Difference Between Skilled Worker Visa & Health and Care Visa

Last modified on April 16, 2026 at 12:40 pm

What is the Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled Worker Visa is intended for individuals who want to come to the UK to do a specialised job. Its holders can come to the UK and stay there to do an eligible job with an approved employer.

To be able to obtain the Skilled Worker Visa, foreign nationals must be coming to work in a role skilled to at least RQF level 6. They must also be paid the minimum salary which is £41,700 as of 2026.

Medical professionals are among the professions eligible for the Skilled Worker Visa. This means that if you are a doctor and you want to come to the UK to work, you can apply for the Skilled Worker Visa.

What is the Health and Care Visa?

The Health and Care Visa is intended for overseas healthcare professionals who want to come to the UK to work for the NHS, an NHS supplier or in the adult social care sector. Only certain medical roles qualify for this type of visa.

Holders of the Health and Care Visa can stay in the UK for up to 5 years. After the initial validity of their visa expires, they have the right to extend it. There is no limit on how many times they can extend it but they must continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

The Health and Care Visa is only open to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who plan to come to the UK to work in eligible roles in the UK health sector or the social care sector.

Feature	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
What type of visa is it?	Standalone sponsored work visa	Sub-category of the Skilled Worker route — uses the same GOV.UK application form
Who is it for?	Any overseas worker offered an eligible skilled job across all sectors	Doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care workers at approved employers
Sector scope	All industries — engineering, finance, education, IT, healthcare and more	NHS trusts, NHS suppliers and CQC-registered adult social care organisations only
Immigration Rules	Appendix Skilled Worker	Appendix Skilled Worker — identical legal framework applies to both routes
Replaced which visa?	Tier 2 (General) — from 1 December 2020	Tier 2 (Health and Care) — from 4 August 2020
Application form	Skilled Worker online form on GOV.UK	Same Skilled Worker form — select “Health and Care Worker” when prompted. Incorrect selection removes the fee discount and IHS exemption.
Key advantage	Broad sector coverage and flexibility	Significantly lower fees, no Immigration Health Surcharge, and fast-tracked processing

What Are the Main Differences?

Medical professionals who want to work in the UK can obtain either the Skilled Worker Visa or the Health and Care Visa. Both visas allow foreign medical professionals to work in the UK for up to 5 years with a right to extend it as long as they are still eligible. And, both visas allow holders to apply for settlement in the UK after 5 years.

The main difference between these two visas is the fact that the Skilled Worker Visa is intended for professionals from a wide range of professions. The Health and Care Visa, on the other hand, is intended only for qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals, or adult social care professionals.

If you work in the health and care industry and you are considering moving to the UK to work, get in touch with our lawyers. They can help you determine whether you should choose the Skilled Worker Visa or the Health and Care Visa.

What requirements must medical professionals meet to get the Skilled Worker Visa or the Health and Care Visa?

Regardless of whether foreign citizens want to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa or the Health and Care Visa, they must be working in an eligible job, have a job offer in the UK, be paid at least a minimum salary, and have a good command of the English language.

To be able to obtain the Skilled Worker Visa, applicants must be coming to work in a role skilled to at least RQF level 6 (equivalent to an undergraduate degree). And, their employer must have been approved by the Home Office and hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.

As for the Health and Care Visa, applicants must be qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals, or adult social care professionals and they must be coming to work in an eligible role. Just like with the Skilled Worker Visa, the UK employer must hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.

Eligibility Requirements: Side by Side

Requirement	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
Core requirements
Job offer	Mandatory — confirmed before applying	Mandatory — confirmed before applying
Certificate of Sponsorship	Issued by a licensed Skilled Worker sponsor	Issued by an approved H&C employer. The CoS must state “Health and Care Worker” — wrong wording means the wrong fee is charged and IHS exemption is lost.
Employer type	Any UK employer with a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence	Must be: NHS trust, NHS supplier, CQC-registered adult social care organisation, or statutory body
Eligible occupation	Must be on the Skilled Occupations list — hundreds of SOC codes across all industries	Must be on the H&C eligible occupations list — approximately 30 SOC codes
Minimum skill level	RQF Level 6 (degree equivalent) — from 22 July 2025	RQF Level 6 for most roles. RQF Level 3 transitionally for SOC 6135/6136 until July 2028 only.
English language
Level required	B1 CEFR (intermediate)	B1 CEFR — identical requirement
Acceptable evidence	Secure English Language Test (SELT), English-taught degree, or GCSE/A-level in English from UK study before age 18	Same three options. OET is widely accepted and used for NMC and GMC registration as well as the visa.
National exemptions	Nationals of English-speaking countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the USA are exempt. Verify the current full list on GOV.UK before applying.

How Much Do the Visas Cost?

Applicants for the Skilled Worker Visa must pay between £628 to £1,865 depending on their individual circumstances. They must also pay £1035 per year for the immigration health surcharge and they must have at least £1,270 available to show that they can support themselves after they arrive in the UK. Applicants might be exempt from this requirement if they have already been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months or if their UK employer agrees to cover the costs of their stay during the first month in the UK.

The cost of applying for the Health and Care Visa varies depending on how long applicants want to stay in the UK. Those who plan to spend up to 3 years in the country must pay £324 and those who want to remain in the UK longer must pay the visa application fee of £628.

Applicants must also have at least £1,270 in their bank account to demonstrate that they can support themselves in the UK. With the Health and Care Visa, there is no requirement to pay the annual healthcare surcharge, however.

How Long Will You Wait?

Those who want to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa can submit their application up to 3 months before they are due to start working in the UK. On average, the Home Office takes 3 weeks to process applications for this visa. Sometimes the process can take longer if they need more time to review all the documents.

Similar waiting times apply to applications for the Health and Care Worker Visa. Applicants can apply up to 3 months before they plan to start their job in the UK and they typically receive a decision regarding their application within 3 weeks.

Keep in mind that the waiting time can be longer if you forget to provide some of the required documents or make mistakes in your application. This is why it is advisable to hire an immigration lawyer who can review your application before you submit it.

Processing Times

Stage	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
Timeline
Standard processing time	3 weeks. Up to 8 weeks for complex cases.	3 weeks — explicitly fast-tracked by UKVI as a priority
Priority service	Available at extra cost	Available — though standard processing already matches SW priority in practice
How early to apply	Up to 3 months before the start date on the Certificate of Sponsorship — identical for both routes

Get in touch with our expert immigration lawyers to receive assistance with choosing the right visa.

What Can I Do on the Skilled Worker Visa?

Foreign nationals who come to the UK on the Skilled Worker Visa can work in one of the eligible professions, study, do voluntary work, travel overseas and come back to the UK, and bring their dependents with them.

The Skilled Worker Visa grants holders the right to one of the jobs included on the list of eligible occupations for a UK employer that has been approved by the Home Office. There are numerous professions that can qualify. Examples include:

Health professionals
Nurses
Midwives
Pharmacists
Production managers
Financial managers and directors
Senior police officers
Healthcare practice managers
Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
IT specialist managers
Pharmacists
Veterinarians
Social workers

So while the Skilled Worker Visa can be a good choice for those who want to come to the UK to work in the health sector, other professionals can also apply for it.

Those who come to the UK on the Skilled Worker Visa might be able to apply for UK settlement after residing in the country for 5 years.

And, holders of the Skilled Worker Visa have the right to bring their dependents (their partner and children) to the UK with them. However, to be able to come to the UK with their relative who holds the Skilled Worker Visa, family members must obtain a dependent visa.

What Can I Do on the Health and Care Worker Visa?

Those who come to the UK on the Health and Care Worker Visa can work in an eligible medical job. Holders of the Health and Care Worker Visa must work for the NHS, an NHS supplier or in the adult social care sector.

Eligible job roles for the Health and Care Worker Visa include:

Medical practitioners
Nurses
Midwives
Paramedics
Dental nurses
Senior care workers
Physiotherapists
Psychologists
Pharmaceutical technicians
Care workers

Those who obtain the Health and Care Worker Visa are not allowed to work in nonmedical professions. However, in some circumstances, they might be able to take on additional work and do voluntary work.

Holders of the Health and Care Worker Visa have the right to apply for settlement in the UK after living in the country for 5 years. And, they are allowed to bring their partner and any dependent children to the UK with them.

Activity	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
Work
Work in sponsored role	Yes For the employer and occupation code on the CoS	Yes For the eligible health or care employer only
Change employer or job	Yes Update visa with a new CoS before starting	Yes Same process. Care workers must have 3+ months’ employment with current sponsor before switching.
Supplementary work	Up to 20 hours per week in same SOC or shortage occupation. Restricted for new entrants from 22 July 2025.	Same restriction from July 2025. New H&C holders cannot do medium-skilled supplementary work without updating their visa.
Self-employment	No Visa is tied to sponsored employment	No Same restriction
Study and volunteering
Study	Yes No restriction	Yes Identical
Voluntary work	Yes Unpaid voluntary work permitted	Yes Identical
Access to student loans	No	No
Travel and absence
Travel outside the UK	Yes Leave and return freely	Yes Identical
Absence limit for ILR	Maximum 180 days absence per rolling 12-month period. A single absence of more than 6 months breaks continuous residence for ILR purposes.
Healthcare and benefits
Access the NHS	Yes — from visa start date, after paying IHS (£1,035 per year)	Yes — from visa start date. No IHS surcharge payable at any point.
Prescription and dental charges	Standard NHS charges apply on both routes — the IHS covers GP and hospital care but not prescriptions or dental treatment.
Public funds and benefits	No No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition applies	No Same NRPF condition — no welfare, housing benefit, Universal Credit, or tax credits
Workplace pension	Yes Entitled to employer auto-enrolment	Yes Identical

Dependants

Partners and children under 18 can accompany both visa types. The critical exception is care workers — rule changes in March 2024 and July 2025 significantly restricted dependant rights for SOC 6135 and 6136 holders.

Rule	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
Who can come as a dependant
Partner or spouse	Yes Dependant applies separately	Yes For most roles. Restriction applies to care workers (SOC 6135/6136).
Children under 18	Yes Dependant child visa required	Yes For most roles. Same care worker restriction applies.
Adult children (18+)	Permitted in limited circumstances — must meet strict dependency criteria. Seek specialist advice for both routes.
Elderly parents	Very restrictive on both routes — Adult Dependent Relative route has high evidential requirements. Specialist immigration advice is strongly recommended.
Care worker dependant restrictions
Dependants for SOC 6135/6136	Not applicable — care workers are not eligible for SW	No new dependants for care workers who applied on or after 11 March 2024. This includes all new overseas care worker applications.
Existing dependants	Not applicable	Dependants who were granted leave before 11 March 2024 are unaffected — they can remain and extend their leave as normal.
Dependants’ rights
Work rights	No restriction — dependants can work in any job including skilled work	No restriction — identical work rights for dependants on both routes
Study rights	Yes Can study at any level	Yes Identical

Settlement & Extension

Both routes lead to an identical long-term settlement pathway. There is no advantage to either visa when it comes to ILR eligibility, extensions, or the route to British citizenship.

Milestone	Skilled Worker Visa	Health & Care Worker Visa
Visa length and extension
Maximum initial visa length	Up to 5 years	Same Up to 5 years
Can you extend?	Yes — unlimited extensions while eligibility criteria are met	Same Unlimited extensions
Conditions to extend	Must still have a valid sponsored job at eligible salary with licensed employer	Same conditions — must remain in an eligible H&C role at required salary
Changing employer on extension	Yes — new CoS required; update visa before starting	Same — new CoS required from eligible H&C employer
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
When can you apply?	After 5 years of continuous lawful residence in the UK	Identical After 5 years
Continuous residence rule	Maximum 180 days absence per rolling 12-month period. A single absence over 6 months breaks continuous residence. Both routes apply the same rule.
Time in other routes counting	Concessions in the Immigration Rules allow time held in certain other routes while waiting for a decision to count toward the 5-year ILR clock — identical for both routes.
Life in the UK Test	Required for ILR — same for both routes. The test covers British history, culture, and values.
English language for ILR	B1 CEFR level required at ILR stage — same standard already met at visa application stage.
British citizenship
When can you apply?	Typically 12 months after ILR — usually year 6 in the UK overall	Identical Same timeline
Route to citizenship	ILR → British Naturalisation. Both routes follow the same pathway with identical requirements for length of residence, good character, language, and the Life in the UK Test.
Dual nationality	The UK permits dual citizenship — check whether your home country also permits it, as rules vary.

How Can IAS Help?

Applying for the Skilled Worker Visa or Health and Care Visa can be complicated as each of them comes with slightly different eligibility criteria. At IAS, we have a team of highly qualified immigration lawyers who can help you determine whether you are eligible to apply.

If you are not sure which visa you should choose, our lawyers can help you determine it. Regardless of which visa you decide to apply for, our immigration experts can guide you through the application process. Thanks to their professional assistance you can maximise the chances of your application being approved.

Your immigration lawyer will also answer any questions you might have and review your application before you submit it to make sure you included all the necessary information and documents.

Call us today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to find out more about how we can help.

If you have any questions about your Skilled Worker visa or Health and Care visa application, our lawyers can help.

We offer immigration advice sessions as face to face appointments at all of our UK offices, or via the phone.

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Written by Immigration Advice Service

Ono Okeregha

Director - Immigration Advice Service

Ono Okeregha is the director of the Immigration Advice Service. He is a committed human rights and immigration lawyer. He was awarded the IoD North West SME of the year award and commended for his work in equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Legal Disclaimer

The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at Immigration Advice Service before making any decisions based on the content provided.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Health and Care Visa and the Skilled Worker Visa are separate visas. The former is intended only for foreign nationals coming to the UK to work in medical roles. The latter is available to medical professionals but also to other skilled occupations.

Regardless of which visa foreign nationals wish to obtain, they must hold a job offer in the UK. And, after they spend 5 years living in the country, they can apply for UK settlement.

The short answer to this question is yes. Those who want to get the Health and Care Visa must provide proof confirming that they have a good command of the English language (level B1 or higher on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages scale).

To prove their language skills, they must do one of the following:

Pass a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider
Prove that they have a GCSC, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English (obtained through studying in the UK when they were younger than 18 years old)
Have a degree that was taught in English

Nationals of English-speaking countries are exempt from this requirement.

Holders of the Skilled Worker Visa have the right to come to the UK to work for the employer who gave them a job offer for the role they included in their visa application.

Those who want to work for a different employer or switch to a different role with the same employer must apply to update their Skilled Worker Visa.

To be able to obtain the Skilled Worker Visa, applicants must be paid at least £41,700 per year or the going rate for their job, whichever is lower.

Health and Care Worker visa holders must generally be paid at least £29,000 a year.