If you are already in the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa and wish to extend your stay, you can apply for an extension before your current visa expires.
The earliest you can apply for the Health and Care Worker visa extension is 60 days before the expiry of your current work visa to extend your stay in the UK.
For an extension of the Health and Care Worker visa, the applicant must be sponsored by NHS, an NHS supplier or adult social care to do an eligible job in the UK.
If you want to extend your Health and Care Worker visa, call our immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 for legal assistance with your visa extension application.
Table of Contents
- What is a Health and Care Worker visa?
- What is a Health and Care Worker visa extension?
- How to extend a Health and Care Worker Visa?
- Requirements for the extension of Health and Care Worker visa
- Documents you'll need to apply for a health and care visa extension
- Health and Care Worker visa points calculator
- Occupation codes for Health and Care Worker visa
- Approved UK health and care sector employers
- How long does it take to get a Health and Care visa extension?
- Immigration lawyer for Health and Care Worker visa extension
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Need legal advice or help from an immigration lawyer?
What is a Health and Care Worker visa?
The Health and Care Worker visa category is designed for healthcare professionals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland who want to work in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) or the social care sector.
The Health and Care Worker visa is part of the UK's points-based immigration system and falls under the Skilled Worker route.
This visa category aims to facilitate the entry of qualified healthcare professionals into the UK to address staffing shortages in the healthcare and social care sectors. It provides an opportunity for skilled individuals to contribute to the UK's healthcare system while also offering them a pathway to settle in the UK in the long term.
What is a Health and Care Worker visa extension?
The Health and Care Worker visa extension allows individuals who are already in the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa to extend their stay beyond the initial visa duration.
This extension allows individuals to continue living and working in the UK under the Health and Care Worker visa category. To be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa extension, the applicant must meet all the eligibility requirements.
How to extend a Health and Care Worker Visa?
You must apply online for an extension of your visa if you are already in the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa. Application for the extension of a Health and Care Worker visa cannot be made from outside the UK.
To apply for a Health and Care Worker visa in the UK, an applicant must follow these steps:
- Check if you are eligible
- Get a certificate of sponsorship
- Collect the necessary documents
- Fill out the application form and apply online
- Book & attend a biometric appointment
- Wait for a decision
Requirements for the extension of Health and Care Worker visa
To be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa in the UK, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- You must have a job offer from a UK employer in the health or social care sector.
- You must have appropriate skills & qualifications to do the job.
- You must be able to speak, read, write and understand English to the required level.
- You must have enough money to support yourself without needing to rely on public funds.
You must also meet all the other eligibility requirements depending on type of application and your personal circumstances. Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and to discuss the options.
Minimum salary requirement
The Health and Care Worker visa has a minimum salary requirement that an employer must pay to sponsor a migrant worker. The minimum salary requirement varies depending on the job the individual is applying for and their skill level.
The current annual general salary threshold for a Health and Care Worker visa is £26,200 per year or £10.75 per hour, whichever is higher.
Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. Check the going rate for your job in the going rates table.
Documents you'll need to apply for a health and care visa extension
To apply for a Health and Care Worker visa extension, an applicant must submit several documents, including:
- A valid passport or other travel documents
- Certificate of Sponsorship
- your job title and annual salary
- your job's occupation code
- the name of your employer and their sponsor licence number
- Evidence that you meet the financial requirement
- Evidence of your knowledge of the English language
This is a general list of documents. Depending on type of application and your personal circumstances, you might also need to provide additional documents.
Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and find out the required list of documents in support of your application.
Health and Care Worker visa points calculator
To be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa, you must score a minimum of 70 points. The points breakdown is as follows:
- 20 points - You must have a job offer from a UK employer with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
- 20 points - Prove your knowledge of the English language.
- 20 points - You must be a qualified health professional and have appropriate skills & qualifications.
- 20 points - You must meet the minimum salary requirement.
- 10 points - You must be able to support yourself financially in the UK without relying on public funds.
- 10 points - You must meet the health requirements.
- 10 points - You must not have any criminal convictions.
Occupation codes for Health and Care Worker visa
To qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa extension, your job must be in one of the following occupation codes:
- 1181: health services and public health managers and directors
- 1242: residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
- 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 that are 'not elsewhere classified', such as audiologists and occupational health advisers
- 2221: physiotherapists
- 2222: occupational therapists
- 2223: speech and language therapists
- 2229: therapy professionals that are 'not elsewhere classified', such as osteopaths and psychotherapists
- 2231: nurses
- 2232: midwives
- 2442: social workers
- 3111: laboratory technicians
- 3213: paramedics
- 3216: dispensing opticians
- 3217: pharmaceutical technicians
- 3218: medical and dental technicians
- 3219: health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
- 6141: nursing auxiliaries and assistants
- 6143: dental nurses
- 6145: care workers and home carers
- 6146: senior care workers
Approved UK health and care sector employers
Before you apply for an extension of the Health and Care Worker visa, you must have a job offer from an approved UK employer.
You must have a job offer from:
- the NHS
- an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
- an organisation providing adult social care
Read the guidance to see a full list of eligible employers.
How long does it take to get a Health and Care visa extension?
Home Office UKVI take approximately 8 weeks to process Health and Care Worker visa extension applications if applying from inside the UK using standard service. Time starts once you've applied online and attended your biometric appointment.
You may be eligible to use the 'super priority service' to get a faster decision by the end of the next working day (within 24 hours). You'll need to pay £1,000 in addition to the UK Health and Care Worker visa application fee.
Immigration lawyer for Health and Care Worker visa extension
The application process and requirements for the extension of a Health and Care Worker visa may change over time, so applicants should always consult with a qualified immigration lawyer or advisor for the latest information and eligibility requirements.
Call our immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 for legal help with your Health and Care Worker visa extension application. We will help you every step of the way.
Assistance with UK visa extension application
As part of our immigration services for your immigration application, our expert immigration lawyer will:
- assess your eligibility for the relevant visa type by fully considering your circumstances;
- advise you on the required supporting documents to be submitted in support of your immigration application;
- assess all the documents to ensure that the documents you provide are as per the requirements of the Immigration Rules;
- advise you on strengths and potential weaknesses in your visa application and how you can overcome such weaknesses if any;
- complete the online immigration draft application form to share it with you for cross-checking;
- submit your application online and schedule your biometrics appointments with the relevant commercial partner of the UKVI;
- prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the immigration application explaining in detail how you are meeting all the requirements of the Immigration Rules so that you have the maximum chances of succeeding in your visa application;
- upload all the supporting documents online in support of the immigration application in their correct format and order;
- dealing and responding to any caseworker enquiries or correspondence from the Home Office caseworker for any further documents or information concerning your pending immigration application;
- do all the follow-up work on your immigration application until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI.
Contact our experienced and friendly immigration lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in our enquiry form to get reliable & confidential immigration advice and legal assistance with a UK visa application or any other immigration matter.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding UK visa extensions:
Yes, in most cases, you can stay in the UK while waiting for your visa extension to be processed. As long as you submitted your visa extension application before your previous visa expired.
To extend your UK visa, you typically need to apply online through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website. You'll need to complete the appropriate application form, pay the required fees, and provide the necessary supporting documents.
In most cases, you can continue working or studying while your visa extension application is being processed, as long as you submitted the application before your previous visa expired. However, it's important to check the specific conditions and limitations of your visa category.
It's generally advisable not to travel outside the UK while your visa extension is pending, as it may impact the processing of your application. If you need to travel urgently, it's best to seek advice from an immigration lawyer.
Most UK visa extension applications for work, study and family visas are currently being processed within 8 weeks if applying from inside the UK. However, you may be eligible to use the 'super priority service' or 'priority service' to get a faster decision depending on the type of application.
Applicants are advised to check the latest information about UK visa application processing time on the official UK government website either applying from inside the UK or outside the UK.
If your visa extension application is refused, you may have the right to appeal the decision or apply for an administrative review. The refusal letter should outline the available options and the deadline for taking action. If the application is rejected, you may be required to leave the UK immediately. Seeking advice from an immigration lawyer is recommended in such cases.
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