Health and Care Worker Visa Eligibility Requirements: Who Qualifies in 2026

Not every healthcare professional qualifies for the UK Health and Care Worker visa — and the rules tightened significantly in July 2025. If you are a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or allied health professional planning to work in the UK, understanding the exact eligibility criteria before you begin your application can save you months of wasted effort.

This post breaks down who qualifies, which occupations are included, what salary you need to earn, and what changed with the most recent legislative overhaul.

Who Is the Health and Care Worker Visa For?

The Health and Care Worker visa is a sub-category of the Skilled Worker route, designed specifically for regulated clinical healthcare professionals. You must have:

1. A confirmed job offer from a UK employer that holds a valid Home Office sponsor licence
2. An employer that is either an NHS body, an NHS supplier, or a provider of adult social care registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
3. A job that falls within an eligible Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) code

That third point is where many applicants get confused. Not every healthcare role qualifies — your specific occupation code determines eligibility.

Eligible Occupation Codes (SOC 2020)

Following the skill-level recalibration introduced by Home Office statement HC 997, the general Skilled Worker route now requires RQF Level 6 (degree-equivalent) qualifications. The Health and Care Worker visa retains exemptions for specific listed roles. The main eligible categories are:

Medical Practitioners (SOC 2211) — doctors, surgeons, GPs working in hospitals or clinics.

Registered Nurses (SOC 2231) — all specialisms: adult care, children's nursing, mental health, learning disabilities nursing.

Pharmacists (SOC 2213) and Pharmaceutical Technicians (SOC 3212) — hospital pharmacy and community dispensing roles.

Allied Health Professionals — physiotherapists (SOC 2221), occupational therapists (SOC 2222), paramedics (SOC 3213), radiographers, and speech and language therapists.

Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants (SOC 6131) — eligible only in clinical settings where registered nurses or other registered healthcare professionals are present and providing active oversight.

Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (SOC 6136) — this category has been severely restricted. As of 22 July 2025, new overseas applicants can no longer use this visa route to enter the UK. Overseas entry clearance for these roles is permanently closed. The only remaining pathway is in-country switching for care workers already legally employed in the UK, and that transitional window closes on 22 July 2028.

If your role is not in the list above — for example, dental nurses (SOC 6133), ambulance staff below paramedic level (SOC 6132), or NHS Bands 1–4 roles — you are not eligible for this visa.

Salary Thresholds: The Dual-Track System

The salary requirements for the Health and Care Worker visa operate differently from the standard Skilled Worker route, and this distinction is one of the biggest advantages of the route for clinical professionals.

For nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals on NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scales:

The minimum visa salary threshold is £25,000 — or the national pay scale rate for your specific banding, whichever is higher. This exempts NHS clinical staff from the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700, which would price most junior and mid-band roles out of eligibility.

In practice, any nurse employed by the NHS at Band 5 or above already meets this requirement by default. The 2025/2026 Band 5 starting salary for registered nurses in England is £31,049, which comfortably clears the £25,000 floor.

For roles on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) not tied to national pay scales:

The threshold is £25,000 (equivalent to £12.82 per hour based on a 37.5-hour working week) or 100% of the occupation-specific going rate — whichever is higher. This applies to eligible private sector healthcare roles.

For ILR (settlement) after 5 years:

NHS clinicians on AfC pay scales are exempt from the elevated £41,700 ILR salary requirement. They simply need to be earning their appropriate banding rate at the time of the settlement application.

Workers who secured their first visa before 4 April 2024 can apply for ILR at a reduced threshold of £31,300, provided they submit their ILR application before December 2026.

Requirements by Profession

For Nurses

Before an NHS trust can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship, you need to demonstrate progress toward NMC registration. Specifically, you must have:

• Passed the NMC Computer-Based Test (CBT) from your home country
• Met the English language requirements (IELTS Academic 7.0 overall or OET Grade B)
• Received a formal job offer from an NMC-approved UK employer

The OSCE practical examination happens after arrival in the UK. You have 12 weeks from your employment start date to sit your first OSCE attempt.

For Doctors

You need to be on a clear pathway to GMC registration. For International Medical Graduates (IMGs) without a recognized European qualification, this means passing the PLAB 1 (theoretical) and PLAB 2 (clinical) examinations. English language proof accepted by the GMC also satisfies the Home Office requirement — you do not need a separate SELT test.

For Allied Health Professionals

HCPC international registration requires submitting a Standards of Proficiency mapping document — a paper-based assessment comparing your overseas training against UK standards. The current international scrutiny fee is £678.38 (raised in April 2025), paid upfront and non-refundable.

For Pharmacists

The pathway is the longest. Non-EEA qualified pharmacists must complete the OSPAP (Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme) — a one-year, full-time university postgraduate course — followed by 52 weeks of foundation training, before they can sit the GPhC registration assessment. This is a multi-year commitment.

What Changed in July 2025

The July 2025 changes (HC 997) had two major effects on eligibility:

1. Care workers closed to overseas entry. SOC 6135 and 6136 roles can no longer be filled by applicants applying from outside the UK. Only in-country switchers with 3 months' continuous employment at a CQC-registered provider can still access the route, until July 2028.

2. Skill floor raised across the board. The broader Skilled Worker route now requires degree-level (RQF 6) qualifications. Healthcare roles still retain listed exemptions, but mid-skill roles that previously qualified — such as dental nurses and most Band 1–4 NHS roles — no longer appear on the eligible list.

If you were counting on one of these removed roles to qualify, you need to reassess your pathway before submitting any application fees.

The Complete Picture

The Health and Care Worker visa remains one of the most advantageous immigration routes in the UK for qualifying clinical professionals — with reduced application fees, a £0 Immigration Health Surcharge (more on that in our cost breakdown), and a direct five-year pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain.

But the eligibility rules are specific, frequently updated, and carry real financial consequences if misread. The UK Health & Care Worker Visa Guide covers the full dual-track process of professional registration and visa application, including profession-specific timelines, document checklists, and the salary thresholds that apply at each stage — so you can plan your timeline accurately before spending money on registration fees or travel.