It is quite surprising to know that Health and Care Workers have featured in the UK shortage occupation list. Are you aware of this development?
This occurred exactly in February of 2022 when the United Kingdom government officially announced that Health and care workers are on the UK Shortage Occupation List. For those who do not know what this means, it means that the United Kingdom (UK) are lacking in Health and care workers, and foreign nationals with experience and degree can get their visa approved quickly.
Health and Caregiver Jobs are among the top most in-demand professions in the UK. Through this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know regarding:
- How the UK Health and Care Worker Visa 2023 Process works,
- How you can apply for a visa as a foreign national,
- Requirements and everything you need,
- How expensive is the UK Health and Care Worker Visa.
Most times, people often hear about the UK Tier 2 General Visa, and how foreign nationals have been using it to get quick entry into the UK. Well, let me expose the truth here.
Health and Care Visa formally known as Tier 2 General Visa. This Visa is a Part of the UK Skilled Worker Visa.
According to UK’s immigration office, companies operating in the UK, and UK Care providers are authorised by the government to sponsor care workers from around the world to come and start working in the UK health and social care sector.
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Note that this particular profession does not require foreign nationals to have any high qualifications. Care workers earn a minimum of 20,000 to 40,000 pounds/month. Foreigners who are coming to work as Health and care workers in the UK are allowed to Live and work in the UK for 5 years, and if they have positive words from their employers, companies they work for, they can then apply to settle permanently in the UK.
Here’s more information regarding this visa route and how it could be of huge benefit to your plan of moving to the UK and working there.
Details About UK Health and Care Worker Visa 2023.
- Job Country: United Kingdom (UK).
- Visa Type: Health and Care Worker Visa.
- Stay Duration: 5 Years (You can renew the visa after five (5) years).
What is the Cost of a UK Health and Care Worker Visa?
Regardless of your location/country of origin, if you’re applying for a UK Health and care worker visa, the Standard application fee for the UK health and care work Visa is this:
- Up to 3 years: £247 per person.
- More than 3 years: £479 per person.
Take note that the UK Application fee for Health and Care worker visa is less expensive when compared to the UK Skilled Work Visa.
Qualification Occupations and their Codes.
The following occupations are accepted and deemed eligible by the UK’s government for all foreign nationals who are interested in applying for the Health and Care Visa.
Take note that all the occupations listed below are on the UK Shortage Occupations List for September, 2023. If your job is not in any of the occupations listed below, your application will likely be rejected.
Your job must be in one of the following occupation codes for you to be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa:
- 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.
To stay updated with the current list of UK shortcodes, you can always visit their website and search for your job in the ONS occupation coding tool. To do this, simply copy any code shared above and paste it into the ONS Tool, it will give you an overview of the job, work details, requirements, etc.
Companies Sponsoring UK Health and Care Worker Visa.
Note that not all registered UK companies are licenced to sponsor UK health care worker visas. Only approved UK Registered sponsors can sponsor your work visa into the country.
Note that you can only apply for any position in the UK Approved Sponsored company licenced by the government to sponsor visas. Because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK. After working with them and your visa validity period expires, their testimony will determine whether you’re qualified for a visa extension or rejected.
You must have a job offer from any of the following mentioned below:
- the NHS.
- Any organization that is currently providing medical services to the NHS.
- An organization providing adult social care.
You should know that the list of registered sponsor companies is constantly updated. You can choose to view the list of approved UK employers directly from the UK’s government official site. I’ll also recommend you go through the guidance to see the complete list of eligible and qualified employers.
Salary.
Workers in these fields usually earn a minimum of £20,960 annually.
Take note that each of these occupation codes has its own annual going rate. You can check out the current salary rates of the jobs in each of these occupation fields by Clicking Here.
Your Job is in a Shortage of Occupation.
As earlier disclosed at the beginning of this article, whenever you come across the word ‘shortage occupation’ it literally means that there is a shortage of workers, or the country is currently experiencing a shortage of workers in that occupation/field. Which in this case, is the UK.
The United Kingdom (UK) are currently experiencing a shortage of workers in the occupations listed above. This also signifies that foreigners who are knowledgeable in these occupations, or earned degrees in these occupations are urgently needed. Their visa request is quickly processed and hasten to give them quick passage into the UK as health and care workers.
If your job is on the shortage occupation list, you can be paid 80% of the job’s usual going rate.
I’ll advise you to quickly View the shortage occupations list and check to see if any of the eligible occupations mentioned above are present in the shortage occupation list. This can also maximize your chances of getting a Job and visa.
Knowledge of English.
One determining factor if your application will be approved or rejected by the UK’s immigration office is your knowledge of English. You will usually have to prove that you can speak English.
However, the UK government do have a list of countries that do not need to prove they can speak or communicate effectively in the English Language. You can check which countries do not need proof here → https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english
Qualification for UK Health and Care Worker Visa 2023.
- All applicants must have a current job offer from a UK Approved Employer before applying for a visa.
- Your certificate of sponsorship reference number – your employer will give you the following listed below:
- Valid passport.
- Your job’s occupation code.
- Clean criminal record.
- Must be paid according to the UK government
- Ensure that while applying for this visa, it’s required that you have enough money in your bank account to support yourself in the first month after arriving in the UK.
Duration of Health and Care Work Visa Holders in the UK?
I have seen this question asked so many times, and it’s important that you know the validity period of any visa before applying for it. Do you know how long you can Stay in the UK on a Health and Care Work Visa?
Your visa can stay for up to 5 years in the UK before applying for an extension, or in the rare case you don’t want to live in the UK, you can leave. After this, you will be eligible to apply to settle permanently in the UK.
How to Apply for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa 2023.
You can commence your application registration online. To apply, simply visit the UK’s Health and Care Visa portal by Clicking Here. It takes 3 weeks – 2 months for the UK’s immigration office to either approve or reject your visa application.
I will highly recommend you read a detailed overview of this Visa from the Government of UK Immigration and Visas.
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