We provide high calibre carers across the UK
We support those that need domiciliary care, support in care homes, live in carers and young people and children with disabilities.
Apply for your Visa
Once you have been approved to become an Assured HR Member and you have been matched with an employer you should begin the Visa application process. This can take up to 8 weeks. Our team will guide you through this process. It is imperative you have all the documents required to ensure your application is not rejected.
UK Social Care Sector: New Visa Rules
To alleviate the current pressure on the social care sector due to the pandemic, the UK government expanded the Health & Care Worker Visa to include care workers, care assistants and home care workers.
This visa change offers:
- 50% visa reduction fee (compared to the Skilled Worker Visa)
- An exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge
- Reduction in the visa processing time from 8 weeks to 3 weeks.
The visa changes took effect on 15 February 2022 and will be in place for a minimum of 12 months.
What is the Health and Care Worker Visa?
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. This visa category was created to make it cheaper, quicker, and easier for healthcare professionals to come to work in the UK.
The Health and Care Visa is valid for up to 5 years, after this time you can apply to extend your visa if you wish to continue working in the UK. If you want to make the UK your permanent home then you may also be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after residing in the country for at least 5 years on this visa.
Requirements for a Health and Care Worker Visa
To qualify for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that:
- You are aged 18 or over;
- You are a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional;
- You work or will work in an eligible health or social care job, which falls within the list of approved occupation codes;
- You work or will work for a UK health and care sector employer that has been approved by the Home Office;
- You have a valid ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you have been offered;
- You are competent in the English language to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0);
- You will be paid the minimum salary or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you will be doing, whichever is higher;
- You have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds;
- You have provided a criminal record certificate, if working with vulnerable people; and
- You have provided a valid TB certificate, if from a listed country.
How much does it cost to apply?
The cost of applying for a Health and Care Visa varies depending on how long you will be in the UK for. If you plan to stay for up to 3 years then the application fee is £232. If you plan to stay for more than 3 years then the application fee is £464. The reduction of fees also applies to partners and dependants. The fee reduction should operate automatically through the online application process.
Citizens of some countries are eligible for a £55 reduction of the application fee, this applies to you if you are from one of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey. This reduction only applies to the applicant – partners and dependants will need to pay the full application fee.
As well as the application fee, you will also need to show that you have at least £1,270 in your bank account to support yourself in the UK.
Certificate of Sponsorship
To obtain a Health and Care Worker Visa you must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you are planning to do. This is an electronic record rather than a physical document.
Your Certificate of Sponsorship will need to have been issued by an employer that is authorised by the Home Office to sponsor the job in question under the Health and Care Worker route.
The typical employer will be the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an organisation providing adult social care.
Your Certificate of Sponsorship must have been issued not more than 3 months before the date of your Health and Care Worker visa application.
Your Certificate of Sponsorship must include certain mandatory information, including:
- details of your name, job and salary;
- a start date which is no more than 3 months after the date your Health and Care Worker visa application;
confirmation that the Certificate of Sponsorship has not been used in a previous application which was either granted or refused and has not been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office;
Health and Care Worker Visa Minimum Salary Requirements
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. Each occupation code has its own annual going rate.
You may be paid less than the ‘going rate’ in the following circumstances:
- You can be paid at 80% of the usual going rate if your job is in a shortage occupation list.
- You can be paid at 70% of the usual going rate if you are under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training towards a recognised UK qualification or registered status.
- You can be paid at 80% of the usual going rate if you have a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job as long as you will still earn at least £20,480 a year.
- You can be paid at 90% of the usual going rate if you have a non-STEM PhD level qualification as long as you will still earn your salary must be at least £23,040.
- You can be paid 70% of your usual going rate if you will be working in a postdoctoral position.