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.
➤ You must be 18 or over when you apply
➤ You can apply outside and inside for UK Skilled Worker visa
➤ You must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa
➤ You must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional
➤ You must work for a UK health and care sector employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
➤ You’ll usually need to be paid at least £25,600 per year or £10.10 per hour, whichever is higher. If the ‘going rate’ for your job is higher than both of these, you’ll usually need to be paid at least the going rate.
➤ You’ll usually need to be paid at least £20,480. If the ‘going rate’ for your job is higher than £20,480, you’ll usually need to be paid at least the going rate.
➤ You might still be able to apply for a Health and Care Worker visa if your job is eligible but your salary is less than £25,600 or your job’s usual ‘going rate’. You must still be paid at least £10.10 per hour. You can be paid between 70% and 90% of the usual going rate for your job if your salary is at least £20,480 per year and you meet one of the following criteria:
➤ If you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training, you can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate
➤ If you have a postdoctoral position in a scientific role, you can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if you’ll be working in a postdoctoral position.
➤ You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
➤ If you’ve already passed an English Language assessment that is accepted by the relevant regulated professional body.
➤ You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’re a national of one of the countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Australia , the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, USA
➤ You must support yourself when you arrive in the UK - you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt)
➤ You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay - this is usually £624 per year
➤ You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK. You will need to have had the money available for at least 28 days in a row. Day 28 must be within 31 days of applying for this visa.
➤ You don't need to proof if you've been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months your employer can cover your costs during your first month in the UK, up to £1,270
➤ You - and your partner or children - will not have to pay the healthcare surcharge.
➤Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employer.
➤ You can include your partner and children in your application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.
➤ If you’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training you can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if one of the following applies:
➤ If you have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job is eligible for a PhD salary discount, you can be paid 80% or 90% of the job’s usual going rate, depending on which subject you are qualified in.
➤ If you have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education you can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if you’ll be working in a postdoctoral position in certain science or higher education roles.
➤ You’ll need to provide a criminal record certificate.
➤ If you want to change your job or employer, you must apply to update your visa.
➤ You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.
➤ After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’). This 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 must have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
➤ You’ll need to provide a criminal record certificate.
How long it takes
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
As part of your application, you’ll need to prove your identity and provide your documents.
You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment to do this. You’ll find out if you need one when you start your application.
Getting a decision
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:
3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK
You may be able to pay to get a faster decision. How you do this depends on whether you’re outside the UK or inside the UK.
What you can and cannot do
You can:
work in an eligible job
take on additional work in certain circumstances
do voluntary work
study
bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible
travel abroad and return to the UK
apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’) if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and meet the other eligibility requirements
You cannot:
apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
change jobs or employer unless you update your visa
If your application is successful, you’ll get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Health and Care Worker visa.