What is a visa for a health and care worker?
The Health and Care Worker Visa offers a quick route for foreign people with medical and caregiving expertise to enter the UK to work in a position that qualifies with the NHS, a supplier to the NHS, or in the adult care industry, such as senior caregiving. The UK will let successful applicants reside and work there for five years, with the option to extend their visa multiple times. The option to stay in the UK (commonly known as indefinite leave to remain) will also be available to foreign workers with a Health and Care Visa after five years. Permanent residency has many perks, including the freedom to change jobs and get benefits without having to submit another visa application.
You might be surprised to learn that the National Health Service of the United Kingdom, which employs close to 1.9 million people, is the fifth-largest employer in the world. Because of this, there is a constant need for clinical staff at all levels from abroad. There are almost 100,000 open positions in the NHS, and it is believed that foreign nationals make up about 14% of the total workforce. For specialists in this field from all over the world who want to work in the UK, the UK health and care worker visa is the best option.
What distinguishes the skilled worker visa from the health and care visa?
Only medical professionals and individuals in other eligible health and care professions are eligible for the Health and Care Worker Visa. The skilled worker visa is intended for occupations and professions other than those in healthcare.
A health and care worker visa has a number of advantages over a skilled worker visa, including the following:
- UKVI has fast tracked the Health and Care Visa, which means that applications are reviewed as a priority and processed within three weeks of the applicant providing their biometric data. In contrast, the processing time for various other work visas might range from eight to twenty weeks.
- A Health and Care Visa costs £464 as opposed to the Skilled Worker Visa’s £1,220 application fee if you are applying for more than three years.
- The Health and Care Visa does not require payment of the healthcare immigration premium. Normally, this costs £624 for each year you stay.
The Health and Care Worker Visa is intended for whom?
Doctors, nurses, health professionals, and adult social care professionals who are qualified and work in one of the following occupations are eligible for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa (note that the four-digit number is the standard occupation code, or SOC):
1181: Directors and supervisors of health services and public health
1242: managers and owners of residential, day, and domestic care
2112: Biological researchers and biochemists
2113: Physical scientists
2211: health professionals
2212: psychologists
2213: pharmacy technicians
2214: eye doctors’ opticians
2215: Dental professionals
2217: radiologists in medicine
2218: Podiatrists,
2219: ‘not elsewhere classed’ health professionals such audiologists and occupational health advisors
2221: physiotherapists
2222: occupational therapists
2223: Speech-language pathologists
2229: Osteopaths and psychotherapists are among the “not elsewhere classified” treatment professionals
2231: the nurses
2232: midwives
2242: Social workers, 2442
3111: Laboratory technicians
3213: Paramedics, 3213
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
6146: Senior care professionals
Eligibility for a Health and Care Worker Visa
When requesting a UK Health and Care Worker Visa, applicants must fulfil a number of eligibility requirements. In particular, you must
- possess a job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a UK employer that is either the NHS, a recognised institution that renders adult social care services, or an organisation that provides medical services to the NHS (such as a lab).
- get a base wage
- satisfies the linguistic requirements for English
- own sufficient money for your own support in the UK
Requirements for job offers
An offer for a position with one of the aforementioned occupation codes is required. Use the ONS occupation checking tool1 if you are unclear of the occupation code for the position you have been given. You could also inquire with your employer, who can give you this information.
One of the following must have made you a job offer:
- An NHS
- A company that provides healthcare to the NHS
- A provider of adult social services
To hire foreign workers with Health and Care Visas, your employer (sponsor) needs to have a licencing. On the Home Office website2, you can find a complete list of the organisations you can work for.
Be Paid A Minimum Salary
Your minimum wage will vary depending on the kind of work you do. Typically, you will require a wage of at least £10.10 per hour or £25,600 per year. According to the guidelines, you must be paid at least the “going rate”3 if it is more than either of these sums. The government determines the going rate, which indicates the wage (or hourly rate) they believe is typical for each profession. As a result, depending on the profession you are in, the going wage fluctuates greatly.
In some situations, even if your salary is less than the levels listed above, you can still apply for a Health and Care Visa. According to the regulations, if you earn at least £20,480 annually and one of the following conditions holds true, you can be paid between 70% and 90% of the going rate for your employment.
- You have been offered a position in a position that is in demand4.
- you are a student, recent graduate, under 26 years old, or pursuing a career.
- You possess a PhD in a field of science, technology, engineering, or maths (STEM) that is pertinent to the position you have been offered.
- You are employed as a postdoctoral scientist.
Satisfies the linguistic requirements for English
You must fulfil the English language prerequisites in order to submit an application for a health and care worker visa.
- completing a language test that verifies one’s ability to read, write, speak, and understand English at a level that corresponds to at least B1 on the CEFR scale.
- holding an English GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher, or Advanced Higher, or;
- possessing an English-taught degree-level academic certificate.
- being from a nation that is exempt.
Proof of savings
You must also demonstrate that you have £1,270 in your bank account held for a minimum of 28 days to maintain yourself while you are in the UK. If you’ve had a valid visa and have been in the nation for a year or longer, you won’t need to do anything. If you do not have enough support funds, you can get a letter of support from your company, which the Home Office will also accept.
How to submit a health and care worker visa application
On the website of the Home Office, a Skilled Worker visa application can be made from outside the UK5. Once you have your job offer, Certificate of Sponsorship, and the supporting documentation specified below, you will be able to finish and submit your application. If necessary, you can start the application procedure and save your work so that you can finish it later.
The steps for applying are as follows:
- Determine whether you qualify for a health and care worker visa.
- Obtain a job offer from a UK sponsor with a licence.
- Obtain your Sponsorship Certificate from your UK employer.
- Make the necessary preparations to demonstrate your eligibility for a health and care worker visa.
- Fill out the online application 6
- Pay the healthcare surcharge, biometric fee, and application fee (see below).
- Any supporting materials for your application should be uploaded.
- If required, schedule a biometric appointment to have your fingerprints and picture taken. You will be given instructions on how to provide your biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) for your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) and provide identification. You can either do this by having your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application centre in the nation in where you are located, or by using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app for mobile devices from the Home Office. You can upload your scanned identity documents to the Home Office via the app.
If your application was submitted outside of the UK, you can anticipate a decision within 3 weeks after the application date. UKVI will get in touch with you if more information is required to support your application.
Documents needed for a UK Health and Care Worker Visa
You might be required to provide the following details and documentation to support your application for a health and care worker visa:
- A blank page in your passport
- Reference number for your Certificate of Sponsorship
- Your name, position, and yearly salary
- The occupation code for your work
- Your employer’s name and sponsor licence number (as stated on your sponsorship certificate)
- Proof that you have enough money saved up to support yourself
- Marriage and birth certificates, for example, serve as evidence of your relationships with your spouse/partner and children.
- If you are applying from outside the UK, you must provide a criminal record certificate unless your position falls under one of the following occupation codes:
○ Biochemists and biological scientists (2112)
○ scientific disciplines (2113)
- Evidence of your English language ability
- Results of a TB test (if you are from a country where this is necessary)
- If your PhD is not from the UK, a UK PhD certificate or Ecctis reference is required.
Extension of the health and care worker visa
As long as you continue to complete the requirements, you can extend your health and care worker visa. To do so, you must:
- possess the same occupation listed in the same occupation code as when you were granted your prior authorization to visit or remain in the UK.
- be employed by the company that issued you your current sponsorship certificate.
- continue to pay your compensation as required
You can also extend the visa of your spouse or kids. They must, however, submit a separate application, either concurrently with yours or at any point before the expiration of their existing visa.
Dependents of health and care workers on visas
You can bring your qualifying dependent family members to the UK as a holder of a Health and Care Worker Visa, including your:
- To qualify, you must be a husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried partner and be in one of these relationships for at least two years, or be in a civil partnership.
- children that are younger than 18
- Children beyond the age of 18 who are still living with you, unmarried, and financially reliant on you (unless they are in college or boarding school).
visa fees for health and care workers
The following fees apply to health and care worker visas:
fee for applications
£232 per person for a three-year maximum visa.
£464 per person for visas that last more than three years.
Please be aware that whether you apply from within the UK or outside of it, the application fee is the same.
biometric charge
£19.20
References:
1 Office for National Statistics’ tool for coding occupations.
2 GOV.UK: Health and Care Visa: Applicants’ Guidance
3 GOV.UK: Going rates for occupations that qualify for skilled worker visas
4 Skilled Worker Visa: Shortage Occupations, GOV.UK
5 Website for the Home Office: Online Application
6 Website for the Home Office: Online Application
