🌍 No More Overseas Sponsorship for Care Workers
Effective from: 22 July 2025
Applies to: SOC 6135 & 6136
Employers cannot sponsor new care workers from outside the UK.
All entry clearance under these codes will be refused after this date.
Introduced in response to widespread compliance issues.
💷 Salary Requirements
Effective from: 22 July 2025
Applies to: SOC 6135 & 6136
Minimum salary: £25,000/year or £12.82/hour (based on 37.5 hrs/week)
New entrant discounts do not apply (SOC 6135/6136 are on the Immigration Salary List)
Care roles benefit from the ISL reduced salary threshold (£25,000 vs general £33,400)
⚠️ Transitional Provisions (Until 4 April 2030)
Applicants can retain previous salary/dependant rights if:
Their first Skilled Worker visa was granted before 11 March 2024
They have been continuously sponsored in the same or similar care role (SOC 6135 or 6136)
Any new CoS or visa applications are submitted before 4 April 2030
These applicants may:
Earn a lower salary (e.g. £23,200). £11.90 can remain on CoS assigned before 9 April 2025, but employees must be paid £12.21 in line with the National Living Wage until a new CoS and visa are needed.
Bring dependants (even after 22 July 2025)
Loss of protection occurs if:
The applicant changes occupation
There is a break in sponsorship or overstaying
The applicant leaves the Skilled Worker route
🌍 Who Can Apply? (From 22 July 2025)
Applicant Type | Eligible? | Conditions |
Overseas applicants | ❌ No | Overseas recruitment banned |
Graduate visa holders | ✅ Yes | Must be in a care role with sponsor for 3+ months and meet salary requirement |
Student visa holders | ✅ Yes | Must have completed studies, be working for sponsor in care role 3+ months, meet salary requirement |
Other in-country routes (e.g. Dependant, Youth Mobility) | ✅ Yes | Same as above |
Visitors / Short-term visas | ❌ No | Switching not allowed |
🏢 Sponsor Requirements
For organisations in England:
Must be licensed sponsors
Must be CQC-registered
Must be delivering regulated care activities
Outside England:
CQC registration not required
Must be registered with the relevant national regulator:
Scotland: Care Inspectorate
Wales: Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
Northern Ireland: Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)
📢 RCP Engagement Requirement - Update
From 22 July 2025, care providers no longer need to contact their local Regional Care Partnership (RCP) before assigning a CoS for care workers.
This means:
If you assign a CoS on or after 22 July 2025, you do not need to reach out to the RCP or show evidence that you’ve engaged with their displaced worker pool.
If your CoS was assigned before 22 July 2025, the old rule still applies - you must have engaged with the RCP first.
💡 Tip: Always check the CoS assignment date so you know which rule applies.
👨👩👧 Dependants Policy
Status | Can Bring Dependants? |
CoS issued before 22 July 2025 & under transitional protections | ✅ Yes (if transitional protections apply and first CoS was issued before 11 March 2024) |
CoS issued on/after 22 July 2025 | ❌ No |
🔁 Switching to the Skilled Worker Route (SOC 6135/6136)
Current Visa Route | Eligible to Switch? | Conditions | Minimum Salary |
Student | ✅ Yes | Course completed, 3+ months with sponsor in care role | £25,000 |
Graduate | ✅ Yes | 3+ months in care role with sponsor | £25,000 |
Dependant | ✅ Yes | 3+ months in care role with sponsor | £25,000 |
Youth Mobility / Charity Worker | ✅ Yes | 3+ months in care role with sponsor | £25,000 |
Visitor / Short-term study | ❌ No | Switching not permitted | n/a |
📋 Application Essentials
Requirement | Details |
Salary | £25,000 or transitional lower amount (if eligible) |
Sponsor | Must be licensed and, in England, CQC-registered |
Switching Route | In-country only (overseas recruitment no longer permitted) |
Work Requirement | Must have been working in care role with sponsor for 3+ months |
Documents Required | CoS, payslips/salary proof, employment history, English language evidence (if needed) |
❓ FAQs for Sponsors
1. Can we sponsor overseas care workers after 22 July 2025?
No. Overseas recruitment for SOC 6135/6136 ends on 22 July 2025.
2. Can sponsored care workers bring dependants?
Only if:
Their first CoS was issued before 4 April 2024
They are covered by transitional protections
3. Do new entrants (e.g. students) qualify for lower salary thresholds?
No. New entrant salary discounts do not apply to care roles, as they are on the ISL.
4. Do in-country switchers need to earn £25,000?
Yes. All applicants for SOC 6135/6136 must earn at least £25,000, even if under 26 or recently graduated.
5. Can we assign a CoS before the 3-month employment mark?
No. From 22 July 2025, a worker must be employed in the care role with your organisation for 3+ months before a CoS can be issued.
6. Is CQC registration mandatory?
Only for sponsors in England. Other UK nations must follow their respective regulatory body’s requirements.
7. Is the Temporary Shortage Occupation List in effect?
No. Although recommended by the MAC, there is no rollout date yet.
8. What is the new skill level for Skilled Worker roles?
From 22 July 2025, most Skilled Worker jobs must be at RQF Level 6 (graduate level). Exceptions:
Jobs on the Immigration Salary List (ISL)
Jobs on the Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSL) (when introduced)
Jobs covered by transitional protections
SOC 6135 and 6136 remain exempt due to ISL status.