UK Skilled Worker visa for social care jobs

What changed, and for whom

The Home Office announced in May 2025 that it would end overseas recruitment for these two occupations. It confirmed that workers already sponsored in the sector "will be able to continue to extend their stay, change sponsors and apply to settle". In England, employers must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

This is a rule, not a law of nature. Immigration rules move in both directions. We check the Home Office every week and this page changes when the rule does. Full record on our policy updates page.

The salary rule, for people switching inside the UK

Both occupations carry a standard going rate of £33,400 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) and a lower going rate of £25,000. Both are on the Immigration Salary List, which is what unlocks the reduced £33,400 (UK Home Office, effective July 22, 2025) threshold. You must clear both the threshold that applies to you and the going rate; the higher figure governs.

What is open right now

Care home and domiciliary care managers: UK, open

Occupation code 1232 is still open to overseas applicants, sits on the Immigration Salary List, and qualifies for the Health and Care Worker visa: no immigration health surcharge of £1,035 (UK Home Office, effective February 6, 2024) per person per year, for you or your family. For anyone with supervisory care experience this is the natural step and the strongest single option.

Nursing auxiliaries and assistants: UK, open

Occupation code 6131. Open, on the Immigration Salary List, and Health and Care Worker visa eligible. A different job from care work, usually in a clinical setting, but the closest open door for many people with hands-on care experience.

Registered nursing: UK, open

Open and well sponsored, paid on NHS bands rather than a going rate. It requires NMC registration first: a Test of Competence with a computer exam and a practical exam, for which the NMC publishes a worked example of the total. If you hold a nursing qualification, this is usually worth starting now.

Canada: healthcare is a 2026 priority category

Canada's Express Entry runs category-based draws, and health care and social services is one of the 2026 categories, confirmed by IRCC in February 2026. The requirement is at least 12 months of qualifying experience in the past three years. Candidates in a category can be invited at lower scores than the general pool, and a provincial nomination adds 600 points.

One thing to know: Canada's dedicated Home Care Worker pilots paused new applications on 19 December 2025, until further notice. The Express Entry healthcare category is separate and is running.

Which of these fits you

It depends on your qualifications, years of experience, English level and age, and those combine differently for everyone.

Our assessment checks you against every open UK and Canadian route in about three minutes and shows your score, where you stand and the first thing that would raise it. No card needed for that. Seeing every route in full needs a plan.

See where you stand →

Before you pay anyone

• A UK sponsor cannot lawfully charge you for a Certificate of Sponsorship: not as a processing fee, a training bond or a placement fee.
• Check the employer on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, and on the Care Quality Commission register if the job is in England. Both are free and public.