Under the new scheme, qualified doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who have been trained to a recognized standard will benefit from fast-track entry, reduced visa fees and dedicated support to come to the UK with their families. The Government committed to introducing a ‘Health and Care Visa’ for qualified doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who have been trained to a recognized standard and who have good working English. The scope of the visa is being extended to include eligible persons working in the social care sector. The benefits for such workers are fast-track entry, reduced visa fees and dedicated support to come to the UK with their families. In addition, as announced by the Prime Minister on 21^st May, people applying for the Health and Care Visa, and their dependent family, will be exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge. This offer will form part of the Tier 2 (General) regime for skilled workers1. The Health and Care Visa is now available to applicants since 4 August 2020.

ELIGIBILITY

The Health and Care Visa is available for individuals who:

1. are applying under Tier 2 (General) for Entry Clearance or Leave to Remain; and,
2. will be taking up a job in one of the occupations specified within the list of Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes which are:

• 2112 – Biological scientists and biochemists
• 2113 – Physical Scientists
• 2211 – Medical Practitioners
• 2212 – Psychologists
• 2213 – Pharmacists
• 2214 – Ophthalmic Opticians
• 2215 – Dental practitioners
• 2217 – Medical Radiographers
• 2218 – Podiatrists
• 2219 – Health Professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2221 – Physiotherapists
• 2222 – Occupational Therapists
• 2223 – Speech and Language Therapists
• 2229 – Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
• 2231 – Nurses
• 2232 – Midwives
• 2442 – Social Workers
• 3213 – Paramedics

Note: This is an exhaustive list – applicants must be taking up a job in one of the above occupations to be eligible for the Health and Care Visa 2.

3. will be employed or engaged by:

• An NHS Foundation Trust in England, an NHS Trust in England, the Care Quality Commission, Health Education England, Health Research Authority, Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, Human Tissue Authority, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Blood and Transplant, NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Digital (the Health and Social Care Information Centre), NHS England (the NHS Commissioning Board), NHS Improvement (Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority, NHS Resolution (the NHS Litigation Authority or Public Health England, a Local Authority or Clinical Commissioning Group; or
• A local Health Board in Wales, Health Education & Improvement Wales, Public Health Wales, The Welsh Ambulance Service or Velindre NHS Trust; or
• A Health Board or Special Health Board, Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (known as the Care Inspectorate) or Scottish Social Services Council; or
• A Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency, Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency, Northern Ireland Practice and Education Committee, Northern Ireland Social care Council, Patient and Client Council, Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-Being (the Public Health Agency), Regional Business Services Organisation, Regional Health and Social Care Board or Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority; or

4. A person who is employed:
5. To provide, or to support the provision of, regulated activities as prescribed in Schedule 1 (read with Schedule 2) to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/2936), and who is also employed or engaged by an institution or organization registered with the Care Quality Commission; or
6. For the purposes of an establishment or agency in Wales regulated under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000; or c) For the purposes of a service regulated under Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016; or
7. A person who is employed or engaged by a party to: a) A general medical services contract to provide primary medical services, or an agreement for the provision of primary medical services under section 50 of the NHS (Wales) Act 2006; or b) A general dental services contract to provide primary dental services, or an agreement for the provision of primary dental services under section 64 of the NHS (Wales) Act 2006; or
8. A person who: a) Is providing care services as defined in section 47(1) of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and registered under that Act; or b) Is employed or engaged by an organisation registered with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland; or c) Is, or who is employed or engaged in connection with the provision of services under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 by, a party (other than a Health Board) to: – an arrangement to provide services under section 2C of that Act; – an agreement to provide services under section 17C of that Act; – a contract to provide services under section 17J of that Act; or – an arrangement to provide services under section 25, 26 or 27 of that Act; or
9. A person who is employed or engaged by a General Practitioner Federation or by any entity with which the Northern Ireland Regional Health and Social Care Board has a contract or an arrangement under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 to provide Family Practitioner Services; or
10. A person who is employed or engaged by a body registered with, or monitored or inspected by, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, and who, if that body were in England and they were employed or engaged by it, would meet the criteria set out in (vi) a), above; or
11. A person employed or engaged by, or registered with, one of the following organisations: General Chiropractic Council; General Dental Council; General Medical Council; General Optical Council; General Osteopathic Council; General Pharmaceutical Council; Health and Care Professions Council; Northern Ireland Social Care Council; Nursing and Midwifery Council; Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; Scottish Social Services Council (under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001) or Social Care Wales, or
12. A person employed by an organisation providing adult social care services. Adult social care services means any services which an English Local Authority must or may provide or arrange to be provided under: a) Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 – (After-care) b) Part 1 of the Care Act 2014 (Care and Support).

Applicants for the Health and Care Visa will need to meet all relevant criteria for a Tier 2 (General) migrant, which are:

• have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job:

A certificate of sponsorship holds your personal details and information about the job you’ve been offered. It’s an electronic record, not a paper document. Your sponsor will give you a certificate of sponsorship reference number to add to your application.

You can only use your certificate of sponsorship reference number once. You must use it 3 months after getting it.

• show you’re being paid an appropriate salary for your job
• prove your knowledge of English
• have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK
• show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years
• have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country
• provide a criminal record certificate from any country you’ve lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, if you’ll be working with vulnerable people

EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS

The employer will be required to include a brief explanation in the Certificate of Sponsorship setting out how the employee will meet the Health and Care Visa requirement. The employer will also be responsible for informing the applicant they are eligible for the Health and Care Visa so the applicant can correctly complete the visa application form. Where an employer is an organization that provides services commissioned by the NHS, evidence of the contract arrangements with the NHS may need to be provided to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as proof that applicants are eligible to apply for a Health and Care Visa.