The UK government has officially published the complete list of 31 occupations that qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa in 2026, setting out the exact occupation codes applicants must fall under to be considered. The guidance, available on the UK government's official website, confirms that eligible roles span medical practitioners, nursing professionals, allied health roles, and adult social care positions.
Eligibility Requirements for Applicants
According to the published guidance, applicants must be qualified doctors, nurses, health professionals, or adult social care professionals whose roles are covered by the visa. They must also secure employment with a UK health and care employer that has received Home Office approval. Additionally, their salary must meet either the minimum threshold or the standard "going rate" for their occupation, whichever is higher.
The UK government warned that any employer who fails to pay at least the national minimum wage or breaches UK working hour rules will cause their employee's visa application to be refused outright. This condition applies across all eligible occupations listed under the visa category.
Complete List of 31 Eligible Occupations
The following occupation codes are eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa in 2026:
- 1171: Health services and public health managers and directors
- 1232: Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
- 2113: Biochemists and biomedical scientists
- 2114: Physical scientists
- 2211: Generalist medical practitioners
- 2212: Specialist medical practitioners
- 2221: Physiotherapists
- 2222: Occupational therapists
- 2223: Speech and language therapists
- 2224: Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists
- 2225: Clinical psychologists
- 2226: Other psychologists
- 2229: Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2231: Midwifery nurses
- 2232: Registered community nurses
- 2233: Registered specialist nurses
- 2234: Registered nurse practitioners
- 2235: Registered mental health nurses
- 2236: Registered children's nurses
- 2237: Other registered nursing professionals
- 2251: Pharmacists
- 2252: Optometrists
- 2253: Dental practitioners
- 2254: Medical radiographers
- 2255: Paramedics
- 2256: Podiatrists
- 2259: Other health professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2461: Social workers
- 3111: Laboratory technicians
- 3212: Pharmaceutical technicians
- 6131: Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
Key Conditions and Context
Beyond holding an eligible job title, prospective applicants must confirm that their specific role falls within one of the recognised occupation codes before submitting an application. The visa is designed for workers moving to the UK to fill roles within the National Health Service or the broader social care sector, both of which have continued to draw large numbers of Nigerian health professionals in recent years.
The full breakdown of eligible roles and application requirements is available on the UK government's Health and Care Worker visa page. In a related development, the UK also published the names of 32 African countries whose citizens must obtain an airport transit visa, and separately listed 73 nationalities that require a transit visa when passing through British airports without entering the country. These transit visa rules apply to travellers who are transiting through UK airports without entering the country, meaning nationals of the listed countries cannot pass through UK airport transit zones without holding the appropriate visa.
