Care Worker Visa Closes to New Overseas Hires; Nurses and Doctors Unaffected
From July 2025, overseas recruitment for care worker and senior care worker roles ended, though transitional arrangements continue until July 2028. Healthcare professionals remain eligible for Health and Care Worker visas with reduced fees.
Significant changes to UK skilled worker sponsorship for health and social care roles have now settled into their second year of implementation. New overseas recruitment into care worker and senior care worker roles (SOC 6135 and 6136) has closed, with only limited in-country transitional arrangements continuing until 22 July 2028.
What Closed and What Remains Open
Significantly, new overseas sponsorship for care workers and senior care workers ended on 22 July 2025. Limited in-country transitional arrangements remain until 22 July 2028, but these are narrow and fact-sensitive, so neither workers nor sponsors should assume continued eligibility without checking the current rules.
However, while adult social care worker routes closed in July 2025, extensive pathways remain accessible for registered nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, and specialist healthcare roles. The Health and Care Worker visa continues as an efficient route for qualified medical professionals.
Health and Care Worker Visa Benefits
For those eligible, the visa application fee is lower than the standard Skilled Worker rate, with fees starting at £284 for up to three years. These savings make the Health and Care Worker visa one of the most cost-effective routes for international professionals to work in the UK. Additionally, applicants benefit from full exemption of the Immigration Health Surcharge and fast-track processing (typically three weeks).
Salary and Role Requirements
For healthcare roles on national payscales, such as NHS-employed doctors, nurses, paramedics and other clinical professionals, the salary must meet the relevant published pay band for that occupation, not the general thresholds. The key requirement is that the role must be at RQF level 6 or above and listed as an eligible occupation under the Skilled Worker immigration rules.
What This Means for International Healthcare Workers
If you are a qualified nurse, doctor, or allied health professional considering a UK career, the Health and Care Worker visa remains attractive despite the care worker closure. The route offers the lowest visa fees of any UK skilled work pathway and exemption from healthcare surcharges—potential savings of £5,000–£15,000 per family. However, care assistants and support workers from overseas are now closed out; the route is limited to degree-level or registered clinical roles. Verify your occupation code on the Home Office eligible occupations list before applying, and ensure your employer holds a valid sponsor licence.
Sources
MyHAbroad is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing any government or public authority. This is general information only — not legal, tax, medical, or financial advice. Always verify with the official source before acting:
