The Skilled Worker Visa for International Doctors: A Complete 2026 Guide to Sponsorship, Salaries and Costs

What is the Skilled Worker visa (and the Health and Care Worker route)?

The Skilled Worker visa is the main UK work route for doctors sponsored by a licensed employer. Within it sits the Health and Care Worker visa, a preferential version for eligible healthcare professionals, including doctors, GPs and specialists working for the NHS, an NHS supplier or adult social care.

• Same core rules - both require a job with an approved sponsor, an eligible occupation code and a minimum salary.
• Key advantages of the Health and Care route - reduced application fees and full exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
• Who qualifies - doctors in eligible medical occupation codes employed by an organisation on the approved sponsor list.

If your employer is an NHS trust or an approved locum or private provider, you will almost always be routed through the Health and Care Worker visa rather than the standard Skilled Worker visa.

Do you need a sponsor?

Yes. You cannot apply on your own - a UK employer must hold a valid sponsor licence and issue you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a digital reference confirming the role, salary and start date.

• Find a sponsoring employer first - secure a job offer before anything else; the CoS is the foundation of the application.
• Occupation code - your role must sit in an eligible medical code, which the employer selects.
• Genuine vacancy - the job must be real, meet the salary rules and match your qualifications.

NHS trusts, health boards and many private and locum providers are experienced sponsors. A recruitment agency such as Ava Medical can match you to roles with licensed sponsors and guide both sides through the paperwork.

Salary thresholds for doctors

You must be paid at least a minimum salary. For most Skilled Worker applicants a higher general threshold applies, but health and care roles are exempt from that increase and instead use a lower general floor combined with the going rate for the specific occupation.

• Going rate - each medical occupation code has a set going rate, generally aligned to NHS pay scales; you must meet or exceed it.
• General floor - a baseline salary applies (in the region of the mid-20,000s), but for doctors the going rate is usually the binding figure and sits well above it.
• NHS pay helps - resident (junior) doctor and consultant pay scales typically satisfy the threshold comfortably.

Because thresholds are updated regularly, confirm the current going rate for your exact occupation code with your employer before you rely on any figure.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

Most UK visa holders pay the IHS - around 1,035 pounds per adult per year - to use the NHS. The important news for doctors is that Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependants are exempt.

• Big saving - over a five-year grant, the exemption can save a family several thousand pounds.
• Applies to dependants too - your partner and children on the same route are also exempt.
• Standard Skilled Worker doctors - if for any reason you are not on the health and care route, the IHS is payable up front for the full visa length.

Bringing your family (dependants)

You can bring dependants with you or have them join later. Eligible dependants include:

• A spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner in a genuine, subsisting relationship.
• Children under 18 (and some over 18 already in the UK as dependants).

Each dependant needs their own application and fee. On the Health and Care Worker route they share your IHS exemption. Partners can generally work in the UK, including in most employment, and children can attend school. Dependants can apply at the same time as you or afterwards, using your details to link the applications.

Costs and how long it takes

Budget for several categories of cost. All figures are indicative and change - check GOV.UK for current amounts.

• Visa application fee - reduced on the Health and Care route, roughly a few hundred pounds per person depending on visa length.
• IHS - zero on the Health and Care route; otherwise about 1,035 pounds per year per person.
• Certificate of Sponsorship - paid by the employer (a few hundred pounds).
• Tuberculosis (TB) test - required from certain countries, typically 75 to 150 pounds.
• Documents and travel - biometrics, translations and relocation costs.

Timelines: once you have your CoS, applications made from outside the UK are usually decided within about three weeks; a priority service can shorten this for an extra fee. In-country extensions and switches take longer. Employers often help cover or reimburse some costs - always ask.

Settlement and switching

The Skilled Worker visa is a route to permanent residence. After a continuous qualifying period - currently five years - you may apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), subject to meeting salary, residence and English requirements at that time.

• Renewals - you can extend as long as you keep an eligible sponsored job.
• Changing employer - you can switch sponsor, but a new CoS and application are needed.
• Rules under review - the government has signalled possible changes to qualifying periods, so verify the settlement requirements that apply when you reach eligibility.

Frequently asked questions