Can I bring my family on a Health and Care Worker visa?
Checked against official sources, October 2026
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.
Free calculatorAdd up the fees for you and your family, the savings to show and what your employer must pay, with each figure linked to GOV.UK.Work out your total cost →Who this is for
Health and care professionals planning to move to the UK with a partner or children.
What the official guidance says
- A dependant partner or child is your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner; your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay; or your child over 18 who already has permission to be in the UK as your dependant.
- Your partner must show you are in a marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK, or have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years, or have been in a relationship for at least 2 years with evidence of ongoing commitment if you cannot live together.
- Dependants need their own funds: £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child, held for at least 28 days in a row, unless an exemption applies.
- Care workers and senior care workers: partners and children may join you only if one condition applies, such as having been continually employed in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker on a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024.
- Medium skilled jobs (other than care workers): partners and children may join you only if one condition applies, such as having been continually employed on these visas in a medium skilled job since before 22 July 2025.
- A dependant’s visa usually ends on the same date as yours. The first person in a family to apply can get a family linking code to connect the applications.
What it does not mean
- Dependants are not automatically approved; each applies and must meet the criteria.
- The care worker restrictions do not apply to nurses, doctors and the other professional codes on the main eligible list.
- Dependants of Health and Care Worker visa holders do not pay the immigration health surcharge.
What to do next
- 01Check whether your occupation code is a professional code or a care worker or medium skilled code.
- 02Gather relationship evidence and proof of address for children.
- 03Make sure the required funds are held for the full period, or confirm your employer certifies maintenance on your CoS.
- 04Use a family linking code so the applications are connected.
Questions
Can nurses bring dependants on the Health and Care Worker visa?
Registered nursing codes are on the main eligible list, and GOV.UK’s extra dependant restrictions apply to care workers, senior care workers and medium skilled jobs. Your partner and children still need to meet the dependant criteria.
How much money do my dependants need to show?
GOV.UK lists £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child, held for at least 28 days, unless an exemption applies, such as your employer certifying maintenance.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, your partner and children
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa, your job
- GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa
Checked October 2026. Immigration rules, fees and thresholds change, so confirm them on the official page before you act.
Plan the whole route, not just the visa
Tell Migo you are moving with family and your plan keeps dependant documents in the same checklist as yours. The free AI assistant can explain which dependant rules apply to your occupation, and links to the GOV.UK page so you can check.
Related guides
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your own case, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or lawyer.