Prepare for your UK healthcare career with clear advice on sponsorship and your visa application.
A role in healthcare or adult social care can involve several immigration checks alongside professional and employment requirements. Knightsbridge helps you understand whether your proposed job qualifies and what evidence your application needs, whether you are relocating, extending permission or changing employer.
About this route
The Health and Care Worker visa is available for eligible sponsored roles with the NHS, organisations providing medical services to the NHS and qualifying adult social care employers. You need an eligible occupation, approved sponsor, Certificate of Sponsorship and the applicable salary.
Permission can last up to five years. Under the current rules, settlement may be possible after five qualifying years if you meet the remaining requirements. Eligible applicants and their dependants benefit from exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Eligibility Check
Consider these questions:
- Is your occupation eligible for this visa?
- Is your employer an approved sponsor within the qualifying sector?
- Does the proposed salary meet the rules for your role?
- Is the Certificate of Sponsorship accurate?
- Can you meet the relevant English language requirement?
- If applying within the UK, are you eligible to switch?
New applicants generally need B2 English. Some existing visa holders can rely on earlier requirements, and accepted professional English assessments can satisfy the requirement for certain regulated professions.
Understanding your situation
Your application may involve an NHS appointment, a qualifying private provider, an existing sponsored role or a proposed employer change.
We examine your current immigration permission, occupation, sponsorship history and employment arrangements. This is particularly important if you are relying on an earlier grant or rules that distinguish existing workers from new applicants.
We also discuss your intended start date and any family applications so your immigration planning reflects the wider move.
How Knightsbridge Helps
Our agreed service can include:
- Assessing route eligibility and relevant transitional provisions.
- Reviewing occupation, salary and sponsorship information.
- Checking English language and maintenance evidence.
- Providing a document list suited to your circumstances.
- Preparing the application for your review before submission.
- Supporting submission and relevant Home Office follow-up within the agreed engagement.
Where information is missing or inconsistent, we explain what needs clarifying with your employer. We also help you distinguish the visa evidence from separate professional registration or employment requirements, so each part of your preparation is understood.
Addressing Challenges
Care worker and senior care worker jobs are restricted to eligible applications from within the UK. New overseas recruitment under these occupation codes is closed. Applicants switching from another route must normally have worked legally for their sponsor in the role for at least three months before the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued. Employers sponsoring these jobs in England normally need Care Quality Commission registration, subject to limited transitional exceptions.
Salary assessment also depends on the occupation and relevant pay rules; one headline figure does not establish eligibility for every healthcare role.
We check these distinctions before preparing your application.
Timescales and Costs
The standard decision time is usually three weeks after the application, identity checks and documents are completed. Faster services may be available, but timing is not guaranteed.
The current application fee is £324 per person for permission of up to three years or £628 for more than three years, whether applying inside or outside the UK. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge for eligible applicants.
The usual maintenance requirement is £1,270, held for the required period, unless an exemption or valid sponsor certification applies.
We confirm our professional fee, scope and any applicable VAT in writing.
Situations requiring closer analysis
Tell us if your sponsor has changed, you are approaching visa expiry, or you want family members to join you. Dependant restrictions apply to care workers and certain medium skilled occupations, with specific transitional provisions and exceptions.
Your journey with Knightsbridge
We begin by understanding your proposed role, your sponsor’s details and your current immigration circumstances. We then assess the requirements that apply to you and agree a plan around your intended start date and any existing visa deadline.
You receive a tailored document list covering the evidence needed for your application. We review the sponsorship information alongside your personal documents and explain anything that needs clarification with your employer.
Once the evidence is ready, we prepare your application and take you through it before submission. You have the opportunity to check the information, ask questions and understand how your circumstances have been presented.
We guide you through submission and the relevant identity checks, keep you informed of updates we receive and address any further requests covered by our agreed service.
When a decision arrives, we explain the outcome and any next steps within the agreed scope, including the conditions of your permission and points to consider when planning a future extension or employer change.
Ready to have your case assessed?
Start with our Free Case Review to explain your role, sponsor and current permission. This initial enquiry identifies whether we can assist and the appropriate paid service. Detailed eligibility advice and application preparation are separately agreed.
