Health and Care Worker Visa Solicitors
If you are a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional, or adult social care worker seeking to come to or remain in the UK, our Solicitors, who have over 25 years of experience in UK immigration law, can help.
The Health and Care Worker Visa is part of the Skilled Worker route. Its requirements are set out in Appendix Skilled Worker of the Immigration Rules. The visa is available to workers in eligible health and social care roles employed by the NHS, NHS suppliers, and registered social care providers. It carries reduced application fees and provides an exemption from the immigration health surcharge. Following changes that took effect in 2024, the rules on eligibility for care workers and home carers require the sponsoring employer to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
At Law Lane Solicitors, we advise qualified health professionals and social care workers on the Health and Care Worker Visa from our offices in Stratford, Holborn, and Croydon. We also advise NHS trusts, private hospitals, and CQC-registered care providers on sponsoring workers under this route.
The Health and Care Worker Visa sits within the broader Skilled Worker framework, which means that all the standard requirements for sponsorship, salary, and occupation code apply. The reduced fee and surcharge exemption are valuable benefits, but errors in the application, a role that does not meet the salary threshold, or a sponsor who is not eligible to use the health and care concession will each produce a refusal. We check the position on all of those points before submission.
Our Health and Care Worker Visa Legal Services
We advise on the following:
- Confirming that the proposed role qualifies for the Health and Care Worker Visa, including the Standard Occupational Classification code and the applicable salary threshold.
- Advising on the eligibility of the sponsoring employer to use the health and care route, including the CQC registration requirement for care providers.
- Advising on the professional registration requirements for doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, including registration with the GMC, NMC, and HCPC.
- Preparing and submitting the visa application with a complete document bundle, including evidence of professional registration and English language proficiency.
- Advising on the immigration health surcharge exemption and confirming whether it applies to a given application.
- Advising on switching to the Health and Care Worker Visa from inside the UK.
- Advising on extension applications for health and care workers who have completed an initial period of permission.
- Advising on settlement applications for workers who have completed five years of continuous qualifying residence.
- Advising on dependant applications for the partner and children of a Health and Care Worker.
- Advising NHS trusts, private hospitals, and CQC-registered providers on their sponsorship duties for health and care workers.
- Advising on the implications of a change of employer within the health and care sector.
- Reviewing refusals and advising on administrative review or fresh applications where appropriate.
Why Choose Law Lane Solicitors for Health and Care Worker Visa Advice?
The health and care sector involves professional registration requirements that are in addition to the immigration requirements. A nurse who does not yet have NMC registration, or a doctor who has not yet received GMC registration, may still be able to apply in certain circumstances, but the timing and sequencing of applications must be managed carefully. We advise on the interaction between professional registration and the visa application process.
Changes to the eligibility of care workers and home carers took effect in 2024. Those changes introduced the requirement for the sponsoring employer to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Employers and workers who were in the system before those changes were subject to transitional arrangements. We advise on the current position and on whether any legacy arrangements continue to apply.
We also advise NHS trusts and private healthcare providers on their compliance obligations as sponsors of health and care workers. Health sector sponsors are subject to the same compliance duties as any other licensed sponsor. We support employers with those obligations as well as with individual applications.
Get in Touch
If you are a health or care professional planning to apply for a visa to work in the UK, or if you are an employer looking to sponsor health and care workers, contact our team today.
Book a consultation and receive clear, specific advice on the application process.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk

Law Lane Solicitors is proud to be accredited under The Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation.
Got any questions?
* Required
"*" indicates required fields
“Exceeded all expectations. Thank you so much all the team Law Lane Solicitors. An amazing job that extended all my expectations. Especially thank to Ms.Nuresa and Mrs.Artemisa I’m very glad that I trusted you. I really recommend it!” – E on Review Solicitors (July ’25)
Frequently Asked Questions – Health and Care Worker Visa
Who qualifies for a Health and Care Worker Visa?
The visa is available to qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals in eligible allied health roles, and adult social care workers in eligible roles. The sponsoring employer must be the NHS, an NHS supplier, or a care provider registered with the Care Quality Commission. The applicant must work in a role that appears on the list of eligible occupation codes and must be paid at or above the applicable salary threshold.
What professional registration is needed before applying?
Doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council. Nurses and midwives must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Other allied health professionals must hold the relevant registration, such as HCPC registration for physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and radiographers. Where registration is pending at the time of application, advice on the sequencing of the immigration and registration applications is needed before submission.
What are the salary thresholds for health and care roles?
The salary threshold for health and care roles is set at a level lower than the general Skilled Worker threshold. The applicable rate depends on the specific occupation code and the banding or grade within the relevant pay scale. NHS workers on Agenda for Change pay bands and doctors on NHS pay scales are assessed against those rates. We confirm the applicable threshold for each role and employer type before the application is submitted.
Is the immigration health surcharge payable?
No. Workers on the Health and Care Worker Visa and their dependants are exempt from the immigration health surcharge. This is a significant financial benefit given the level of the surcharge for a multi-year visa. The exemption applies at the point of application.
What is the CQC registration requirement for care providers?
Since 2024, employers wishing to sponsor workers in the social care occupation codes must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. A care provider that is not CQC-registered cannot use the Health and Care Worker Visa for those roles. We advise on the position for each employer.
Can I switch to the Health and Care Worker Visa from inside the UK?
Yes, applicants on certain other routes can switch to the Health and Care Worker Visa without leaving the UK, provided they meet the eligibility requirements. Workers currently on a standard Skilled Worker Visa who move to an eligible health or care role with a qualifying employer can be re-sponsored under the health and care route.
Does the visa lead to settlement?
Yes. Workers on the Health and Care Worker Visa can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years of continuous qualifying residence in the UK, provided they continue to work in an eligible role and meet the other requirements for settlement.
Can my family come with me?
Yes, partners and children under 18 can apply as dependants. Dependants on the Health and Care Worker route are also exempt from the immigration health surcharge. We advise on the dependant application process.
What happens if I change employers within the health sector?
A change of employer generally requires a new certificate of sponsorship and a new visa application before the change takes effect. Moving from one NHS trust to another, or from an NHS employer to a private healthcare provider, can have different implications. We advise on the correct steps before any change is made.
What documents do I need for the application?
The document requirements depend on the specific role and employer. In most cases, they include a valid passport, the certificate of sponsorship reference number, evidence of professional registration, evidence of English language proficiency, and evidence of maintenance funds where applicable. We confirm the specific requirements for each application.
What should I do if my application is refused?
A refusal should be reviewed carefully to identify the ground on which it was made. Some refusals can be challenged by way of administrative review. Others are best addressed by a fresh application with corrected or additional evidence. We advise on the most appropriate response.
How much does an initial consultation cost?
We offer a fixed-fee initial consultation. At that meeting, we confirm the eligibility of the applicant and the employer, advise on the documents required, and set out the cost of preparing and submitting the application. Please call or email to arrange a time.
Get in Touch
Whether you are applying for the first time, extending your leave, or dealing with a problem mid-course, our immigration team is ready to help.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk
Book a consultation with our immigration team and start your studies in the UK with your immigration status in order.
Immigration Team
Tahir Shahab Khan
Supervising Director, Solicitor AdvocateView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Salman Shah
Director, SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sikandar Ali Jatoi
Director, Solicitor AdvocateView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Ghulam Mustafa
BarristerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Ahmed Syed
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Muhammad Azeem
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Nuresa Begum
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Oraz Shiriyev
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sarah Akram
Supervising SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Kashif Haroon
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Khadija Faisal
Legal AssistantView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Suzana Husain
Trainee SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Christian O. Nwaorah
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Oriola Uka
Registered Foreign LawyerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sandesh Kumar
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Michele Montjen
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Manpreet Kaur
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Mai Oanh Hoang
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Mariya Hussain
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Vishva Shanmugam
Costs DraftsmanView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Hoor Aleen Badarneh
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Robert Thomson
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Kunal
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Artemisa Shquti
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Mathelide Othilie Christiansen
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Rugena Begum
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Shehryar Ahmed
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Benedicte Mabika
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Osama Syam
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Akbar Mohammed Mir
SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Noemaan Fahim
Immigration SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
