Typical salary
£23,200 – £28,500 per year (plus unsocial-hours enhancements)
Visa route
Health and Care Worker visa — new overseas care-worker applications closed 22 July 2025; in-country switching and extensions allowed until 22 July 2028
Occupation codes
SOC 6135 (care workers and home carers), SOC 6131 (nursing auxiliaries)
Who sponsors
NHS trusts, private hospital groups, care-home operators and domiciliary providers
Are you eligible for visa sponsorship as a care worker?
The sponsorship rules changed on 22 July 2025 and, as of October 2026, this is where care workers stand. Your position depends on whether you are already in the UK on a sponsored visa or applying from abroad.
Eligible now
- You are already in the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa as a care worker or senior care worker — you can still change employer or extend your stay until 22 July 2028.
- You are in the UK on another sponsored permission and switching to the same care occupation code, as long as your permission stays continuous.
- You are applying for a registered health role that is still open to sponsorship, such as a registered nurse.
Not eligible
- You are outside the UK and want a new visa to come and work in the UK as a care worker or senior care worker (SOC 6135 or 6136) — the Home Office stopped accepting these applications on 22 July 2025.
- You are hoping for a first-time, from-abroad Certificate of Sponsorship in a care-worker role — employers can no longer assign one for these occupation codes.
- You were first granted a care worker visa on or after 11 March 2024 and want to bring dependants — dependants are not permitted for these grants.
We do not give immigration legal advice. Rules change often, so always confirm the current position on GOV.UK — and our consultants check your exact circumstances on the screening call.
Roles we place
- Healthcare assistant (hospital ward, theatre, A&E)
- Senior care worker / team leader in residential care
- Support worker — learning disability and mental health
- Domiciliary carer with driving licence
- Rehabilitation and reablement assistant
Care-home groups, NHS trusts and supported-living providers across England, Scotland and Wales. See our recruitment services or the destinations we recruit for.
NHS healthcare assistant salaries
| Pay band | Typical roles | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | Healthcare assistant, clinical support worker (entry level) | £24,465 |
| Band 3 | Senior healthcare assistant, experienced clinical support worker | £24,937 – £26,598 |
| Band 4 | Assistant practitioner, nursing associate (trainee/qualified) | £27,485 – £30,162 |
NHS Agenda for Change 2025/26 basic annual pay for a full-time (37.5-hour) post. Unsocial-hours enhancements for nights, weekends and bank holidays are paid on top, and roles in and around London also receive a High Cost Area Supplement. Private care-home and domiciliary employers set their own rates, typically £12.21–£14 per hour.
NHS employers hiring healthcare assistants
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation TrustGuildford, Surrey
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation TrustFrimley, Wexham Park and Heatherwood
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustEast Surrey Hospital, Redhill
- Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustChertsey and Ashford
- Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS TrustEpsom and Sutton
- Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation TrustMental health and community services across Surrey
- Surrey Heartlands Health and Care PartnershipGuildford, Waverley and North West Surrey
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustLondon
- Barts Health NHS TrustEast London
- Manchester University NHS Foundation TrustGreater Manchester
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustBirmingham
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustLeeds
The first seven are the main NHS employers of healthcare assistants in and around Surrey, and regularly advertise HCA vacancies on NHS Jobs. They are listed for reference and are not a statement of partnership — whether a specific vacancy offers visa sponsorship is set out in each advert.
Care assistant recruitment in Guildford and Surrey
Gobblex Recruiter is based in Guildford and places care assistants and healthcare assistants with employers across Surrey — from Royal Surrey County Hospital to care homes and domiciliary providers in Woking, Farnham, Epsom, Camberley and beyond. Call +44 7426 924354 or visit our Guildford recruitment agency page for local employer services.
Requirements for sponsorship
- Care experience (paid or supervised placement) — typically 6–12 months.
- English at CEFR B2 for new Skilled Worker applications (the standard since April 2026); B1 evidence still applies to in-country care-worker extensions and switches.
- Enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references covering the last 3 years.
- A Certificate of Sponsorship — from your current sponsor for an extension or switch; new from-abroad certificates for care-worker codes are no longer issued.
- Care Certificate (or willingness to complete it during induction).
Full eligibility rules, salary thresholds and the sponsor register are covered in our complete UK visa sponsorship guide. Benchmark your offer against the UK salary guide.
How the application works
- Submit your CV. Send a UK-format CV listing care duties, shift patterns and any NVQ/Care Certificate units.
- Screening call. A Gobblex consultant checks your eligibility against the going rate for SOC 6135.
- Employer interview. Usually a 30-minute video interview covering safeguarding, dignity and manual handling.
- Certificate of Sponsorship. The employer assigns your CoS through the Sponsor Management System.
- Visa and relocation. Apply for your visa — an extension or change of employer under the transitional rules, or a Health and Care Worker visa for still-open health roles — then attend biometrics and plan your move.
Frequently asked questions
Do healthcare assistant jobs qualify for UK visa sponsorship?
Not for people applying from overseas. Since 22 July 2025 the Home Office no longer accepts new applications from outside the UK for care workers and senior care workers (SOC 6135 and 6136), so a care assistant role cannot sponsor a first visa from abroad. If you are already in the UK on a sponsored care visa, you can still switch employer or extend until 22 July 2028, and registered roles such as nursing remain open to sponsorship. Our consultants check your exact circumstances before you apply.
Can I still come to the UK from abroad as a care worker?
Not as a care worker or senior care worker. Employers stopped being able to assign new from-abroad Certificates of Sponsorship for SOC 6135 and 6136 on 22 July 2025. To come from overseas you need an occupation that is still eligible — for example a registered nursing role — with a salary that meets the going rate.
What happens to my care worker visa after July 2028?
22 July 2028 is the last date to apply to switch employer or extend in the care codes. After that date no new switching or extension applications are accepted in these codes, although your existing permission simply runs to its expiry. Many candidates use the window to qualify as registered nurses, which returns them to an open sponsorship route.
Do NHS trusts sponsor healthcare assistants?
Some do, but NHS trusts sponsor registered nurses far more often than healthcare assistants. Each NHS Jobs advert states whether the post can offer sponsorship, so filter for that before applying.
How much does an NHS healthcare assistant earn?
On the 2025/26 NHS Agenda for Change scale, a Band 2 healthcare assistant earns £24,465 a year full time and a Band 3 senior HCA earns £24,937 to £26,598, before unsocial-hours pay and any London High Cost Area Supplement.
What is the difference between a care assistant and an NHS healthcare assistant?
A care assistant usually works in a care home or people's homes supporting daily living. An NHS healthcare assistant works on hospital wards or in clinics under a registered nurse, and may also take observations, blood samples or ECGs after training.
Do I need IELTS for a healthcare assistant visa?
New Skilled Worker applications from April 2026 require English at CEFR level B2; B1 evidence still applies to in-country care-worker extensions and switches. An approved Secure English Language Test such as IELTS for UKVI is the most common evidence, but a degree taught in English can also count.
Do I need experience to become a healthcare assistant in the UK?
Many NHS Band 2 roles accept people without formal qualifications and train you through the Care Certificate. For sponsored roles, employers usually expect around 6–12 months of paid or supervised care experience.
Can I bring my family on a care or health visa?
Since March 2024, new care workers and senior care workers cannot bring dependants on the Health and Care Worker visa. Other eligible health roles may still allow dependants — check GOV.UK for the role you are offered.
Does Gobblex charge candidates a fee?
No. Gobblex Recruiter never charges candidates to apply or to be placed. Our fees are paid by employers.
Which NHS trusts near Guildford hire healthcare assistants?
The main NHS employers of healthcare assistants in Surrey are Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford, Frimley Health, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, Ashford and St Peter's in Chertsey, Epsom and St Helier, and Surrey and Borders Partnership for mental health and community roles. Vacancies are advertised on NHS Jobs, and each advert states whether sponsorship is available.
How much do healthcare assistants earn in Surrey?
NHS healthcare assistants in Surrey earn the national Agenda for Change rates: £24,465 at Band 2 and £24,937 to £26,598 at Band 3, full time, plus unsocial-hours enhancements. Frimley Park and some north-west Surrey roles also attract the fringe High Cost Area Supplement. Private care homes in Surrey typically pay £12.21 to £14 per hour.
What training will I get as a new NHS healthcare assistant?
New HCAs complete the Care Certificate during induction, covering safeguarding, dignity, infection control and basic clinical skills. Many trusts then support further training such as venepuncture, ECG recording or the nursing associate apprenticeship, which leads to Band 4 pay.
Apply through a licensed sponsor
Send us your CV and we'll match you with UK employers actively sponsoring in this field.
Register with GobblexOther sponsorship routes
Same process, different profession — compare the salary bands and requirements.
- Care home jobs with visa sponsorship£23,200 – £29,000 per year, plus night and weekend enhancements
- Nursing jobs with UK visa sponsorship£29,970 – £36,483 (NHS Band 5, plus London weighting where applicable)
- Skilled Worker visa jobs in the UK£41,700 general threshold since 22 July 2025 (lower thresholds apply to health, care and new entrants)
New to the process? Start with the complete UK visa sponsorship guide or browse all sponsorship routes.