Visa guides
Work visas for healthcare professionals, explained
The routes nurses, doctors and other health professionals ask about most, each checked against the official government page and linked to it. Checked October 2026.
Free toolHealth and Care Worker visa cost calculatorFees for you and your family, the savings to show and what your employer must pay, from GOV.UK.Work out your cost →
United Kingdom
- What is the UK Health and Care Worker visa and who can apply?The Health and Care Worker visa lets qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care professionals come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care. You need a confirmed job offer from a Home Office-approved employer and a certificate of sponsorship before you apply.
- Health and Care Worker visa vs Skilled Worker visa: what is the difference?Both are UK work visas that need a sponsoring employer and a certificate of sponsorship, but the Health and Care Worker visa is for eligible jobs with the NHS, NHS suppliers and adult social care. GOV.UK says it is cheaper to apply for, and you do not pay the immigration health surcharge.
- What is a certificate of sponsorship for a UK work visa?A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is an electronic record, not a physical document, that a Home Office-approved employer issues to confirm the job they are offering you. It has a reference number you need for your visa application, and you must apply within 3 months of getting it.
- How much does the Health and Care Worker visa cost?GOV.UK lists a standard application fee of £324 per person for a stay of up to 3 years, or £628 per person for more than 3 years, and you usually need at least £1,270 in savings to support yourself unless you are exempt. You do not pay the immigration health surcharge.
- Do health and care workers pay the immigration health surcharge?No, if you are eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa. GOV.UK says health and care workers eligible for that visa, and their dependants, can use the NHS without paying the immigration health surcharge (IHS). Skilled Worker visa holders do pay it.
- Can I bring my family on a Health and Care Worker visa?Your partner and children may be able to join you as dependants if they meet the eligibility criteria. If you are a care worker, a senior care worker or in a "medium skilled" job, extra conditions apply, such as having been continually employed on these visas since before a set date.
- What English do you need for the Health and Care Worker visa?New applicants usually need to prove English at CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening, by a UK qualification, an English-taught degree, or an approved English test. Doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives do not need to prove it again if they have passed an English assessment accepted by their regulator.
Australia
- What is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is a temporary visa that lets an approved employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker for a position they cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian. It has Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams, and lets you stay up to 4 years.
- Subclass 189 vs 190 vs 491: which Australian skilled visa?All three are points-tested skilled visas that need an invitation, an occupation on the relevant list and a suitable skills assessment. The 189 needs no sponsor or nominator and is permanent; the 190 needs a state or territory nomination and is permanent; the 491 is a 5-year provisional visa for regional Australia, needing state or territory nomination or sponsorship by an eligible relative.
- What is a SkillSelect expression of interest (EOI)?SkillSelect is the Australian Government’s online system where skilled workers submit an expression of interest (EOI) in being invited to apply for a skilled visa. You need to be invited to apply for the 189, 190 and 491 visas, and the EOI is how you enter that pool.
- What is the ANMAC skills assessment, and is it the same as Ahpra registration?The ANMAC skills assessment confirms whether a nurse’s, midwife’s or direct care worker’s qualifications and experience meet the requirements for skilled migration to Australia. It is not registration: registration to practise is handled by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra.
Canada
- How does the Express Entry healthcare category work?In category-based rounds, IRCC invites Express Entry candidates who meet a specific category. To be eligible for the healthcare and social services occupations category, you need at least 12 months of full-time work experience, or the part-time equivalent, within the past 3 years in a single eligible occupation, in Canada or abroad, plus the round’s other requirements.
- How does Express Entry work?Express Entry is IRCC’s online system for managing skilled worker immigration applications. You create a profile and enter the pool, IRCC invites the highest-ranking candidates in rounds using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and if you are invited you have 60 days to submit your application for permanent residence.
- Which language tests does Express Entry accept?For English, Express Entry accepts CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core. For French, it accepts TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your application.
Ireland
- What is Ireland’s Critical Skills Employment Permit?The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland’s permit for highly skilled occupations in short supply. It needs a job offer of at least 2 years, no Labour Market Needs Test, and after the permit period holders can apply for permission to live and work in Ireland without an employment permit (Stamp 4).
- Critical Skills vs General Employment Permit in Ireland: what is the difference?The Critical Skills Employment Permit is for listed shortage occupations with a job offer of at least 2 years and no Labour Market Needs Test. The General Employment Permit covers a wider range of jobs, usually needs a Labour Market Needs Test, and is issued for up to 2 years at first, renewable for up to a further 3.
New Zealand
- What is New Zealand’s Green List?The Green List is Immigration New Zealand’s list of roles it needs workers for. If your role is listed and you have the required qualifications, registration or experience, you may be able to apply for residence: straight away for Tier 1 roles (Straight to Residence Visa), or after 2 years of working in New Zealand for Tier 2 roles (Work to Residence Visa).
- What is New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)?The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) lets you work in New Zealand for an accredited employer that has offered you at least 30 hours a week. It can last up to 5 years depending on the job, and the employer sends you the link to the online application.
United States
- What is VisaScreen, the US health care worker certificate?US law says certain foreign health care workers cannot be admitted to work unless they present a certificate from a USCIS-approved credentialing organization. VisaScreen is the best-known one, issued by CGFNS, now TruMerit. It verifies education, licensing, English proficiency and exam results.
- How do foreign nurses get a US green card through Schedule A?Professional nurses are a Schedule A, Group I occupation, so a US employer can file an uncertified labor certification together with Form I-140 directly with USCIS rather than first getting a certified one from the Department of Labor. The petition must include CGFNS certification, a full and unrestricted licence in the state of employment, or proof of passing the NCLEX-RN.
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