Healthcare Employers Sponsoring Skilled Worker Visas in 2025 marks a pivotal chapter in how the UK continues to shape its healthcare workforce. It’s a story of dedication, opportunity, and global collaboration — where hospitals, care providers, and international professionals come together to sustain one of Britain’s most essential services. As the leaves turn and new rules take root, the conversation around sponsorship, care, and skilled migration feels more relevant than ever, setting the stage for a season of change across the nation’s healthcare landscape.
Latest Sponsorship Regime
Under the Skilled Worker visa, a UK employer must hold a valid sponsor licence, issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), and the job must meet the required skill level and minimum salary.
For health and adult social care roles, the Health and Care Worker visa applies – the job must be in an eligible health or social care occupation, for an approved employer (NHS body, NHS supplier or adult social care provider) and meet the relevant salary threshold.
Key rule changes in 2025 include:
- From 22 July 2025, the general minimum skill level for new Skilled Worker applications was raised to RQF 6 (with a temporary shortage list for some roles).
- For the Health and Care route: new overseas applications for care worker/senior care worker roles closed from 22 July 2025; transitional extensions allowed until 22 July 2028.
- Salary floors: For many health and care roles, the minimum salary is now £25,000, or the going rate, whichever is higher.
- The sponsor register (the Register of Licensed Sponsors) is the definitive list to verify employer eligibility.
Given these changes, healthcare employers must be diligent in maintaining their licence, ensuring they meet compliance, and that sponsored roles satisfy the new criteria.
What does “NHS and care employer sponsorship UK” mean in practice?
The phrase “NHS and care employer sponsorship UK” encapsulates the fact that both public sector trusts under the National Health Service (NHS) and adult social care providers can (or could) sponsor skilled worker visas — provided they hold a licence and the roles qualify. The NHS remains a major sponsor; similarly, large private care chains and region-specific initiatives also operate sponsorship programmes. Several key points for applicants and employers in 2025:
- Verify via the Register of Licensed Sponsors that the employer is A-rated and licensed for the route you require.
- Confirm the job’s SOC code, salary, and that the role appears on the appropriate occupations list (or shortage list if applicable).
- If the employer is in adult social care (rather than a core NHS employer), ensure they are registered with the relevant regulator (e.g., the Care Quality Commission in England) and eligible to sponsor for health/care roles.
- If you are seeking a role under the Health & Care route, check for any restrictions.
- Employers must assign the CoS, and the worker must apply for the visa within 3 months.
Major NHS Trusts and Healthcare Employers Sponsoring in 2025
While the full live list of sponsoring employers is vast (running into thousands via the Register of Licensed Sponsors), the following are representative major healthcare employers known to hold sponsorship licences and actively hire international skilled workers (as of October 2025):
- NHS England (national body) – oversees sponsorship of many NHS organisations, including postgraduate medical recruitment.
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – a large London trust known for international medical recruitment programmes.
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust – one of the largest NHS trusts in England and a frequent sponsor of skilled healthcare roles.
- Barts Health NHS Trust – employs international doctors and allied health professionals under visa sponsorship.
- Private provider: Four Seasons Health Care – A-rated social-care provider, listed in third-party databases as licensed to sponsor workers.
- Regional initiative example: Black Country Integrated Care System (West Midlands) – their training hub confirms that the skilled worker visa route includes health-care workers.
Regional & Sectoral Sponsorship Trends in 2025
In addition to large NHS trusts and national providers, regional initiatives and care-chain providers are playing a growing role in sponsoring skilled workers:
- Regionally, integrated care systems (ICSs) across England are actively recruiting internationally to fill shortages in nursing, allied health and care-support roles. The Black Country ICS example shows active use of skilled worker visas for healthcare.
- In the adult social care sector, databases have surfaced hundreds of care-home providers licensed to sponsor international workers.
- Private providers and nursing-home chains are increasingly advertising “visa sponsorship” roles (subject to licence and eligibility) to meet staffing shortfalls.
- However, the regulatory and compliance landscape is tightening: for instance, oversight over care-home sponsors has increased, and licence revocations in the sector indicate risk for providers and workers alike.
What Healthcare Employers Must Do to Sponsor in 2025?
For healthcare employers (NHS trusts, private hospitals, adult social-care providers) seeking to sponsor international skilled workers, the following steps and obligations apply:
- Obtain/maintain a valid sponsor licence
- Must be rated A (or upgraded from B) to issue a new CoS.
- Must continue to comply with Home Office duties (reporting changes, keeping records, monitoring sponsored workers).
- Licences may be suspended or revoked if employers breach duties (and this has been seen notably in the care sector).
- Ensure the offered role is eligible
- The role must be on the Skilled Worker occupation list or, for health/care applicants, the Health & Care list.
- From 22 July 2025, skill level must be RQF 6+ for new applications unless on the Temporary Shortage List.
- Salary must meet the threshold. (Keep checking government websites for the latest updates).
- Issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
- The employer assigns a CoS (electronic record) to the worker; the worker then applies within 3 months.
- Compliance & ongoing obligations
- Sponsors must monitor attendance, changes in role, and notify UKVI of absences or changes.
- For healthcare sector employers, additional regulatory oversight (e.g., CQC registration for adult social care) applies.
- Managing transition and future rule changes
- Employers must stay aware of upcoming changes (e.g., Immigration Skills Charge increases, possible further salary/skill requirement adjustments).
Key Considerations for Healthcare Applicants
For healthcare professionals seeking roles via sponsorship in 2025, some crucial factors are:
- Always verify the employer’s licence status via the Register of Licensed Sponsors. Even adverts that claim “visa sponsorship” must be matched to a legitimate A-rated licence.
- Ensure the offered role meets the occupation code, skill level, and salary threshold under current rules.
- Be mindful of regional/national staffing strategies: post-Brexit, the UK healthcare sector continues to rely on international recruitment.
- For dependent family members: eligibility varies by route and occupation code; check current guidance.
Outlook and Challenges in 2025
The sponsorship landscape in UK healthcare continues to offer opportunities, but with caution. Key challenges include:
- The tightening of eligibility (skill level, salary) means some roles previously easier to sponsor may no longer qualify.
- The adult social care sector, in particular, has seen heightened regulatory scrutiny and licence revocations.
- Employers must not rely purely on international recruitment; domestic training and retention also remain vital.
- For applicants, verifying employer legitimacy is critical in a landscape where exploitation risks remain in some parts of the care sector.
- For healthcare trusts and providers, staying up to date with evolving immigration policy, licence compliance, and sponsorship obligations is more important than ever.
Final Words!
As the healthcare sector continues to evolve, the importance of clarity, compliance, and connection between employers and skilled professionals has never been greater. Sponsorship in 2025 isn’t simply a bureaucratic process — it’s a bridge between global expertise and the UK’s enduring commitment to care. For those shaping the future of health and social care, understanding how to navigate that bridge is key to sustaining progress and trust.
Stay informed, stay compliant, and stay connected with Skilled Worker Mag — your trusted source for the latest updates, insights, and guidance on the UK’s Skilled Worker sponsorship landscape.
