Applying for an UK Skilled Worker visa as a Healthcare professional


The United Kingdom is very welcoming to professional immigrants, especially if they are from the Healthcare sector. On February 15, 2022, the government has finally confirmed that care workers and home carers will be recognised on the Skilled Worker shortage occupation list. 

The Health and Care Worker Visa was ingeniously created to lure medical specialists from all over the world to the UK health industry. Fast-track entrance into the UK, lower visa fees, and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge are all advantages of the Health and Care Worker visa. Additionally, it includes the assistance of a committed staff from UKVI in handling visa applications for immigrants and the families that depend on them.

In this article, we will discuss the prerequisites for this visa route, along with the eligibility requirements, application procedure, cost, and turnaround time for Health & Care visas.

Who may obtain a Health and Care visa?

The Health and Care Worker visa is open to qualified physicians, nurses, medical professionals, and adult social workers. It is available to anyone who are seeking for entrance clearance or permission to remain through the skilled worker route and who will be accepting a job offer in one of the professions included in a predefined list of Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes.

The applicant must also have received a work offer from a licenced sponsor in order to be eligible for the visa. Additionally, the sponsoring organisation must be one of the organisations providing adult social care, an NHS body or trust, a provider of medical services to the NHS, or one of the other health and social care providers named in the official advice.

You will not be eligible for the new Health and Care visa if you are not beginning employment in one of the listed vocations for a recognised organisation, but it is still possible for candidates who do not qualify for the new visa route to apply via the regular Skilled Worker visa procedures.

What conditions must a Health and Care Worker visa meet?

The following requirements must be satisfied by anyone applying for a Health and Care visa under the route for skilled workers:

  • Possess a current Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a UK-registered sponsor Possess an offer of employment that satisfies the necessary wage threshold
  • In some circumstances, to have enough personal funds to sustain yourself once you arrive in the UK.
  • possess a solid command of the English language
  • Be able to demonstrate your ability to travel and to provide a history of your travels over the last five years.
  • If you are from one of the countries on the list, have valid TB test results.
  • If you will be dealing with vulnerable individuals as a healthcare practitioner, you must be able to submit a criminal record certificate from any nation where you have resided for 12 months or more during the last 10 years.

Salary Requirements

You must fulfil the wage criterion, which is to be either greater than the minimum salary threshold or the suitable rate for the position you have been given, whichever is higher, as part of the eligibility requirements.

Financial Requirements

Some candidates may also need to provide proof that they can sustain themselves financially. You must demonstrate that you have £1,270 in your bank account for at least 28 days in a row if you are applying from outside the country. Within 31 days of the day you apply for your visa, day 28 must have passed. If you are applying from within the UK and have held a valid visa for at least 12 months, you will be excluded from this financial criterion. You will also be exempt if your company will cover your fees for the first month you are in the country.

How to submit a Health and Care Worker visa application

You must first have a CoS allocated to you by your UK sponsor in order to apply for a Health and Care visa. You use this particular reference number to submit an online application on the Home Office website.

Paying the proper fee is the next step in the application process after you have completed all the necessary information (see below). Various documentation will also need to be submitted with your application.

The Home Office will review the information and supporting documentation after receiving your application, and you could have the choice of:

  • If it’s not feasible to reuse any of the biometrics provided with a prior application, schedule a biometrics appointment.
  • How to enrol biometrics using an ID app will be explained to you.

Supporting Documents that one might need to provide

As with any UK visa application, you will need to provide a number of supporting papers, such if, as appropriate, the following:

  • If your CoS demonstrates that your A-rated sponsor can assist you instead, you must provide a Statement or letter from your bank or building society demonstrating that you have enough personal savings.
  • Proof of your English language proficiency
  • A current, valid passport or other travel authorization document
  • Any out-of-date passports or other documentation of your travels
  • Your TB test outcomes if you come from one of the nations listed
  • A certificate of criminal history.

Can my spouse or dependents travel with me to the UK on a Skilled- Health and Care Worker visa?

Immediate family members will be permitted to travel with you to the UK if you apply for a Health and Care visa. This includes any dependant children as well as your spouse or partner.

If you are currently in the UK and want to bring your dependents with you, your UK sponsor must formally certify in writing that they are qualified to do so based on your line of work. This should come from the sponsor in the form of a letter or email outlining the company you work for and, if it’s not an NHS organisation, how the company qualifies.

Are medical professionals required to pay a healthcare surcharge for moving to the UK?

The application for immigration status and the expected period of stay will determine who is responsible for paying the healthcare fee. Health and care professionals will now be permanently excluded from this tax or eligible for a refund, thanks to an exception the UK government has created.

Contact A Y & J Solicitors for assistance

A Y & J Solicitors have an excellent grasp of the UK Skilled Worker visa and all aspects of it because to their extensive expertise, which spans over ten years and more. Our team of highly trained immigration consultants is committed to assisting applicants with UK Health and Care visa applications. If you need help, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.


Anjali Heera

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