Recruiting Care Workers from overseas
Care Workers and Senior care workers are both on the shortage occupation list making it easier for care homes and domiciliary care providers to recruit from overseas.
What is the process for sponsoring care workers?
In order to sponsor migrant care workers, the first stage is for the business to apply for a sponsor licence.
Before making an application for a sponsor licence, there needs to be a clear plan in place to ensure that the immigration compliance systems are up to standard and that all the documentation required in support of the application is gathered. It is recommend that legal advice is sought before applying to ensure that the application is prepared well and is not refused by the Home Office. There is a cooling off period of 6 months if an application is refused which means that 6 months must pass before a new application can be made.
To find out more about the service that we offer then please visit our ‘Apply for a Sponsor Licence’ page which gives you details of the stages involved and the likely costs.
Once the business has a sponsor licence, they can assign a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ to the care worker.
The worker can then apply for their Health and Social Care visa.
Visa requirements for Care workers
All care workers must be able to show that they have the level of English language skills required by the Home Office.
All care workers must show that they have enough money to support themselves and any family members for their first month in the UK.
All care workers must obtain criminal record certificates for any country where they have lived for 12 months or more.
The business must also satisfy the ‘Care Worker Recruitment Requirement’ when assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship to a candidate.
What is the minimum salary for sponsoring a senior care worker from overseas?
Both Care workers (SOC code 6135) and Senior Care workers (SOC code 6136) are provided for under the Temporary Shortage List. This means that the minimum salary required for sponsorship of both roles is £25,000 (12.82 per hour) for those already on the route, or £33,400 for those new to the route.
Care providers will be able to recruit for/ sponsor people already working for them until 22nd July 2028.
Importance of obtaining immigration advice
Sponsoring workers from overseas is a complex process involving a number of stages, all of which have to be successful, before a worker can come to the UK to start work. This is particularly important for care providers given the introduction of the ‘Care Worker Recruitment Requirement’ and the Temporary Shortage list. It has becoming increasingly difficult to recruit health and care workers in the occupation codes 6135 and 6136. Having legal assistance ensures that all the stages are successful and that there are sufficient compliance systems in place to minimise the risk of the sponsor licence being cancelled, the company being fined and the immigration status of sponsored workers being cancelled.
