Health and Care Worker visa

United Kingdom · for applicants from Nigeria

Verified · 20 August 2026

Sub-route of Skilled Worker for eligible health/adult-social-care professionals sponsored by an NHS body, NHS supplier or CQC-regulated provider. Reduced fee and IHS exemption. Overseas care worker / senior care worker (SOC 6135/6136) applications closed 22 Jul 2025.

Rules last verified: 20 August 2026 · by Beatrice B

At a glance

Embassy processing

About 3 weeks (faster track)

Our turnaround

5–7 working days

Done-for-you Standard

Government fees

~£394

≈ ₦717,868

Path to settlement

5 years

Why applications get refused

Role not on eligible list

Occupation code not eligible (e.g. care worker overseas after Jul 2025).

Fix: Confirm the SOC code is on the current Health & Care list before applying.

Salary below required floor

Pay below £25,000 pay-scale or £31,300 non-scale, or below going rate.

Fix: Match the offer to the correct floor and the occupation going rate.

Missing professional registration

Clinical role without required UK professional registration evidence.

Fix: Provide NMC/GMC (etc.) registration or proof it is in progress as allowed.

Document checklist

Required

Bank statement (3 months)

Passport

Certificate of Sponsorship from health sponsor

When: "all"

Current passport

When: "all"

Proof of English language ability

When: "unless exempt"

Criminal record certificate

When: "health & care roles"

TB test certificate

When: "Nigeria"

Depends on your situation

Proof of accommodation

Relevant professional registration (e.g. NMC, GMC)

Application timeline

1. Prepare your application

Gather documents, draft supporting letters, complete forms

1–3 weeks

2. Rekoja review (if Done-for-you)

Specialist checks your file before you submit

5–7 working days

3. Submit online or at visa centre

Biometrics appointment may be required

1 day

4. Embassy decision

Standard processing. Priority options may be available.

About 3 weeks (faster track)

All-in government fees

These are the fees you pay to the government, not Rekoja's service fee. Shown at the indicative exchange rate.

Mandatory

Visa application fee

£324

590,328

Tuberculosis (TB) test at an approved clinic (IOM Nigeria charges about $94; the price is set by the clinic, not the Home Office)

£70

127,540

Biometric enrolment

£0

0

IHS, EXEMPT for Health & Care Worker

£0

0

Total government fees

394

≈ ₦717,868

Optional

Priority / super-priority service (optional)

£500

911,000

Indicative. 1 GBP = 1,822 NGN · 16 September 2026. Government fees change. Confirm on the official website before paying.

What a free chatbot cannot do

A free AI can tell you the rules. Rekoja does the harder part: we verify them against the official government source, prepare the actual application file, catch what gets people refused, and a specialist checks everything before you submit. We stand behind our work.

  • Rules verified against the official source, with the date
  • Document checklist built for your specific profile
  • The inconsistency check that catches what gets people refused
  • A human reviews your complete file before submission

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Common questions about the Health and Care Worker visa

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Real outcomes

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Not a visa decision or legal advice. Rules shown are as of the last verification date above. Immigration rules change. Confirm before filing. The embassy decides, not Rekoja.