A health and care visa is a separate branch of a skilled worker visa UK. It enables healthcare professionals who are not residents of the UK to come and settle in the United Kingdom. It allows medical professionals to work with NHS, NHS suppliers and adult social care. 

Eligibility criteria for Health and Care visa UK 

To become eligible for a health and care visa UK, you should apply for a relevant and credible health or social care job. The department or employer where you’re applying for the job should be approved and endorsed by the UK home office. To qualify for this visa, you must be a doctor, nurse, health professional or social care worker. 

On-demand, you should be able to produce a valid ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from the employer with complete details of the role you’ve been offered. The job should fall in the salary bracket defined by the UK government to be eligible for the UK health and care visa. The annual salary can vary, depending on your work type. 

The visa is valid for upto 5 years; if you want to stay for a longer period of time, you would have to apply for a visa extension. You will have to reapply or update your visa if you switch your job or employer. You can keep extending your visa if you wish to stay longer. You just have to stay compliant with the visa requirements. After 5 years, you can apply for leave to remain indefinitely, also known as a permanent settlement in the UK.

Visa Application Requirements

You should make sure that you apply for the visa well before time. You can apply upto 3 months before the starting date of your job. The due date is mentioned on your sponsorship certificate. The application requirements include proving your identity and providing your documents. Along with the mentioned requirements, you must prove that you have enough capital to sustain yourself and your family during your stay in the UK. 

Applying under this visa category exempts you and your children from a healthcare surcharge. You can also take up additional employment under certain circumstances and do voluntary work, study, and travel across the UK and abroad.

You’re not eligible to apply for public funds or state pension. You cannot switch employers or jobs until you update your visa.