The Health and Care Worker Visa

The Health and Care Worker Visa is an immigration route that was announced by the UK government in 2020, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This visa was designed to make it easier for health and care workers from around the world to come and work in the UK, in order to help meet the increased demand for healthcare professionals during the pandemic. This visa is open to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers. It is also open to care workers, such as those working in residential care homes or providing home care. 

Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility requirements for the Health and Care Worker Visa are as follows:

• You must be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional, or adult social care professional.
• Your job must be eligible for this visa.
• The job offer must be from the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an organisation providing adult social care. 
• You need to be paid the minimum salary or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you’ll be doing  (depending on the job) – whichever is higher. You’ll usually need to be paid at least £20,480.

The Main Benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa

One of the main benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa is that it allows healthcare professionals from around the world to come to the UK quickly and easily. This is particularly important in areas where there are shortages of healthcare professionals, such as in rural or remote areas, or in certain specialist areas of healthcare. This will help to ease the pressure on the NHS and other healthcare systems by providing additional healthcare professionals to help care for patients. This will also help to improve the overall quality of care for patients in the UK.

Another main benefit of the visa is that employers are exempt from paying the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge (IHS) and they benefit from reduced application fees of £247 per person (up to 3 years) or £479 per person (more than 3 years) for applications made from outside the UK or inside the UK. This cost-saving benefit is likely to incentivise employers to hire healthcare professionals from abroad.

Permanent Residence

The Health and Care Worker Visa is valid for up to five years. If your visa expires or you change jobs or employer, you would need to apply to extend or update your visa. After five years, applicants may be eligible for permanent residence which would allow them to live and work in the UK permanently by applying for indefinite leave to remain. 

Our Thoughts

Overall, the Health and Care Worker Visa is a positive step towards addressing the ongoing challenges faced by the UK’s healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will help to bring in much-needed healthcare professionals from around the world and improve healthcare services and patient care. 

How can NA Law Solicitors help?

NA Law Solicitors can help you apply for a sponsorship licence or make an application for a Health and Care Worker Visa. We have extensive experience making sponsorship licences and Health and Care Worker Visa applications and all other UK immigration applications.

If you require our assistance under the Health and Care Worker Visa or advice relating to alternative visa options, please contact us or call us on 0203 5245439 for a friendly chat with one of our expert immigration solicitors.