What Is the Difference Between a Skilled Worker Visa and Health and Care Worker Visa?

For overseas nationals wishing to live and work in the UK, applying for the right visa type is crucial. The UK visa system offers a variety of work visas, with the Skilled Worker visa being a popular option. However, under the Skilled Worker route, a separate Health and Care Worker visa operates. While both visa types allow individuals to work in the UK and the same Immigration Rules apply to both visas (Appendix Skilled Worker), they serve different purposes and cater to distinct sectors. For medical professionals and healthcare workers, the Health and Care Worker visa offers some unique advantages. However, both visas share certain commonalities, such as requirements for a valid job offer and employer sponsorship.

In this post, we will explore the differences between the Skilled Worker visa and Health and Care Worker visa, outlining the eligibility criteria, benefits and key distinctions between these two visa types. This guide will help you determine which visa is best suited to your situation, whether you are a healthcare professional, a senior care worker, or someone considering a role in other sectors covered under the Skilled Worker visa.

What Is the Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled Worker visa is one of the UK’s primary work visa categories, designed for overseas nationals who have been offered a job in the UK. It replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa and applies to individuals across a wide range of sectors. Unlike the Health and Care Worker visa, the Skilled Worker visa covers professions in various industries, including IT, engineering, education, and finance.

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, applicants must meet several eligibility criteria under Immigration Rules:

• Job offer and sponsorship: The individual must have a confirmed job offer from a UK employer who holds a valid sponsor licence.
• Occupation code: The job must be on the approved list of occupation codes provided by the UK government. This ensures that the role meets the required skill level and is suitable for sponsorship.
• Minimum salary requirement: Generally, the salary for the role must meet the minimum salary threshold, which is currently £38,700 or the going rate for the specific job, whichever is higher. Certain roles, such as those on the shortage occupation list, have reduced salary thresholds. Certain individuals, such as new entrants to the labour market, can also benefit from reduced salary thresholds. 
• English language requirements: Applicants must prove their proficiency in English, typically by achieving an approved qualification at Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or by holding a relevant qualification in English.
• Personal savings: Applicants must demonstrate they have enough personal savings to support themselves upon arrival, unless their employer agrees to certify their maintenance or they have been present in the UK for at least 12 months. 
• Work visa duration: The Skilled Worker visa can be valid for up to five years, with the option to extend or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)/Settlement after five years.

A wide variety of roles are suitable for sponsorship, making the Skilled Worker visa ideal for individuals working in specialised job roles outside of healthcare, such as IT consultants, engineers, and teachers. It also allows the visa holder to bring dependants, such as a spouse or children, to the UK.

With its broad scope, the Skilled Worker visa appeals to migrant workers across various sectors, providing a clear pathway to permanent residency through continuous employment.

What Is the Health and Care Worker Visa?

The Health and Care Worker visa is specifically designed for medical professionals and workers in the health and social care sector who wish to work in the UK. It offers many of the same benefits as other work visa routes but provides tailored advantages for healthcare roles. Introduced to support the UK's healthcare system, particularly in response to workforce shortages, this visa facilitates the recruitment of doctors, nurses, care workers, and other health professionals.

To be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa, applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Job offer and sponsorship: Applicants must have a valid job offer from an approved employer, such as the NHS, an NHS supplier, or an organisation that provides adult social care. The employer must be licensed to sponsor Skilled Workers. 
• Eligible health and care roles: The visa is limited to specific eligible job roles within the health and care sectors. Eligible health professionals include doctors, nurses, nursing auxiliaries, ambulance staff, care workers, social workers, and public health managers. The sponsored role must correspond to an approved health and care occupation code.
• Salary requirement: As with the Skilled Worker visa, applicants must meet the minimum salary requirement. However, for the Health and Care Worker visa, the salary threshold is much lower; for the majority of roles the general salary threshold is £23,200. Similar to the Skilled Worker route, the salary on offer must also comply with the going rate for the role. Some health and care roles are, however, subject to a higher general salary threshold. 
• English language requirements: Like the Skilled Worker visa, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English to Level B1 CEFR. This can be done through a recognised language test, a relevant academic qualification, or by proving they are a national of a majority English-speaking country.
• Personal savings: Just like the Skilled Worker route, Health and Care Workers must demonstrate they have enough personal savings to support themselves upon arrival, unless their employer agrees to certify their maintenance or they have been present in the UK for at least 12 months.

This visa also allows many applicants to bring their family members, including a spouse and any children; however, those sponsored as care workers or senior care workers since 11 March 2024 have not been able to bring their family members with them to the UK. The route does, however, offer a pathway to indefinite leave to remain after five years, similar to the Skilled Worker visa.

What Are the Key Differences Between the Skilled Worker Visa and Health and Care Worker Visa?

While both the Skilled Worker visa and Health and Care Worker visa allow overseas nationals to live and work in the UK, there are several key differences between the two.

Eligibility and sector focus

The Skilled Worker visa covers a broad range of professions across various industries, including IT, engineering, finance and education. Anyone with a job offer from a UK employer in an eligible role that meets the skill and salary thresholds can apply.

In contrast, the Health and Care Worker visa is strictly limited to specified healthcare professionals. Applicants must have a job offer in a healthcare role, and employers must be approved by the NHS, an NHS supplier, or organisations providing adult social care.

Processing times and fees

The Health and Care Worker visa provides notable advantages in terms of processing times and fees. Applications for the Health and Care Worker visa are typically fast-tracked, with processing taking approximately three weeks, whereas Skilled Worker visa applications typically take longer. However, UKVI priority services are usually available for both visa routes. 

Another major benefit for the Health and Care Worker route is that such workers are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), a fee levied on most visa holders to access the UK’s NHS. Exemption from this healthcare surcharge saves applicants and their family members a significant amount, as the IHS fee is usually £1,035 per year, or £776 for students or children. In comparison, Skilled Worker visa applicants must pay the IHS fee.

Additionally, the application fee for a Health and Care Worker visa is also lower than that of the Skilled Worker visa. This reduction makes it a more affordable option for qualified doctors, nurses, and other eligible healthcare staff.

Salary thresholds

Both visas require applicants to meet a minimum salary requirement, but the thresholds can differ. For the Skilled Worker visa, the general salary threshold is £38,700 or the going rate for the specific job, whichever is higher.

For the Health and Care Worker visa, the minimum salary is lower; for many roles the general salary threshold is £23,200, but for some roles, a slightly higher general salary threshold of £29,000 applies. The salary must also comply with the going rate for the role. The reduced general salary threshold makes it easier for UK employers to hire care workers, domiciliary care managers, and other healthcare professionals who may not meet the higher salary thresholds required for other sectors. By way of example, if the UK didn’t operate a Health and Care Worker visa, the NHS salary band for Staff Nurses in Manchester is £29,970 to £36,483, which is clearly below the Skilled Worker general salary threshold, despite such roles being highly skilled. 

Flexibility and employment changes

Both visas allow the holder to change jobs or switch employers, provided the new role meets the relevant eligibility requirements. Additionally, visa holders under both schemes can bring dependants, such as a spouse or children, to the UK, although care workers/senior care workers sponsored since 11 March 2024 have been prohibited from bringing their family members with them to the UK.

Which Visa Is Right for You?

Choosing between the Skilled Worker visa and the Health and Care Worker visa will primarily depend on your job role and the sector you will be working in. If you work in the healthcare sector or adult social care, health and care visas offer significant benefits. These include:

• Lower visa application fees
• Exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, saving you considerable costs
• Fast-tracked processing, ensuring that you can start your role as quickly as possible
• A lower minimum salary requirement

For those in other industries, the Skilled Worker visa is the appropriate route. If your role does not fall under the health and care sector, you will need to apply for the Skilled Worker visa. Although this visa requires payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge and may have higher fees, it still provides a pathway to living and working in the UK, with the possibility of applying for ILR after five years.

The Skilled Worker visa is best suited for:

• Professionals in specialised job roles outside of healthcare.
• Individuals who meet the minimum salary requirement of £38,700 or the going rate for their profession (although sometimes lower salary requirements apply).
• Those working for a UK employer with a valid sponsor licence.

It is worth noting that if your circumstances change - for example, if you are offered a healthcare role while on a Skilled Worker visa - you may be able to switch to a Health and Care Worker visa, provided you meet the eligibility criteria. Similarly, Health and Care Worker visa holders who move to a different sector can switch to the Skilled Worker visa if they change jobs, so long as the new role is eligible under the Skilled Worker visa rules.

If you are unsure which visa is right for you, or need help with the application process, contacting a legal expert can ensure that you apply for the correct visa and navigate the requirements smoothly.

At JMW, we are here to help you understand the eligibility criteria and secure the right visa for your future in the UK. If you are looking to move to the UK and want to speak to our experienced immigration solicitors for help and advice, call us on 0345 872 6666, or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch.