The Health and Care Worker visa enables medical professionals to work in the UK for the NHS, an NHS supplier, or in adult social care roles. Successful candidates can reside in the UK for a maximum of five years, with options to extend their stay or apply for settlement, contingent upon meeting specific requirements. Applicants must be qualified doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, or adult social care workers, possess adequate English language skills, and have a job offer from an approved employer.
The Home Office maintains a list of eligible roles for sponsorship, which includes pharmacists, speech and language therapists, dental practitioners, and podiatrists. Roles not included on this list are ineligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care Worker visa. In February 2021, in response to challenges within the care system, the Home Office expanded the list to include care staff as eligible roles for this visa. Additionally, care positions can now be sponsored through the Skilled Worker visa route, providing advantages for healthcare industry sponsors who do not meet the criteria for a Health and Care Worker visa license.
