Key Takeaways
- The Health and Care Worker visa isn’t a separate route. It’s a version of the Skilled Worker visa for eligible health and care jobs.
- It has lower application fees, and the worker and their family don’t pay the immigration health surcharge, which is usually £1,035 a year per person on the standard route.
- It’s only available for eligible occupations with an employer that is the NHS, an NHS supplier or an eligible adult social care provider.
- Overseas recruitment of care workers and senior care workers closed on 22 July 2025, with limited transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
You’ve been offered a job as a nurse, a physiotherapist or a doctor. Or maybe you’re an employer about to sponsor one. Someone mentions the Health and Care Worker visa, and someone else says it’s just a Skilled Worker visa. But the fees on each GOV.UK page look very different.
Getting it wrong matters. Applying under the wrong option can mean paying thousands of pounds more than necessary. And assuming a role is still eligible when it isn’t can lead to a refusal. The rules for care roles in particular have changed sharply in the past two years.
This guide explains how the two visas relate, the real differences between them and which is likely to apply to you. If you’d like advice on your situation, Osbourne Pinner offers a free 30-minute consultation with our UK immigration solicitors.
Is the Health and Care Worker visa a different visa?
Not really. The Health and Care Worker visa is part of the Skilled Worker route, with the same core structure. You need a job offer from an employer with a sponsor licence, a Certificate of Sponsorship, an eligible occupation and a salary that meets the relevant requirements. Both can currently lead to settlement after five years, although the government has consulted on lengthening that period.
What sets the Health and Care Worker visa apart is who can use it and how much it costs. Think of it as a cheaper, faster version of the Skilled Worker visa for a defined group of health and care roles.
Who can use the Health and Care Worker visa?
As explained by GOV.UK, the visa is for people offered an eligible job in health or social care who are suitably qualified. Three conditions have to line up:
- You must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or eligible adult social care professional, usually registered with the relevant UK professional body.
- Your job needs be in one of the specific occupation codes eligible for the route.
- Your employer has to be the NHS, an organisation providing services to the NHS or an eligible adult social care provider, and must hold a sponsor licence.
If any of these is missing, the standard Skilled Worker visa may still be available, provided the role meets its own requirements.
What are the main differences?
The differences that matter most in practice are:
- Cost: Health and Care Worker applicants pay lower application fees, and they and their partner and children don’t pay the immigration health surcharge.
- Eligible jobs: The Health and Care Worker visa covers a defined list of health and care occupations. The Skilled Worker visa covers a much wider range of skilled jobs.
- Employers: Health and Care Worker applicants need to work for the NHS, an NHS supplier or an eligible care provider. Any licensed sponsor can use the Skilled Worker visa.
- Salary rules: Lots of health roles follow national pay scales, such as NHS Agenda for Change, instead of the standard £41,700 threshold that applies to most Skilled Worker jobs.
- Speed: Health and Care Worker applications are usually decided faster than standard Skilled Worker applications.
- Dependants for care roles: Care workers and senior care workers who applied from 11th March 2024 can’t bring dependants. Most other health professionals can.
How big is the cost difference?
The immigration health surcharge is where the real saving lies. On the standard route, GOV.UK puts the surcharge at usually £1,035 a year for each person, paid upfront for the length of the visa.
Take a nurse coming to the UK on a five-year visa with their partner. On a standard Skilled Worker visa, the surcharge alone would be £10,350 for the two of them. On the Health and Care Worker visa, it would be nothing.
On top of that, the application fees are lower. Fees change regularly, so always check the current figures on GOV.UK before applying.
What changed for care workers in July 2025?
This is the change that catches most people out. From 22nd July 2025, employers can no longer sponsor care workers or senior care workers (occupation codes 6135 and 6136) from overseas. New overseas recruitment into these roles has closed.
There are transitional arrangements until 22nd July 2028 for people already in the UK. Care workers already on the route can generally extend their permission and change employer, and some people on other visas can switch into care roles in limited circumstances. The rules are narrow though, so it’s worth checking eligibility carefully before assuming a care role can be sponsored.
Separately, care workers and senior care workers who applied from 11th March 2024 can’t bring partners or children as dependants. Clinical roles such as nurses and doctors aren’t affected by either restriction.
Which should an employer use?
If both the job and your organisation qualify, sponsoring the worker on the Health and Care Worker visa is usually better for them, because it saves them the surcharge and reduces their fees. That can make your job offer more attractive in a competitive recruitment market.
In either case, you need a sponsor licence covering the Skilled Worker route, and your compliance duties are the same. Health and care sponsors have faced particularly close Home Office scrutiny in recent years, so record-keeping, right to work checks and salary compliance all matter.
Need a bit more info? Our guide to Skilled Worker sponsor licence requirements explains what sponsors must have in place, and our skilled worker sponsor licence solicitors can help you apply or review your compliance.
What mistakes should you avoid?
The most common problems we see are avoidable:
- Applying under the standard Skilled Worker visa when the role qualifies for Health and Care, and paying the surcharge unnecessarily.
- Using the wrong occupation code, which can affect eligibility and the salary required.
- Assuming an employer counts as an NHS supplier or eligible care provider without checking.
- Assuming overseas care worker recruitment is still possible.
- Applying before professional registration is in place where the role requires it.
If you’re a worker looking for a sponsor, our guide to which companies sponsor visas in the UK explains how to check whether an employer holds a licence.
Get advice on the right work visa
Choosing the wrong route can cost thousands of pounds in unnecessary fees, and relying on out-of-date rules can lead to a refusal. With health and care rules changing so often, it’s well worth checking your position before an application goes in.
At Osbourne Pinner, our UK immigration solicitors advise health professionals and employers on Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker applications, from choosing the right route to sponsor licences and compliance. We’ll explain your options in plain English and give you a clear view of costs before you commit to anything.
Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We always recommend speaking to a qualified solicitor for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
We offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your situation, Monday to Friday. You can speak with us via video call or visit our offices in Piccadilly Circus, Canary Wharf, Wimbledon, Harrow or Manchester. To arrange your consultation, call 0203 983 5080, email [email protected] or complete the form below. We do not offer Legal Aid.
