• Page Contents
• Overview
• Priority / Super Priority Service
• Entry Clearance For Health and Care Worker Visa
• Switching Into Health and Care Worker Visa
• Extension Of Health and Care Worker Visa
• ILR As A Health and Care Worker
• Dependants Of Health and Care Worker
• Eligible Occupation Codes
• Approved Employers
• Book An Appointment
• Ask A Question For Free Advice

A Health and Care Worker visa allows medical professionals to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. An application for Health and Care Worker visa is made under Appendix Skilled Workers. To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, you must:

• be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
• work in an eligible health or social care job
• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do

The Health and Care Worker visa is a Point Based System (PBS) visa category and points can be awarded for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), job skill level, English language, appropriate Salary, Phd level qualifications, job in shortage occupation, and applicant being new entrant. A total of 70 points are required to be eligible to apply for Health and Care Worker visa; 50 points from mandatory non-tradable points and the remaining 20 from tradable points.

The Health and Care Worker visa is a route to settlement and a person who has spent 5 years in the UK on Health and Care Worker visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as a Health and Care Worker. A dependent partner and dependent children can apply on this route to stay in the UK with the Health and Care Worker.

Ask a question to our specialist team of UK work visa solicitors for free immigration advice online or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice with one of our specialist UK work visa solicitors concerning your application for health and care worker visa UK.

Priority and Super Priority Service For Health and Care Worker Visas

Most entry clearance applications for health and care worker visa from outside the UK can be submitted using Priority Service whereby decision on the health and care worker visa entry clearance application will be made within 5 working days instead of 4 week normal waiting time.

All health and care worker visa applications made from inside the UK can be submitted to the Home Office UKVI either by using priority service (to get decision within 5 working days) or by super priority service ( to get decision within 24 hours) instead of standard service which can often take up to 8 weeks to get a decision on the health and care worker visa application.

As specialist work visa solicitors based in London, we are registered with the Home Office, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) and its commercial partners UKVCAS Sopra Steria to provide priority and Super Priority Service for health and care worker visa applications whereby decision on your health and care worker visa application may be made by the Home Office UKVI faster than the usual waiting times.

Our work visa solicitors can prepare and submit your health and care worker visa application to the Home Office, UKVI through priority or Super Priority Service and get decision on your health and care worker visa application through fast track decision making process. This way, you will not have to wait for the decision on your health and care worker visa application for months (sometimes years).

Entry Clearance For Health and Care Worker Visa UK

You can apply for entry clearance for Health and Care worker visa if you are sponsored by NHS, an NHS supplier or a care home to do an eligible skilled job in the UK. Those applying for the Health and Care visa are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and have lower visa application fees. A person applying for Health and Care worker visa entry clearance should meet the requirements as set out in Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Shortage Occupations list of Immigration Rules.

Health and Care Visa applicants will pay the reduced application fees. The visa fee reduction applies to partners and dependants of Health and Care Visa applicants. In addition to the reduced visa fee, applicants applying for the Health and Care Visa, and their family are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. The Home Office UKVI will prioritise Health and Care Visa applications, with the aim that the vast majority are processed within three weeks from the point the applicant has provided their biometric information.

There is dedicated support available, enabling Health and Care Visa sponsors to contact UKVI’s specialist team if they have any issues with the application process or eligibility for the Health and Care Visa. Sponsors can contact UKVI’s dedicated NHS team at the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As specialist work visa solicitors, we can provide fast, friendly, reliable and fixed fee immigration advice and legal representations for Health and Care worker visa entry clearance application. Read More

Switching Into Health and Care Worker Visa UK

You can apply for switching into Health and Care Worker visa from inside the UK if you are already in the UK under a visa category which allows you to switch your immigration status to Health and Care Worker visa category. You must meet all the relevant requirements as set out in Appendix Skilled Worker, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Shortage Occupations List to succeed in your application for switching into Health and Care Worker visa. For switching into Health and Care Worker visa, you must be sponsored by NHS, an NHS supplier or a care home to do an eligible job in the UK. Those applying for the Health and Care visa are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Charge and have lower visa application fees.

Health and Care Visa applicants will pay the reduced application fees. The visa fee reduction applies to partners and dependants of Health and Care Visa applicants. In addition to the reduced visa fee, applicants applying for the Health and Care Visa, and their family are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

The Home Office UKVI will prioritise Health and Care Visa applications, with the aim that the vast majority are processed within three weeks from the point the applicant has provided their biometric information. There is dedicated support available, enabling Health and Care Visa sponsors to contact UKVI’s specialist team if they have any issues with the application process or eligibility for the health and Care Visa. Sponsors can contact UKVI’s dedicated NHS team at the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our expert team of Health and Care Worker visa solicitors are specialists in applications for switching into Health and Care Worker visa from inside the UK. As one of the best Health and Care Worker visa solicitors in London, our Health and Care Worker visa solicitors have wealth of knowledge and experience to provide high quality fixed fee legal services for switching into Health and Care Worker visa from inside the UK. Read More

Extension Of Health and Care Worker Visa UK

You can apply for extension or renewal of your Health and Care Worker visa before the expiry of your current Health and Care Worker leave or if you are changing job and being sponsored by a different Health and Care Worker sponsor. Your prospective Health and Care Worker sponsor will need to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for you to apply for extension/renewal of your Health and Care Worker visa. You cannot apply for Health and Care Worker visa extension from outside the UK. For extension of Health and Care Worker visa, you must be sponsored by NHS, an NHS supplier or a care home to do an eligible job in the UK. Those applying for the Health and Care visa are exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Charge and have lower visa application fees.

The Health and Care Worker visa is a Point Based System (PBS) visa category and points can be awarded for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), job skill level, English language, appropriate Salary, Phd level qualifications, job in shortage occupation, and applicant being new entrant. A total of 70 points are required to be eligible to apply for Health and Care Worker visa; 50 points from mandatory non-tradable points and the remaining 20 from tradable points.

Our expert team of immigration solicitors are specialists in dealing with Health and Care Worker visa extension/renewal applications. Our highly experienced and well-qualified work visa solicitors have wealth of knowledge and experience to provide high quality legal services for Health and Care Worker visa extension applications. Read More

ILR As A Health and Care Worker

You can apply for ILR as a Health and Care Worker 28 days before completing the qualifying period of 5 years as a Health and Care Worker or in combination with other permitted work visa categories. Your qualifying period can include time from the date your initial application (for entry clearance or leave to remain) was approved. An application for ILR as a Skilled Worker is made online using application form SET (O). The applicant should meet all the requirements as set out in Appendix Skilled Workers, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Shortage Occupations List.

Our expert team of work visa solicitors are specialists in applications for ILR as a Health and Care Worker. As one of the best Skilled Worker visa solicitors in London we have wealth of knowledge and experience to provide high quality fixed fee legal services for ILR as a Skilled Worker. Read More

Eligible Occupation Codes For Health and Care Worker Visa

Your job must be in one of the following occupation codes to qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa:

• 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 that are ‘not elsewhere classified’, such as audiologists and occupational health advisers
• 2221: physiotherapists
• 2222: occupational therapists
• 2223: speech and language therapists
• 2229: therapy 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: dental nurses
• 6145: care workers and home carers
• 6146: senior care workers

Approved UK Health and Care Sector Employers

You must have a job offer from an approved UK employer before you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa. Approved employers are also known as sponsors, because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK.

You must have a job offer from:

• the NHS
• an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
• an organisation providing adult social care

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