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The care sector remains one of the UK’s most active sponsored recruitment routes in 2026.
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Most frontline care roles are sponsored under the Health and Care Worker visa.
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This route offers lower visa fees and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
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Employers sponsoring care workers must usually be regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
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Most sponsored care workers can qualify for settlement after 5 years, if they remain compliant.
What Is the Social Care Sponsorship Route?
For most UK care providers, overseas recruitment is built around the Health and Care Worker visa — a specialist sub-route of Skilled Worker designed for eligible health and social care employers.
In practical terms, it is the UK’s main route for sponsoring overseas care professionals into frontline adult social care roles.
For employers, the route is attractive because it is usually faster, cheaper, and more practical than standard sponsorship. For workers, it offers a realistic path to long-term UK employment and settlement.
To use this route lawfully, employers must usually:
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hold a valid sponsor licence
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offer an eligible role under the correct occupation code
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meet regulatory requirements, including CQC registration where required
Which Roles Can Be Sponsored?
Not every care role can be sponsored.
In most adult social care settings, the most commonly used occupation codes are:
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6135 – Care workers and home carers
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6136 – Senior care workers
These roles must reflect genuine sponsored work in practice. UKVI will assess the actual job being done — not just the title on paper.
That means HR should review:
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job descriptions
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day-to-day duties
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reporting lines
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salary structure
If the real role does not match the occupation code, sponsorship risk increases quickly.
What Are the Salary Rules in 2026?
Salary remains one of the biggest compliance risks in care sponsorship.
In 2026, most sponsored care roles must meet both:
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the minimum salary threshold
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the going rate for the occupation code
For many care roles, this usually means at least £25,000 per year or the occupation code’s going rate, whichever is higher.
But meeting the annual salary on paper is not enough.
UKVI is paying closer attention to how salary is handled in practice — especially in sectors with variable payroll.
HR should monitor:
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unpaid leave
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payroll deductions
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reduced hours
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inconsistent monthly pay
A compliant contract can still become a compliance problem if payroll drops below the required threshold in practice.
Why CQC Registration Matters
For care sector sponsorship, CQC compliance is not just a regulatory issue. It is an immigration issue.
If your organisation is sponsoring care workers to deliver regulated personal care in England, UKVI will usually expect the sponsor to be properly registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Without that, sponsorship risk increases significantly.
For care employers, immigration compliance and regulatory compliance now sit much closer together than many expect.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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