UK care worker sponsorship closed to overseas applicants
General information only, not legal advice. Immigration rules change. Always verify requirements on official government websites before you apply.
On 22 July 2025, the UK closed overseas recruitment for care workers and senior care workers. Employers can no longer sponsor new entry clearance applications from outside the UK for occupation codes 6135 and 6136.
This is a rule, not a law of nature. Immigration rules move; the UK has reopened and reclosed routes before. We check the Home Office weekly and update our pages when the position changes.
What changed
The Home Office announced on 11 May 2025 that it would "put an end to any more overseas recruitment" of care workers. The change took effect through the July 2025 Statement of Changes.
| Occupation codes | 6135 care workers · 6136 senior care workers |
| Closed to | New applications from outside the UK |
| Still open for | Extensions, employer changes and settlement for people already sponsored in the sector |
Who is unaffected
International workers already sponsored to work legally in the sector can continue to extend their stay, change sponsors and apply to settle. The Home Office was explicit about this.
In-country switching also remains available, for example from a student visa, if the employer holds a sponsor licence and, in England, Care Quality Commission registration.
What is open instead
If you are outside the UK and searching for care-related routes:
- Care workers and home carers: documents the closure and four verified open alternatives
- Senior care workers: maps supervisory experience to open management and healthcare routes
- Nursing auxiliaries (6131) and registered nursing: still open; different roles and registration requirements
- Canada's healthcare Express Entry category: separate from the UK route; see our Canada pause update for how that differs from a closure
Before you pay an agent
A UK sponsor cannot lawfully charge you for a Certificate of Sponsorship. If you are being sold a "guaranteed" care job with visa sponsorship from your home country, the route being described no longer exists for codes 6135 and 6136.
Check the employer on the register of licensed sponsors and the Care Quality Commission register for England. Both are free and public.
Common questions
- Can I still get a UK care worker visa from Nigeria, Kenya or the Philippines?
Not for new applications from outside the UK under occupation codes 6135 (care workers) or 6136 (senior care workers). The closure applies regardless of nationality. People already in the UK on a sponsored care visa can still extend, change employer and apply to settle.
- When did the rule change?
The Home Office announced the end of overseas recruitment on 11 May 2025. The change took effect through the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules in July 2025, with an effective date of 22 July 2025.
- What routes are still open for care experience?
Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (code 6131), registered nursing, care home management roles (code 1232 for senior care backgrounds), and Canada's healthcare Express Entry category. Each has different qualification requirements.