UK Health Care Worker Visa for Nurses from Africa: A Step-by-Step Guide
Abdullahi Suleiman
September 26, 2026
If you are a nurse in Africa planning to work in the UK, you have probably heard of the Health and Care Worker visa. This guide explains what the visa is, who it is for, and the steps you need to follow to apply.
The Health Care Worker visa for nurses is part of the UK’s Skilled Worker route and allows eligible health professionals to work for approved UK employers. For nurses coming from Africa, understanding how the visa fits together with professional registration, employment and sponsorship can save you from costly mistakes.
Table of Contents
UK Health and Care Worker Visa for Nurses from Africa
Let us start with the basics.
● Who Is the Health and Care Worker Visa For?
The Health and Care Worker visa allows qualified nurses, doctors, and other eligible health professionals to work in the UK for approved employers, including the National Health Service (NHS), organisations providing services to the NHS, and certain adult social care providers. Before applying, you must have an eligible job, an approved employer, and a Certificate of Sponsorship.
There is an important change to the Health and Care Worker Visa that you should know about. On 22 July 2025, the UK closed new applications for this visa to care workers and senior care workers from overseas. However, this change does not apply to nurses working in eligible nursing roles.
So if you are a qualified nurse planning to work as a nurse in the UK, the closure of overseas recruitment for care workers does not automatically prevent you from applying for a Health and Care Worker visa.
5 Steps to Getting Your UK Health Care Worker Visa
1. Complete Your NMC Registration
For nurses trained outside the UK, professional registration is an essential part of being able to practise as a nurse in the UK.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) assesses internationally trained nurses through its overseas registration process. Depending on your circumstances, this can involve qualification assessment, English language evidence, the Test of Competence, identity checks and other registration requirements.
You must be registered with the NMC before you can legally practise as a nurse in the UK. Employers are expected to check a nurse’s registration before allowing them to begin work.
READ ALSO: How to Become a Flight Nurse: A Complete Career Guide for African Nurses
If you are a Nigerian nurse, our guide on How to Get UK NMC Registration explains the registration process separately, including the CBT, OSCE, and required documentation.
Read also: How to Get UK NMC Registration
2. Secure a Job Offer From an Approved Sponsor
Once you have the professional requirements in place, you need a genuine job offer from an employer approved by the Home Office.
Eligible employers can include:
● The NHS
● Organisations providing medical services to the NHS
● Approved organisations in the adult social care sector
The employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and the job itself must be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa.
If you use a recruitment agency, check who your actual employer will be and whether that employer is licensed to sponsor workers. You can also ask the employer for the occupation code attached to the role, since the occupation code determines which immigration rules and salary requirements apply.
3. Receive Your Certificate of Sponsorship
After offering you the job, your approved employer must assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
Despite its name, this is not a paper certificate. It is an electronic record containing information about your sponsored job, including details such as your occupation and salary.
You need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship before you can submit your Health and Care Worker visa application.
You can think of the process as a chain like this:
Professional (NMC) registration → eligible job offer → sponsorship → visa application
Each part addresses a different requirement.
4. Meet the Salary and English Language Requirements
Your sponsored job must meet the relevant salary requirements for your occupation.
For eligible healthcare jobs, the rules use national pay scales. The current GOV.UK guidance states that eligible healthcare workers generally need to meet the relevant national pay-scale rate or the applicable minimum, whichever is higher.
For example, the current Band 5 figure listed for England is £29,970. This band pay is not static across the UK; it differs across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Ensure you do not rely on a single salary figure from an old migration guide. Check the current GOV.UK salary table for the occupation and UK nation where you will work.
Similarly, English language ability is also part of the visa requirements. If you have already satisfied the NMC’s English language requirements through an accepted test or another route recognised by the NMC, make sure you check whether that evidence can also be used for your visa application. Check GOV.UK, as they set out the current English-language rules for the Health and Care Worker route.
5. Submit Your Visa Application
Once you have your Certificate of Sponsorship and have confirmed that you meet the visa requirements, you can apply online.
Applicants applying from outside the UK will need to prove their identity and provide the required supporting documents. Depending on your circumstances and passport, this may involve using the UK Immigration ID Check app or attending a visa application centre to provide biometric information.
GOV.UK currently states that applicants outside the UK will usually receive a decision within three weeks after completing the application, proving their identity and providing the required documents. Some applications take longer if further checks are required.
What Does the Health and Care Worker Visa Cost?
The Health and Care Worker visa has a lower application fee than the standard Skilled Worker route.
As of the current fee schedule, the application fee is:
● £324 for a visa of up to three years
● £628 for a visa lasting more than three years
Kindly note that these fees apply per applicant. This means that if you are going with a dependant (spouse or child), you will each pay the application fee.
Additionally, you may need to show that you have enough money to support yourself when you arrive. GOV.UK currently states that most applicants need at least £1,270 available for this purpose, although some applicants are exempt, including those whose employer certifies that it will cover their initial costs.
One of the major financial advantages of the Health and Care Worker visa is that eligible applicants and their dependants do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (a mandatory fee paid by most people who apply for a UK visa; it allows you to use the UK’s National Health Service). However, you would still have to pay for medical services such as prescriptions, eye tests, and dental treatments.
Can Nurses Bring Their Families to the UK With Health and Care Worker Visa?
Health and Care Worker visa holders can generally bring eligible partners and children as dependants. However, the rules differ for certain occupations, particularly care workers and senior care workers.
The restrictions introduced for care workers and senior care workers do not apply in the same way to nurses. Eligible nurses can generally have dependants join them, subject to the normal dependant requirements.
Before making plans for your family, check the current GOV.UK dependant rules because eligibility depends on your occupation, visa status and the circumstances of each family member.
How Long Can Nurses Stay on the Visa?
The Health and Care Worker visa can be granted for up to five years at a time. You can extend it as long as you continue to meet the relevant requirements.
After five years, you may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain, provided you meet the settlement requirements, including the applicable salary, residence and employment conditions.
This means the visa can form part of a longer-term route to settlement. However, holding the visa does not automatically guarantee permanent residence.
Related: Ethical migration for African Nurses
Conclusion
The UK Health and Care Worker visa for nurses from Africa involves several separate requirements, and understanding their order makes the process easier to navigate.
First, make sure you meet the professional requirements for UK nursing and obtain NMC registration. Then secure an eligible nursing role with an approved sponsor. Next, receive your Certificate of Sponsorship, confirm that the job meets the relevant salary, satisfy the English-language requirements, and submit your visa application.
The visa currently offers several important benefits for eligible nurses, including reduced application fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge. Eligible nurses may also bring qualifying dependants and may eventually qualify for settlement after meeting the required conditions.
Because UK immigration rules, fees, and salary requirements can change, always check the current GOV.UK guidance before submitting an application.
