Care Worker Visa Sponsorship in 2026: In-Country Switching Until July 2028
Since 22 July 2025, care providers can no longer sponsor care workers or senior care workers from overseas. Until 22 July 2028, you can still sponsor people who are already in the UK, provided they have worked for you legally in the role for at least three months. This guide explains who you can still sponsor, the salary and English rules, and your duties as a licensed sponsor.
In short: overseas recruitment for SOC 6135 and 6136 roles has closed, in-country switching stays open until 22 July 2028, the minimum salary is £25,000 a year and at least £12.82 an hour, most new applicants need English at level B2, and care workers cannot bring dependants except in limited cases. Always check the latest UK care worker visa rules on GOV.UK before you assign a certificate of sponsorship.
Workers already sponsored as care workers can still extend their visa and change sponsor, and under the current rules they can apply for settlement. If you rely on sponsored staff, the priorities are clear: keep your sponsor licence compliant, plan for July 2028 and build a UK recruitment pipeline now.
This guide is for registered managers, nominated individuals and HR leads in care services that employ, or plan to employ, sponsored staff. It was last reviewed in September 2026 against GOV.UK and Home Office sponsor guidance. It is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice: for an individual worker's application, speak to an OISC-regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor.
What Changed on 22 July 2025?
The Statement of Changes HC 997 removed care workers (SOC 6135) and senior care workers (SOC 6136) from the roles that can be sponsored from overseas. The change applies to certificates of sponsorship assigned on or after 22 July 2025.
Adult social care had been one of the largest users of the Health and Care Worker visa since care workers became eligible in 2022. Overseas recruitment for these two roles is now closed, and the transitional arrangement for people already in the UK is due to end on 22 July 2028.
The government gave two main reasons: reducing net migration and tackling the exploitation of sponsored care workers, whilst giving providers time to adjust. The full detail sits in the Home Office sponsorship guidance for employers.
What applies now to new certificates for care roles, according to the Home Office sponsorship guidance:
No new certificates of sponsorship for care workers or senior care workers applying from outside the UK
In-country switching allowed until 22 July 2028 if the worker has worked legally for you in the role for at least three months
Workers already sponsored in these roles can extend, change sponsor and apply for settlement under the current rules
A minimum salary of £25,000 a year and at least £12.82 an hour, or the going rate if higher
English at CEFR level B2 for most new applications made from 8 January 2026
In England, the sponsor must be registered with CQC and carrying on a regulated activity
For most providers the question is no longer how to recruit from overseas. It is who you can lawfully sponsor from within the UK, and what your workforce looks like after July 2028. The rest of this guide answers both.
Why the Home Office Closed Overseas Care Recruitment
Two concerns drove the closure: the scale of overseas recruitment into adult social care, and repeated evidence that some sponsored care workers were being exploited.
Care workers became eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa in February 2022, and adult social care quickly became one of the largest users of the route. The Home Office later reported serious abuse, including workers arriving in the UK to find there was no job, or far fewer hours than they had been promised.
The government responded in stages. From 11 March 2024, care workers could no longer bring dependants, and providers in England had to be registered with CQC to sponsor. The Immigration White Paper published in May 2025 then announced the end of overseas recruitment for care roles, which took effect on 22 July 2025.
The Home Office has revoked a large number of care sector sponsor licences since 2022. For providers that still employ sponsored staff, this history means compliance checks are thorough and visits can happen without notice.
The government now expects providers to recruit from the domestic workforce and from people already in the UK. Skills for Care workforce data is the best source for tracking vacancy and turnover rates in your area, and it is worth using when you plan recruitment or negotiate fees with commissioners.
The Three Rules That Decide Who You Can Sponsor
Before you offer sponsorship for a care role, check the person against these three rules:
In-Country Switching Until 22 July 2028
You can only sponsor a care worker or senior care worker who is already in the UK. Someone switching from another visa, such as a Graduate or Student visa, or the dependant of a sponsored worker, must have worked for you legally in the role for at least three months before you assign the certificate of sponsorship.
Who you can still sponsor:
People already in the UK on another visa who meet the three month rule, and workers who already hold a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa as a care worker and want to extend or move to a new sponsor.
What happens in July 2028:
The in-country switching arrangement is due to end on 22 July 2028. The government has said workers already on the route can continue to extend, change employer and settle, but new switches into care roles will stop unless the rules change. Plan your workforce on that basis now.
Salary: £25,000 a Year and £12.82 an Hour
Care workers and senior care workers must be paid at least £25,000 a year and at least £12.82 an hour, or the going rate for the role if that is higher. Care roles no longer receive a discount through the Immigration Salary List.
Both tests apply:
At 39 hours a week, £12.82 an hour comes to about £26,000 a year, so the annual floor is met. At 37.5 hours a week, the same rate comes to £24,999, just under £25,000, so the hourly rate must be slightly higher. Contracts with fewer hours need a higher rate again.
What counts:
Only guaranteed basic pay counts. Overtime, bonuses and most allowances do not, and you must not pass sponsorship costs such as the certificate of sponsorship fee on to the worker.
English Language and Dependants
Most people making a first Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker application from 8 January 2026 must prove English at CEFR level B2. Workers switching from a Skilled Worker visa, or extending a Health and Care Worker visa they held before that date, do not need to prove it again.
Dependants:
Care workers and senior care workers cannot bring a partner or children as dependants unless they have been continuously employed and sponsored as a care worker since before 11 March 2024, or a limited exception applies, such as a child born in the UK.
Check the worker's current visa, English evidence and family situation before you commit to sponsorship. These rules often decide whether a switch is realistic for them.
Health and Care Worker Visa Guide
Eligibility, salary and English rules, dependants, settlement and your duties as a sponsor, explained for care providers.
What the Closure Means for Care Providers
Providers that relied on overseas recruitment now need a different workforce plan. The pressure is greatest for services with high vacancy rates and fees fixed by local authority contracts.
If a large share of your staff are sponsored, your sponsor licence is now a business-critical asset. Losing it would leave those workers needing a new sponsor, and you could not replace them from overseas.
Start with a simple register: every sponsored worker, their visa expiry date, their SOC code and when they could apply for settlement. It shows exactly where your workforce risk sits over the next two to three years.
Then look at people already working for you on other visas, such as students, graduates and dependants of sponsored workers. After three months of lawful work in the role, some may be able to switch before July 2028, provided they meet the salary and English rules.
UK recruitment needs sustained investment: pay that competes locally, clear progression, funded training and flexible shifts. Skills for Care data shows staff turnover in adult social care remains high, so retention matters as much as recruitment.
Commissioners need to hear this too. If local authority fee rates cannot support the salary floor, raise it through your provider forum and keep evidence of your cost of care. It will matter at the next fee review or contract renewal.
Getting a Sponsor Licence for Care Roles in 2026
You still need a Home Office sponsor licence to sponsor anyone, including a care worker switching from another visa. Separately, employing someone without the right to work can lead to a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per worker.
Applying for a sponsor licence follows the process set out in the UK visa sponsorship guidance for employers. The application requires:
- Apply online, then send your supporting documents, usually within five working days
- Show that you are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK
- In England, show that you are registered with CQC and carrying on a regulated activity
- Appoint an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and at least one Level 1 User
- Have HR systems that track immigration status, right to work checks and attendance
- Show that the roles you plan to sponsor are genuine and meet the skill and salary rules
The application fee is £611 for small or charitable sponsors and £1,682 for medium or large sponsors.Most applications are decided within 8 weeks, and a priority service is available for an extra £750. Your licence stays valid as long as you continue to meet the requirements.
Key Compliance Duties Once Licensed
Once your licence is granted, you assume significant legal obligations. These include:
Complete right to work checks before employment starts and keep the evidence
Keep the records listed in Appendix D of the sponsor guidance for every sponsored worker
Pay at least the salary stated on the certificate and never reduce it below the threshold
Report a worker who does not start, stops working for you or is absent without permission, usually within 10 working days
Report significant changes to your organisation within 20 working days
Keep contact details for each worker up to date and monitor attendance
Never charge workers for sponsorship costs, including the certificate of sponsorship fee
Co-operate with Home Office compliance visits, which can be unannounced
Home Office Compliance Visits
Compliance officers look closely at adult social care sponsors. A visit typically checks:
- Right to work checks, and whether copies are kept in the correct format
- Pay records showing the salary and hours on the certificate were actually paid
- Whether each worker is doing the job described on their certificate
- Reporting of absences, changes and leavers on the sponsor management system
- How well your key personnel understand their sponsor duties, often tested through interviews with managers and workers
Visits can be arranged in advance or unannounced, and may follow a complaint, intelligence or a routine check. Officers often speak to sponsored workers as well as managers, so both need to give an accurate account of the role, hours and pay.
Treat sponsor compliance like CQC readiness: an ongoing system, not a one-off exercise. A short quarterly internal audit of right to work files, pay and reporting will catch most issues before a compliance officer does.
Care Worker Salary Requirements and SOC Codes
The Home Office uses 2020 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. The code you choose decides which salary rules apply and whether the role can be sponsored at all.
The two care codes and where they stand now:
Using the wrong SOC code is a common cause of refusals and compliance findings. The code must match the duties the worker actually performs.
For both codes the minimum is £25,000 a year and at least £12.82 an hour, or the going rate if higher. Going rates are reviewed regularly, usually from April, so check the current table on GOV.UK each time you assign a certificate.
When sponsoring a care worker, you must:
Choose the SOC code that matches the real duties of the role, not just the job title
Check the worker meets the three month rule if they are switching from another visa
Pay at least £25,000 a year and £12.82 an hour, or the going rate if higher
Make sure the contract, the certificate and payroll all show the same salary and hours
The salary on the certificate is a commitment. Reducing pay below it during the visa, even with the worker's agreement, is a breach that must be reported to the Home Office.
If local pay rates sit below the threshold, review contracted hours and pay structures, and raise fee rates with commissioners. Reserve sponsorship for roles you genuinely cannot fill locally, and budget for annual increases, because thresholds and going rates are usually uprated.
How to Sponsor a Care Worker Who Is Already in the UK
Switching someone in-country follows six steps. Start early: the three month rule means the worker must already be on your payroll before you can assign a certificate.
Confirm Eligibility
Check the person's current visa, its expiry date and any work restrictions. They must have worked for you legally in the same care role for at least three months before you assign the certificate, and they must apply before 22 July 2028.
Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship
Assign a certificate through the sponsor management system using SOC 6135 or 6136. The job description, hours and salary must match the contract and your payroll exactly, because any mismatch can lead to refusal.
Right to Work and Pre-Employment Checks
Keep right to work checks up to date and hold an enhanced DBS check for the role. If the worker's current visa limits their hours, as a Student visa does, make sure they have stayed within those limits.
The Worker Applies to Switch
The worker applies online from inside the UK for a Health and Care Worker visa, using the certificate reference. They will usually need:
Health and Care Worker visa applicants pay a lower application fee than other Skilled Worker applicants and do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. Check current fees on GOV.UK before the worker applies.
Visa Decision
Applications made inside the UK are usually decided within 8 weeks. If the worker applied before their current visa expired, their existing permission and conditions continue until a decision is made.
Update Records and Plan Ahead
Once approved, repeat the right to work check using the worker's eVisa share code, move payroll to the certificate salary and diary the visa expiry and settlement dates.
Building a Workforce Beyond Sponsorship
With overseas recruitment closed, sponsorship is a bridge, not a long-term plan. These four approaches will matter more each year until 2028 and beyond:
Recruit Locally and Invest in Retention
Pay that competes locally, guaranteed hours where possible, clear progression and good supervision do more for retention than one-off bonuses. Track why people leave, act on what you learn, and make your employer brand visible in your local community.
Support People Already in the UK
Workers with settled or pre-settled status, refugees with permission to work and many dependants of sponsored workers can work for you without sponsorship. Check their right to work, then invest in their induction and training so they stay.
Sponsor Registered and Senior Roles
Registered nurses remain eligible for overseas sponsorship under their own occupation codes, subject to higher skill and salary rules. Check each role against the current eligible occupations list on GOV.UK before you build a plan around it.
Grow Your Own Pipeline
Partner with local colleges, apprenticeship providers and your local authority workforce team. Funded training and a well-run Care Certificate induction help new entrants to care become confident in the role quickly.
Explore how Care Sync Experts ensures your sponsor licence compliance
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How Care Sync Experts Helps
Care Sync Experts specialises in helping care organisations navigate the sponsor licence application process and maintain compliance with Home Office requirements. Our services include:
Sponsor licence application support: We manage your application from start to finish, preparing documentation, liaising with the Home Office and ensuring your application is submitted correctly the first time.
Training and procedures: We deliver training to your HR team on sponsorship obligations, right to work checks and record-keeping requirements, ensuring your staff understand their responsibilities.
Compliance audits: We conduct internal audits of your sponsorship records before any Home Office inspection, identifying and remedying weaknesses before they become enforcement issues.
Sponsorship guidance for individual workers: We advise on salary thresholds, SOC code assignment and Certificate of Sponsorship requirements, ensuring each sponsorship is structured correctly.
Audit readiness support: If you are facing a Home Office audit, we provide rapid assessment of your records, identify any compliance gaps and support you through the audit process, including preparing responses to Home Office queries.
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