The UK is in the midst of a crisis in the care sector. While the number of people entering retirement age is steadily increasing, there are not enough people to replace them. This shortage has made it difficult for many care agencies to find employees or increase.
Luckily, this new visa was introduced to help address the UK’s current need for care workers and care assistants. Here are 6 things you should know about this visa!
What is the new UK visa for care workers and care assistants?
The new UK visa for care workers and care assistants is a new work permit that allows applicants to work in the UK and stay in the country for up to 12 months.
This innovative visa was introduced by the UK’s Home Office to help address the growing issue of not enough people available to take on care positions. It provides an opportunity for new workers from outside of the UK to enter the country, which will help fill gaps left by retiring individuals.
Applicants must be employed full-time or have a salary higher than £13,520 per year. They can also apply for this visa if they are already working in another type of non-European Union job that is required by British law and these jobs are no longer available in their area of employment.
The application process is relatively easy as it only takes 1 to 3 months from start to finish, with most officials estimating a wait time of 6 weeks or less. The only notable requirement applicants need to meet is written proof of their qualifications and police background check; however, there are some specific criteria that must be met before earning a permit such as having passed English language tests and medical examinations.
SOC Code for this job is 6146 titled Senior care workers for all jobs in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. The home Office allow 80% of going rate: £13,520 (£6.67 per hour) as the job is on the shortage occupation list.
Who can apply for this new visa?
The UK’s Care Visa is now available to those who are willing to offer their services in the care sector in the UK. With this visa, they can live and work in the UK without any restrictions on their stay for 12 months. There may be the possibility to be sponsored for longer stays before the health and care visa expires.
For those interested in applying, you will need to be:
You must have a job offer from an approved UK employer before you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa. Approved employers are also known as sponsors, because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK.
You must have a job offer from:
- the NHS
- an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
- an organisation providing adult social care
You must prove you can read, write, speak and understand English to at least level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
What documents do you need to apply for this new visa?
The Care Worker visa allows care workers and care assistants to work in the UK for a limited period of time. You need to have a job offer, proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in the UK, qualifications and experience.
You also need to submit an application form with supporting documents and evidence of criminal record checks. The cost of this application is £65, but you can apply online or by post
How much it costs
When you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa, you’ll need to have enough money to:
- pay the application fee
- support yourself when you arrive in the UK – you’ll usually need to have at least £1,270 available (unless you’re exempt)
You’ll be told how much you need to pay when you apply.
Application fees
The standard application fee depends on whether you’ll be in the UK for:
- up to 3 years – £232 per person
- more than 3 years – £464 per person
The fee is the same whether you apply from inside or outside the UK.
If you’re from an eligible country
Your application fee will be automatically reduced by £55 if you’re from one of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden or Turkey.
This reduction only applies to your visa application. Your partner and children will still need to pay the full application fee.
How long will the visa last?
The Care Visa is a 12 month visas to work in the United Kingdom.
What are the benefits of this new visa?
The Care Visa allows foreign nationals to work as care workers or care assistants in the UK. It is a short-term visa.
This new visa provides the opportunity for people from all over the world, such as China, Nepal, India, and Mexico, to enter the UK and work on a temporary basis within the care sector.
The Care Visa is also an option for those coming to live with their elderly family member or friend in the UK.
Because this visa has been introduced just recently (it was launched in December 2021), there are still some qualifications that must be met before applying. These include:
If you meet the requirements and want to apply for this new visa please get in touch.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of applying to work in the UK under the new health and care visa for health care assistants and health care workers then get in touch with us for further advice. If you are an agency wanting to employ overseas workers please get in touch to find out how we can help you get register with the Home Office to employer overseas workers.
