Salary Guide

Health and Care Worker Visa Salary Requirements — NHS Pay Bands and £23,200 Minimum

Care workers and health professionals on the Health and Care Worker visa route have a lower minimum salary of £23,200 per year — well below the general £38,700 Skilled Worker threshold. NHS staff are paid on national pay bands. The lower rate reflects the importance of recruiting for the UK's health and social care sector.

Source: Home Office Appendix Skilled Occupations, effective 4 April 2024

What is the Health and Care Worker visa?

The Health and Care Worker visa is a sub-category of the Skilled Worker route for NHS workers, adult social care workers, and certain allied health professionals. Eligible roles include registered nurses, care workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and several others listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations.

The £23,200 minimum salary

Applicants on the Health and Care Worker route must be paid at least £23,200 per year. This is significantly lower than the general £38,700 Skilled Worker threshold. It applies specifically to roles in the health and social care sector where the employer holds an appropriate sponsor licence.

NHS pay bands

NHS employees are paid on a national pay scale known as Agenda for Change (AfC). Band 5 starts at £29,970, Band 6 at £37,338, and Band 7 at £46,148. Most registered nurses enter at Band 5. The £23,200 minimum applies primarily to care worker roles (Band 3 and below), not to clinical roles which typically exceed it.

What roles qualify?

The following SOC codes are explicitly listed under the Health and Care Worker visa: 2231 (Registered Nurses), 2222 (Physiotherapists), 2223 (Occupational Therapists), 6145 (Care Workers), and others specified in Appendix Skilled Occupations. Your employer must also be an NHS body, local authority, or a registered adult social care provider.

Verifying a care worker CoS

Care worker CoS fraud is the most reported type of visa fraud in the UK. The high volume of legitimate sponsorship in this sector makes it easy for fraudsters to mimic. Always verify that the employer is on the UKVI sponsor register, is a genuine operating care provider, and that the salary on the CoS meets the £23,200 minimum.

This page provides general information about UK immigration salary rules. Rules change frequently — always verify the current thresholds on GOV.UK (Appendix Skilled Occupations) before making any visa decision. This is not legal advice. Consult a regulated immigration adviser (OISC Level 2+) for advice specific to your situation.

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