Key dates for care providers
11 March 2024
New care workers can no longer bring dependants; CQC registration required in England.
22 July 2025
Overseas recruitment of care workers closed.
22 July 2028
Last date for in-country switching into care roles.
Compliance is under the microscope in care
Care providers have seen a high number of sponsor licence revocations — often for not giving workers the hours on their certificate, underpayment, or poor records. If your rotas, payslips and sponsorship records cannot together show that every sponsored carer works the hours and earns the salary you promised, that is the gap to close first — and the immigration specialists on this site do that groundwork for care providers.
Frequently asked questions
Can care providers still sponsor care workers in 2026?
Only from inside the UK. Overseas recruitment of care workers and senior care workers (SOC 6135 and 6136) closed on 22 July 2025. Providers can still sponsor people already sponsored in these roles, and people in the UK who have worked legally for them in the role for at least 3 months.
When does in-country switching for care workers end?
Applications to switch into a care worker or senior care worker role from another visa must be made before 22 July 2028.
What salary must a sponsored care worker be paid?
At least £25,000 a year and the going rate for the occupation code under the health and care salary options — equivalent to £12.82 an hour. It must also meet the National Living Wage for all hours worked, including travel time between visits.
Can sponsored care workers bring dependants?
Care workers and senior care workers first sponsored on or after 11 March 2024 cannot bring dependants. Those sponsored before that date, with continuous permission since, keep the right.
Do we need CQC registration to sponsor?
Yes, for jobs based in England the sponsor must be registered with the Care Quality Commission and carrying on a regulated activity. Different regulators apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Official sources
Rules and fees checked September 2026. Immigration rules change often — this tool gives general information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on an individual case, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or one of the firms listed here.