How Nigerians can Apply for UK Health Care Worker’s Visa
Are you a Nigerian Healthcare worker willing to relocate to the UK? Are you a Nigerian Healthcare worker searching for Jobs in UK?
Are you a Nigerian preparing to relocate to the United Kingdom to work as a Healthcare Assistant? This article contains the steps you need to follow and complete the application process.
Though, the complete process isn’t that cumbersome but quite easy if an individual carefully sticks to the steps and instructions meticulously.
WHO IS A HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT?
A Healthcare Assistant can also be (or accustomed to be) referred to as a Nursing Assistant or Auxiliary Nurse from the UK. They offer care to patients in hospitals or any other medical setting under the watch of a professional, and they also work closely with patients to guide their recovery, comfort, and safety.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT IN UK
If you’re from Nigeria and you want to work in the UK as a Healthcare Assistant, you don’t necessarily need loads of qualifications because most of caregiving jobs come with on-the-job training and close supervision.
But you have an added advantage if you have either of the following:
1. Care Certificate (can be gotten from HEE – Health Education England approved training organization in the UK)
2. Diploma in Health and Social Care
3. GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at grades 9-4 (A to C)
4. WAEC or SSCE can serve as equivalent Healthcare qualifications
Apart from the above-listed items that some employers expect, there are no mandatory requirements for a Healthcare Assistant position.
UK HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA
To work in the UK as a Nigerian, you definitely need a visa. From the various types of visas available. The best visa for this role is the “Health and Care Worker visa”, under the skilled worker visa, which was formerly categorized as Tier 2 visa.
A Health and Care Worker visa permits medical professionals to go to or stay within the UK to work in adult social care, with the NHS or an NHS supplier.
This means that you are to look out for Healthcare Assistant roles in the NHS, NHS suppliers (organizations providing medical services to the NHS) or in adult social care then your potential employers could be hospitals, nursing homes, and companies that provide in-home healthcare.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR UK HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA APPLICATION
Your certificate of sponsorship reference number (your employer will give it to you)
1. Proof of your knowledge of English
2. A valid passport or any document that shows your identity and nationality
3. Your job title and annual salary
4. Your job’s occupation code (6141 – for nursing auxiliaries and assistants)
5. The name of your employer and their sponsor license number (this should be on your certificate of sponsorship)
6. Ask your employer for your certificate of sponsorship if you don’t have one.
HOW LONG DOES YOUR UK HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA LAST?
The visa can last for up to five years considering the number of years you pay for when making your application. You ought to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you get another job or employer.
WHO IS QUALIFIED TO APPLY FOR UK HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA?
YOU WILL NEED EXPERIENCE
To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, you are likely to need to be:
1. A doctor
2. A nurse
3. A health care provider
4. An adult social care professional
5. Work in a health or social care job
DO I NEED A JOB OFFER BEFORE I QUALIFY TO APPLY FOR HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA?
Before you can qualify for a visa you will need a confirmed job offer, plus a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from a UK employer with information about the role you’ve been offered within the UK. The minimum salary scale and confirmation that the job offer is from an approved UK employer
YOU WILL NEED YOUR EMPLOYER TO BE APPROVED FOR HEALTH AND CARE WORKER
Approved employers are also regarded as sponsors because they’re sponsoring you to go to or stay within the UK.
An approved employer has been approved by the UK Immigration/Home Office. Your employer needs to apply for a sponsor licence if they are not currently approved by the UK home office and they meet the eligibility requirements. They will need to pay a fee of £536 for small businesses and charities and £1,476 for medium and large organizations. It normally takes around 8 weeks to process a license application.
YOU WILL NEED A CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
If you already have an employment offer then they (your sponsor) will make sure you meet the eligibility requirements. They’ll offer you a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ so that you can prove this.
The certificate of sponsorship isn’t a physical document but an electronic record. It’ll have a reference number, which you will need for your visa application. You have to apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
YOU WILL NEED KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH
You need to prove your knowledge of English language when you apply. You must prove you know how to read, write, speak, and understand English to a minimum of level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
YOU WILL NEED MONEY
When you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa, you would need to pay an application fee of £232 if you’ll be in the UK for up to 3 years, or £464 if you’ll be in the UK for more than 3 years.
You will need to have a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account to prove that you can support yourself for a month when you arrive the UK.
Alternatively, if your employer can support you, your certificate of sponsorship must confirm it.
NOTES: PARTNERS AND CHILDREN
If you have a partner and/or children then you will need to also comply with a set of demands that need satisfying in that respect. The applicant will get to know the details as soon as he/she begins the application.
OTHER DOCUMENTS YOU MIGHT NEED
You might also be asked to provide proof that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example, bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer can support you)
Proof of your relationship with your child(ren) or partner if they’re applying with you. A tuberculosis test result. You need $150 for your test and $60 for your dependent (below 11 years old) from International Organization For Migration (IOM) in Lagos or Abuja.
A criminal record certificate (if you’ve lived in more than one country you have to provide a certificate from each country you’ve lived in). If you’re under 28, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve resided in for a period of 12 months or more since you turned 18.
If you’re over 27, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve resided in over the last 10 years. Your unique UK NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) reference number if your qualification is from outside the UK (you’ll need to apply for this through the UK NARIC visas and Nationality Service). An unused page in your passport for your visa
However, if you feel you might get stuck or make mistake, seek professional help from a VISA processing agency. Try to ensure that all details provided are accurate to avoid clash of information because the UK Home Office will use the personal information you provide to decide whether to grant your application and they may also share your information with other public and private sector organizations in the UK and overseas.
Apply for UK Healthcare Jobs Here
STEP BY STEP TO PROCESS FOR THE APPLICATION OF HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT VISA TO UK
There are several other routes but this is the one I am knowledgeable about and can share correct information on, I’ll share relevant links too
Get an international passport first, https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/passport/epassport/ptype/1By1C
1. Do a test of English IELTS with British councils IELTS for UKVI. Your minimum score should be 4.5 overall with no band less than 4.0. Go to the British Council website to register it is N89500 https://ieltsukviregistration.britishcouncil.org/choose-location
If you have a BSc or master’s, you can do the NARIC/ECCTIS evaluation instead. It costs £147.50 and you’ll need your transcripts, degree certificate and medium of instruction letter. I’ll make another post to explain the process.
IELTS is valid for 2 years, and NARIC is valid for life.
2. Register for a care course to have a care certificate. Do this at reed.co.uk or caredemy.co.uk it is btw 10 to 15 pounds. It covers 15 topics. Get your certificate
3. Prepare your UK standard care CV showing your roles as a care assistant, experience is key so if you don’t have care experience, find a hospice or hospital to volunteer for about 3 months and ask them for a reference letter afterward.
I’ll advise you to ask an expert to make one for you or you check for samples online and adapt them to yours.
4. Start applying for jobs at care on websites like Indeed, many have gotten jobs by DMing recruiters on LinkedIn too. Below is the link to approved sponsors
4. Do a Tuberculosis test at an international organization for migration health assessment and get a tuberculosis certificate at Isaac John, Ikeja GRA, Lagos N57200 for adults and N23120 for children below 11 years
https://mymedical.iom.int/apps/omas/#_frmHome
5. Get a police clearance certificate at Alagbon, Lagos, or Abuja or online on the possag website, this is btw 35-45k
6. Get an international driving license it is btw 8-15k depending on who you meet at Alagbon or FRSC.
7. Continue to rigorously apply for jobs at the websites, do research online and then you will be shortlisted, interviewed, and issue CoS if you are successful. CoS means a certificate of sponsorship.
8. Prepare for the interview by reading at length
9. Get your certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer when you get your job/CoS
10. Your job title and annual salary
11. Get your job’s occupation code etc
Then use all those to apply for your UK visa.
The healthcare visa allows you to come with your family and guess what? The visa fee is subsidized and you don’t pay IHS. You’re also on the part of ILR and citizenship.
FAQs for Applying for UK Health Care Worker’s Visa
Who is eligible to apply for the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa?
Eligibility for the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa is open to qualified healthcare professionals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, and other healthcare workers with recognized qualifications.
What are the main requirements for the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa application?
The main requirements include:
A valid job offer from a UK healthcare provider with a sponsorship license.
Proof of English language proficiency (meeting the required score in an approved English language test).
Sufficient funds to support oneself in the UK without recourse to public funds.
Criminal record certificates from all countries resided in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.
Proof of healthcare qualification recognized by UK professional bodies.
How do I obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa?
Your prospective employer in the UK needs to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) on your behalf. They must be a licensed sponsor approved by the UK Home Office. Once they issue you a CoS, you can use its reference number to complete your visa application.
What is the process for applying for the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa?
The process typically involves:
Completing an online visa application form.
Paying the visa application fee and healthcare surcharge.
Attending a biometric appointment to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Submitting required documents, including CoS, proof of qualifications, and financial evidence.
Attending an appointment at a visa application center or posting your documents.
How long does it take to process the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa application?
Processing times vary depending on your location and individual circumstances. Generally, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months for a decision to be made on your application.
Can family members accompany me on the UK Health Care Worker’s Visa?
Yes, eligible family members, including spouses or partners and children under 18, can accompany or join you in the UK. They will need to apply for dependent visas and provide supporting documentation, including evidence of their relationship to you and proof of funds to support themselves.
Accurate information can be gotten from the home office website
https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa
Goodluck! Feel free to ask questions below.
