Skilled medical professionals are highly sought after across the UK. By the end of 2023, the Home Office recorded 146,477 grants to applicants for the Health and Care Visa. This is the main immigration pathway for foreign and qualified medical personnel in the UK.

However, recent changes to the Health and Care route in 2024, meant to curb overall net migration figures, could make the country a less attractive destination for medical migrants.

If you’re a qualified doctor, nurse, or another healthcare professional with dreams of practising medicine in the UK, it’s essential to understand the new regulations and other visa requirements to enable you to plan accurately.

What Were the Challenges in the UK Health and Care System?

The Health and Care Visa was launched under the Skilled Worker Visa route in August 2020. It was created following Brexit. This led to a decrease in the number of EU healthcare workers coming to the UK. There was also a strain on the NHS due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The benefits of the health and care route included reduced visa fees. Further benefits included fast-track entry, exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge, and dedicated support for applicants’ families. The route was expanded in 2021 to include social care workers and home carers. Thus significantly expanding the pool of eligible healthcare workers who could apply for the visa.

Work visa and dependent applications kept increasing at an alarming rate year after year, leading to an increase in overall net migration numbers. In 2023, visa grants to main applicants on the health and care route represented over 43% of all work visas in the UK and over 72% of all dependent work visas were granted to health and care dependents.

Additionally, there were concerns about non-compliance among sponsors, worker exploitation, modern-day slavery, and abuse of care workers.

For instance, the Home Office granted sponsor licences to at least 268 companies that the CQC had never inspected and 275 visas to care homes that did not exist. Cases also arose of sponsors offering employment under false pretences, charging illegal recruitment fees and trapping workers with repayment clauses.

Thus, on 4 December 2023, the UK Prime Minister and Home Secretary announced new measures to reduce immigration levels across different visa pathways, including the health and care route. There were also reforms to regulate sponsors and eliminate abuse in the care system.

What are the New Changes to the Health and Care Visa?

Increase in Minimum Salary Threshold

From 4 April 2024, applications for the Health and Care Visa for roles on national pay scales increased to ​​£23,200 annually from the previous amount of £20,960. The threshold for roles that are not on a national pay scale is set at £29,000.

Additionally, roles that require the general Skilled Worker Visa but are sponsored by an NHS organisation must meet the new skilled worker salary threshold of £38,700 annually.

If you’re applying for a health and care role or to work with an NHS organisation, your earnings must meet the new minimum thresholds or the occupation-specific rate for the role, whichever is higher.

Revamp of the Shortage Occupation List

The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) was abolished on 4 April 2024 and replaced with the new Immigration Salary List (ISL). All roles on the ISL will no longer allow employers to sponsor migrant workers for 20% less than the general threshold as the SOL did.

Instead, health and care roles on the list must meet a minimum salary threshold of £23,200, an increase from the old SOL’s threshold of £20,960. Employers are required to pay either the minimum salary or the occupation-specific threshold, whichever is higher.

Restriction on Dependents

From March 11, 2024, the government restricted care workers (SOC code 6145) and senior care workers (SOC code 6146) from bringing dependents into the UK. The government targeted care and senior care workers because they represented the most visas granted to main applicants and dependents in the Health and Care route. By April 2024, one month after this policy took effect, dependent applications fell by almost 60% compared to April 2023.

Regulation of Health and Care Sponsors

From 11 March 2024, care and senior care sponsors must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England before hiring migrant workers.

Care providers in exclusively non-regulated activities like shopping, cleaning, and household tasks could continue to sponsor their existing workers even for visa extensions. However, they are required to register with the CQC to hire new workers.

Other Health and Care Visa Requirements to Consider

Besides the new reforms, consider other requirements before moving to the UK as qualified medical personnel in 2024. To qualify for the Health and Care Visa, you must meet these criteria:

  • Work in an eligible health or social care job.
  • Work for a UK employer approved by the Home Office.
  • Have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer with details about your role in the UK.
  • Possess sufficient knowledge of English.
  • Have at least £1,270 to support yourself during your first month in the UK.

When qualified medical personnel apply, they must submit specific documents to prove their eligibility, including:

  • A valid passport or travel document.
  • Your CoS reference number.
  • Details of your job, such as your employer’s name, sponsor licence number, job title, occupation code, and annual salary.
  • Your bank statement, unless your CoS indicates that your employer will support you.
  • A criminal record certificate.
  • A tuberculosis test certificate if required by your country of origin.

Additionally, pay the visa application fee, which costs £284 for up to three years. It costs £551 for more than three years.

Conclusion

If you are one of the qualified medical personnel considering moving to the UK in 2024, evaluate the recent Health and Care Visa changes. The increased minimum threshold might prevent you from taking jobs with some employers. They must review their pay structures to meet the new requirements. Furthermore, if you have dependents and apply for a care job, you cannot bring them to the UK.

Before applying, discuss your situation with a UK immigration lawyer. They can provide professional legal guidance and assist with your application.