written persuasive legal representations.
Challenge a Refusal – If your application has been refused, we can consider your refusal for free and advise on the best course of action.
Administrative Review – Home Office or Immigration Rules can be challenged if the decision-maker fails to follow them correctly.
Judicial Review – If your application was denied illegally, unreasonably, or procedurally improperly, our immigration lawyers can apply for Judicial Review and represent you at the Judicial Review hearing.
Appeal an Unfair Decision – The decision to refuse your application may provide you with a right of appeal to the First Tier Tribunal. Our expert lawyers can advise you on and handle Appeals before the Immigration & Asylum Chamber (First Tier & Upper Tribunal)
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
Yes. NHS organisations and NHS trusts can sponsor overseas workers under the Health and Care Worker route, provided they hold a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence, and the role offered meets the eligibility requirements set out by the Home Office.
To qualify, the salary offered must meet the applicable salary threshold set out in the Immigration Rules. In most cases, this means being paid at least the higher of the general Skilled Worker salary requirement or the relevant national pay scale or going rate for the role, depending on the occupation and SOC code.
Salary requirements are assessed at the date of application and are subject to change.
No. Applicants under the Health and Care Worker route are exempt from the maintenance (funds) requirement. You do not need to show personal savings or bank statements to meet a financial support requirement.
Yes. Applicants must meet the English language requirement at CEFR level B1 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, unless an exemption applies. This can usually be demonstrated through a Secure English Language Test (SELT), an eligible academic qualification taught in English, or nationality from an exempt English-speaking country.
In many cases, eligible dependants can apply, including a partner and dependent children under eighteen years old. However, recent Immigration Rule changes mean that some care workers in specific roles may no longer be able to bring dependants.
Eligibility depends on the applicant’s occupation, SOC code, and date of application, and professional advice should be taken to confirm individual circumstances.
No. Health and Care Worker Visa holders and their eligible dependants are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, in line with current Home Office policy.
A Health and Care Worker Visa can be granted for up to five years, depending on the length of the Certificate of Sponsorship. The visa can be extended, and applicants may be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years, subject to meeting the settlement requirements.
Blog
Read Our Latest Blogs
Anyone wishing to travel, study, work, or settle in the United Kingdom must comprehend the procedure for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), …
If you want to marry someone in the UK, you may get a UK fiancé visa to do so. There are, however, …
Introduction The path that the UK took to legalise gay marriage shows how the country’s views on LGBTQ+ rights are changing. There …
Services
Services You Might be Interested In
Request a Free Case Review Appointment
Start your free case review by booking a quick assessment so our team can understand your situation and guide you to the right next steps.
Speak directly with an immigration specialist at a time that works for you.
Call Us Now
020 3384 4389 Our lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year.