Social care workers, care assistants and home care workers are to become eligible for a health and care visa for 12 months. The UK government announced that it will temporarily ease immigration rules to fill gaps in workforces. It followed warnings the sector faced "severe and increasing" problems with hiring and keeping staff after Brexit. Care workers are to be added to the shortage occupation list, which is designed to help migrants get work visas to fill jobs where there are shortages. These temporary measures are expected to take effect from the beginning of 2022 for a minimum of 12 months.
Since the UK left the EU, social care workers from EU countries are no longer free to work in the UK and they need to apply for visas to work in the UK.
What is a Health and Care Worker visa?
The Health and Care Worker was launched in August 2020. This visa allows medical professionals to come to the UK and work for the UK to work with the NHS, and NHS suppliers or in adult social care.
- They need to qualify for the English requirement to work in the UK.
- A minimum annual salary should be £20,480.
- They can also be joined by dependent partners and children.
- The Health and Care Worker Visa can lead to settlement in the UK after 5 years if the worker remains employed.
This visa offers a 50% reduction of the skilled worker visa application fee. The standard application fee for a Health and Care Worker visa is £232 per person for those who wish to stay in the UK for up to three years and £464 per person for those who wish to stay in the UK for more than three years.
Health and Care Worker visa applicants also benefit from an exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge and a speedier decision following application, with most applications processed within 3 weeks from the date biometrics (photo and fingerprints registration) are taken.
Changes to the Health and Care Worker Visa
Following a recent recommendation by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), care workers will also be added to the shortage occupation list.
The following jobs will be added as Health and Care Workers who can apply for a visa.
It includes positions of Care Assistant, Care Worker, Carer, Home Care Assistant, Home Carer and Support Worker (Nursing Home).
Applying for a sponsor licence to sponsor a health and care worker visa
As the health and care worker visa route is part of the skilled worker visa, an applicant for a health and care worker visa does require a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from a sponsoring employer before they can apply for their work visa.
Care providers who do not hold a sponsor licence can prepare to take advantage of the extension to the Health and Care Worker route by registering for a sponsorship license ahead of implementation.
If you need professional legal help to apply for a sponsor license or apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa, please leave a message or contact 020 3865 6219.