Most international NHS staff come to work in the UK on a “Health and Care Worker visa”.
The Health and Care Worker visa guidance provides a clear step by step guide.

To apply for a Health and Care Worker visa, you will need to have a job offer from an approved UK employer (also known as a “sponsor” because they are sponsoring you to come to stay in the UK). 

The job must meet the eligibility requirements:
 

  • you are a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional or adult social care professional. The job that you are applying for must be eligible for this visa. You can check this here:  Health and Care Worker visa: Your job - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
  • you will be working for an employer that has been approved by the UK Home Office
  • you will be paid the minimum salary (current minimum is £20,480 per year) or the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you will be doing - whichever is higher ( see info about NHS Salaries)


What are the costs of a Health and Care visa

Mid Cheshire Hospitals will pay for your Certificate of Sponsorship (see Certificate of sponsorship section for more info)
You will need to pay for your visa. The application fee depends on how long you will be in the UK:

  • up to 3 years - £247 per person
  • more than 3 years - £479 per person

When you apply for your Health and Care Worker visa, you will need to have enough money to: 

  • pay your application fee
  • support yourself when you arrive in the UK
     

You will need to be able to prove that you have a minimum of £1,270 available on your arrival in the UK and that this money has been available to you for at least the last 28 days.
Heath and Care Worker visa holders do not need to pay the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge.

Find out how much it costs to apply for a Health and Care Worker visa.

 

How to apply

You must apply for a Health and Care Worker visa via the UK Government.

The service tells you everything you need to know about the application process, including which documents you need to apply.

Note : Visa application centres may offer services for an additional charge (for example scanning and uploading your documents) but you do not have to purchase these additional services. You can check what documents you will need and upload these documents yourself for free before attending the visa application centre. Purchasing additional services at a visa application centre does not influence UK Visas and Immigration’s decision on your visa.