UK Health Care Worker Visa: How To Apply in Nigeria

5 mn read

Nigerians are eligible for the UK health care worker visa. Do you want to travel through this route? Everything will be explained in this post.

Don’t be excited yet! Before you start checking for the lists of documents, there are categories of individuals needed.

Who are health care workers?

Health care workers are a category of workers who are employed in the health sector to serve in hospitals or health-related institutions.

The number of health care workers (HCWs), employed worldwide, according to research is estimated at around 59 million. Health care providers are often employed as nurses, pharmacists, and physicians.

They may work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools, community centers, private practices, public health agencies, or other settings.

Key points:

What is the UK Health Care Worker Visa?
How to Apply for a Health Care Worker Visa in Nigeria?
What are the Requirements?
How much does it cost?
How long it takes?
Documents for the Health Care Worker Visa (UK).

What is the UK Health Care Worker Visa?

The UK Health Care Worker Visa (HCWV) is a Tier 2 General Work Permit for healthcare professionals who wish to work in the United Kingdom. The HCW visa is designed to meet the specific requirements of healthcare workers who wish to enter the UK to provide services in the NHS.

Healthcare professionals applying for the HCW visa should ensure that they have sufficient experience in their field.

The UK Health Care Worker Visa is issued by the Home Office. It was introduced in August 2022 to help address shortages of skilled workers in the NHS.

How to apply for a UK Health Care Worker Visa in Nigeria

Get a Sponsor: Get a job offer letter from a company, that will sponsor your application as well.
Apply Online: To apply for a health care worker visa in Nigeria, eligible applicants must apply online through the outside the UK link, fill out the application form, and pay the fee. Once you have applied, you will receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive any emails, check your spam folder.
Pay the application fee: Just like any other class of visa, to apply for the UK healthcare workers visa, you must pay a non-refundable application fee of £284 for up to 3 years and £551 for over 3 years.
Submit your documents: After paying the application fee, you will be sent an email containing information about where to send supporting documents.
Wait for approval: Once you have submitted all the necessary documents, you will receive an approval letter via email. Keep this letter safe until you travel to the United Kingdom.

You’ll either:

Have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application center (this is to get a biometric residence permit) or
Use the UK Immigration ID Check app to scan your identity document. You’ll also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. You’ll be asked if you’re applying for a Health and Care Worker visa as part of your application. Make sure you choose “Yes“.

How much does it cost?

The current fee whether in Nigeria or if you’re applying outside Nigeria is £284 for up to 3 years and £551 for over 3 years.

Please note that this fee is subject to change. Check before you go ahead with the application process.

How long can you stay in the UK?

Your visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. You’ll need to apply to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you change jobs or employers.

After 5 years, you may be able to apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as “indefinite leave to remain”). This gives you the right to live, work, and study here for as long as you like and apply for benefits if you’re eligible.

Requirements for the application of the HCWV

You need to have a minimum of two years of experience working as a nurse or doctor. Your employer should be able to confirm that you meet these requirements.
A valid passport and old passports – with at least a blank page for your visa.
Certificate of Sponsorship: You will get this from your sponsor electronically; it has a reference number for your application as well as the license or registration number of your sponsor.
Proof of English Proficiency: Your IELTS results or the UK NARIC Assessment.
Bank Statement or the Certificate of Sponsorship stating that the sponsor supports you. Those with A-rated sponsors must be able to give you a minimum of £945. If it’s not an A-rated sponsor, you need to have £945 in your account 90 days before you apply.
Tuberculosis Test Results for Selected Countries.
Criminal Record Certificates: Most healthcare professionals will need this. It must be from the country you’ve lived in for at least a year in the past 10 years; it may be more than one.
Generally, when you apply, you’ll need to provide: your certificate of sponsorship reference number; your employer will give you this.
A valid passport or other documents that shows your identity and nationality.
Your job’s Occupation Code.
The name of your employer and their sponsor license number—this will be on your certificate of sponsorship.
Ask your employer for a copy of your certificate of sponsorship if you do not have one.
Other documents you might need depending on your circumstances, you might be asked to provide: Proof of personal savings to support yourself in the UK.

FAQs

Who can apply for a health care worker visa?

To be eligible for a Health and Care Worker Visa, you must meet the following requirements:

Be a qualified doctor, nurse, health professional, or adult social care professional
Work in eligible health or social care job.
Have a “certificate of sponsorship” from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK.

Can I bring my family to UK as a caregiver?

Unfortunately, no. Health and Care Worker visa applicants from Nigeria are no longer allowed to bring their dependents to the UK. This was announced December 2023, but will take effect from 11 March 2024.

Conclusion

The UK Health Care Worker Visa is one of the best routes to migrating to the UK, from Nigeria.

It is designed to help the NHS recruit overseas staff to fill temporary posts where there is no locally qualified person available.

This article might be especially helpful if you’re in healthcare and looking to work in the UK. But don’t worry if that’s not you! The next article will cover some in-demand skills that can get you a great job not only in the UK but also in countries such as Canada and the USA.

So, let’s explore 4 essential skills you should acquire before embarking on your japa journey.