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What care jobs are eligible for sponsorship?

eligible for sponsorship

What care jobs are eligible for sponsorship?

In August 2021, the UK’s development agency for care workers reported that the health and care industry was facing a worker shortage of 105,000. With the rise in the ageing population in the country, health and care jobs continue to be in high demand.

But, the reality is that there aren’t enough social care workers in the local labour market to meet these skill demands, which is a direct result of low wages in the industry. 

In fact, health and care occupations are amongst the lowest paying roles, which is reflected in the fact that three-quarters of the workforce is earning below the real living wage.

Another report also found that the UK would need an additional 627,000 social care workers by 2030/2031. What all these figures mean is that health and care businesses in the UK must take immediate measures to find, attract, and retain skilled health and care workers.

One way businesses in the UK are doing this is by turning to the international labour market. With an abundance of health and care workers available at all skill levels, the international market can be a lifesaver—literally.

If you’re looking to sponsor talent, you can bolster your team by sponsoring skilled workers through the Health and Care Worker visa. Familiarising yourself with the process of sponsoring workers through this route can make the experience straightforward for you and your employees.

So, here’s everything you need to know about sponsoring health and care workers in the UK.

Who can sponsor workers under the Health and Care Worker visa in the UK?

While the Health and Care Worker visa does allow professionals to come, stay, and work in the UK, not every business can sponsor these professionals. The sponsor route is only available for the NHS, suppliers of the NHS, and organisations offering adult social care services.

Any business that intends to sponsor health and care workers must also hold a valid sponsor licence to do so.  

What roles are available for sponsorship under the Health and Care Worker visa?

You can check if the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship using the ONS occupation coding tool

Here are some occupation codes that are eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care Worker visa:

  • 1181: Health services and public health managers and directors
  • 1242: Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
  • 2112: Biological scientists and biochemists
  • 2113: Physical scientists
  • 2211: Medical practitioners
  • 2212: Psychologists
  • 2213: Pharmacists
  • 2214: Ophthalmic opticians
  • 2215: Dental practitioners
  • 2217: Medical radiographers
  • 2218: Podiatrists
  • 2219: Health professionals that are ‘not elsewhere classified’, such as audiologists and occupational health advisers
  • 2221: Physiotherapists
  • 2222: Occupational therapists
  • 2223: Speech and language therapists
  • 2229: Therapy professionals that are ‘not elsewhere classified’, such as osteopaths and psychotherapists
  • 2231: Nurses
  • 2232: Midwives
  • 2442: Social workers
  • 3111: Laboratory technicians
  • 3213: Paramedics
  • 3216: Dispensing opticians
  • 3217: Pharmaceutical technicians
  • 3218: Medical and dental technicians
  • 3219: Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
  • 6141: Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
  • 6143: Dental nurses
  • 6145: Care workers and home carers
  • 6146: Senior care workers

If the job role you’re hiring for is not on this list, ensure that the job description of the role matches the description in the coding tool. This way the job you’re offering will be eligible for sponsorship.

Streamline the health and care worker sponsoring process with Nation.better

At Nation.better, we offer end-to-end immigration services, including helping you get your sponsor licence, find the right professionals for your organisation through our complementary candidate assessments, and apply for and extend your preferred candidates’ work visas.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services.

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