About The Health and Care Worker Visa
The Health and Care Worker Visa offers a clear route to ILR (Indefinite Leave To Remain) through 5 years of continuous residency in the UK. This will provide migrants with the eligibility to pursue British Citizenship later down the road.
Health and Care Worker Visa requirements
To successfully apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you must make sure that you meet all of the relevant requirements. This may include more general requirements such as an acceptable knowledge of English, and evidence that you can financially support yourself and any dependants that you may bring.
There are further requirements that you must meet to receive this visa such as a Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer and proof that you meet the specified salary requirements for your job.
Please note that there are certain exemptions for doctors, dentists, nurses, or midwives.
General requirements
You must:
- Have a level of English that meets or exceeds level B1 on the CEFR scale (doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives exempt if you’ve already passed an English Language assessment that is accepted by the relevant regulated professional body).
- Have proof of available finances to support yourself as well as any dependants that you wish to bring along.
- Be able to prove that your relationship with any dependants that you wish to bring along is legitimate.
Financial requirements
The financial requirements that you must meet to successfully apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa will depend on your health or care role.
The minimum salary is usually £25,480 per year, or your job’s ‘going rate’, whichever is higher. Specific roles will each have their own ‘going rate’, and there are exceptions for cases where the salary requirements are not met.
Meeting different financial requirements is very much dependent on your role; for job-specific advice, we highly recommend you get in touch so our experienced lawyers can make sure your application meets the requirements for your role.
Job requirements
You must:
- Be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional, or adult social care professional.
- Secure work in an eligible health or social care job.
- Have a UK employer in the health and care sector that is approved by the Home Office.
- have a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK.
Employment requirements
You must either be employed or have a job offer by an approved UK health and care sector employer, to successfully apply for the Health and Care Worker Visa. Your employment should fall into one of the three following categories:
- You are employed by the NHS.
- You are employed by an organisation providing medical services to the NHS.
- You are employed by an organisation providing adult social care.
Your employer should also be approved to provide you with a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Health and Care Visa costs
The application fee for this visa depends on your intended period of stay. The application for up to 3 years will cost £247 per person, while the application for more than 3 years will be £479 per person.
You must also be able to prove that you can support yourself financially when you come to the UK. That means having at least £1,270 in your bank account readily available for up to 28 days before your application is made.
There are additional costs that must also be considered, such as fees for legal assistance, which is highly advisable to receive your Health and Care Worker Visa on the first attempt. This is because the Administrative Review or Appeal Process can prove to be extremely time-consuming as well as costly.
ILR through the Health and Care Workers Visa
As your visa lasts up to 5 years before needing to be extended, it is a great option for health and care workers who are seeking ILR. As you will have met the requirement of 5-years of stay, you can work towards further requirements such as passing the Life in the UK Test.
If you are a health or care professional seeking a path towards ILR or eventual British Citizenship, the Health and Care Workers Visa offers a clear and achievable route.
How QC Immigration can assist your application
At QC Immigration, we have a proven process that has led to successful visa applications. Our team has an in-depth and practical knowledge of immigration law and will be able to assist you with pragmatic guidance.
Increase the likelihood of a granted application by contacting us today, you can click here to contact us online, email us at info@qc-immigration.com, or phone us on 0203 637 8633.