Can you get a Skilled Worker visa for this job?
Only in some cases. You cannot apply from outside the UK for this job. It is mainly for people already working in UK care.
What you need
You must have:
- a job offer from a UK employer that's allowed to sponsor visas (check the sponsor list)
- a "certificate of sponsorship" from that employer: a reference number with details of your job
- a salary of at least £33,400 a year
- English at level B2: you can usually prove it with an approved test or a degree taught in English (ways to prove it)
- £1,270 in savings, unless your employer covers your first month or you've been in the UK for 12 months or more
- a criminal record certificate, if you're applying from outside the UK
- to apply from inside the UK, and either have worked legally for your employer in care for at least three months (applying before 22 July 2028) or already have a Skilled Worker visa as a care worker
Check the date. This job comes off the Immigration Salary List on 22 July 2028.
How much it costs
| Visa fee | £628 for up to 3 years £1,235 for more than 3 years |
|---|---|
| Healthcare surcharge | usually £1,035 a year |
| Savings to show (if needed) | £1,270 |
For example, a 3-year visa costs £628 plus £3,105 for the healthcare surcharge: £3,733 in total. Your partner and children pay too if they come with you. The lower fee applies because the job is on the Immigration Salary List. Full fees.
How long it takes
- It's usually 8 weeks if you apply from inside the UK.
- Your visa can last up to 5 years. You can extend it.
- After 5 years you may be able to apply to settle in the UK.
How to apply
- Get a job offer from a licensed sponsor and ask for this job's occupation code (6135).
- Get your certificate of sponsorship reference number from your employer.
- Prove your English and get your documents ready (documents list).
- Apply online on GOV.UK: switch or extend from inside the UK. You'll pay the fee and the healthcare surcharge.
- Prove your identity, using the ID Check app or at a visa application centre.
Things to check
- Do make sure the job description matches the work you'll actually do. The occupation code must fit the job.
- Do check your employer is on the licensed sponsor list.
- Don't apply before you have a certificate of sponsorship. You need a confirmed job offer first.
- Don't count overtime, bonuses or allowances. Only guaranteed basic pay counts towards the salary.
- Don't change job or employer without updating your visa.
Based on the UK Immigration Rules and the Skilled Worker visa guide on GOV.UK. This is a summary, not advice about your own situation.
The rules in detail
SOC 2020 code 6135 (Care workers and home carers) is Medium Skilled – Subject to listed conditions (RQF level 2) and is on the Immigration Salary List. It is listed in Table 1a of Appendix Skilled OccupationsT1a · 29 Oct 26: only for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List. SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker also limits this code to applications for permission to stay made by someone who has legally worked for the sponsor in code 6135 or 6136 for at least three months and applies before 22 July 2028, or who already holds Skilled Worker permission in one of those codes.
Source: Appendix Skilled Occupations and eligible occupations and codes, GOV.UK.| Occupation | Care workers and home carers |
|---|---|
| Skilled Worker eligibility | Medium Skilled – Subject to listed conditions |
| Going rate | £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour)T1a |
| Appendix table(s) | Table 1a, Table 2aa |
| Immigration Salary List | Yes, until 22 July 2028All jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Eligibility for Skilled Worker applicants to be sponsored in this SOC 2020 occupation code is restricted, as set out in SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. (all UK) |
| Temporary Shortage List | No |
| Eligible for PhD points | No |
| Equivalent SOC 2010 code(s) | 2442, 3231, 3239, 6141, 6144, 6145 |
| SOC 2020 group | 61 Caring personal service occupations › 613 Caring personal services |
Conditions attached to 6135
Appendix Skilled Occupations attaches these conditions to this code:
- Jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Eligibility for Skilled Worker applicants to be sponsored in this SOC 2020 occupation code is restricted, as set out in SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker. Note: private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. (Table 1a, Table 2aa)
Going rates for 6135 in Appendix Skilled Occupations
A code can appear in more than one table. Each table applies to different applicants. Rates are per year for a 37.5-hour week and must be pro-rated for other hours.
| Table and who it applies to | Going rate | 90% | 80% | 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table 1aOnly for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List. | £33,400 £17.13/hr | n/a | n/a | £33,400 £17.13/hr |
| Table 2aaFor applicants using options F–J who were granted Skilled Worker permission before 22 July 2025 and have held it continuously, unless option I (Immigration Salary List) or the Temporary Shortage List applies. Not eligible for Global Business Mobility or Scale-up. | £25,000 £12.82/hr | n/a | n/a | £25,000 £12.82/hr |
Salary thresholds that apply to 6135
Under Appendix Skilled Worker, the salary must equal or exceed both the general threshold and the going-rate figure for the points option used. This table puts the two figures side by side for each option. It does not say which option applies to any person. See salary thresholds for the conditions on each option.
| Option | Condition | General threshold | Going-rate figure | Higher of the two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Standard | £41,700 | £33,400 (100%) | £41,700 |
| B | The applicant has a PhD in a subject relevant to the job | £37,500 | Not applicable | – |
| C | The applicant has a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | £33,400 | Not applicable | – |
| D | The applicant is being sponsored for a job on the Immigration Salary List | £33,400 | £33,400 (100%) | £33,400 |
| E | The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career | £33,400 | £33,400 (70%) | £33,400 |
| Option | Condition | General threshold | Going-rate figure | Higher of the two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Standard | £31,300 | £25,000 (100%) | £31,300 |
| G | The applicant has a PhD in a subject relevant to the job | £28,200 | Not applicable | – |
| H | The applicant has a PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | £25,000 | Not applicable | – |
| I | The applicant is being sponsored for a job on the Immigration Salary List | £25,000 | £25,000 (100%) | £25,000 |
| J | The applicant is a new entrant at the start of their career | £25,000 | £25,000 (70%) | £25,000 |
Rule changes that named 6135
- HC 997: Skilled Worker changes laid on 1 July 2025 (1 July 2025)
Job titles under SOC 6135
GOV.UK lists these related job titles:
- Community support workers
- Home care workers
- Residential care workers
- Care workers and home carers not elsewhere classified
More job titles from the ONS SOC 2020 index (6)
- Care assistant
- Carer
- Child care worker
- Home care assistant
- Home carer
- Support worker (nursing home)
What the job involves
Care workers and home carers attend to the personal needs and comforts of children, the elderly, the infirm and others with care and support needs (‘service users’) within residential care establishments, day care establishments or in their own homes.
Typical tasks
- Assists and enables service users to dress, undress, wash, use the toilet and bathe
- Serves meals to service users at table or in bed, and assists with feeding if required
- Assists with service users’ overall comfort and wellbeing
- Provides interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user
- Helps with daily activities such as letter writing, paying bills, collecting benefits
- Undertakes light cleaning and domestic duties including meal preparation as required
- Monitors service users’ conditions by taking temperature, pulse, respiration and weight, and contributes to record keeping
- Liaises with professional staff in carrying out care plans etc
Typical entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements. In most cases workers will be required to register with the appropriate statutory body which involves satisfying the registration criteria. This would normally include holding or working towards the appropriate qualification for the job. Entrants must typically be 18 years old and have experience of working in a care environment. Both Off and on-the-job training is available. A wide range of qualifications including NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of care are available. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required.
Description: ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1.
Questions about SOC 6135
What is SOC code 6135?
6135 is the SOC 2020 code for Care workers and home carers. Care workers and home carers attend to the personal needs and comforts of children, the elderly, the infirm and others with care and support needs (‘service users’) within residential care establishments, day care establishments or in their own homes.
Is SOC code 6135 eligible for the Skilled Worker visa?
SOC 2020 code 6135 (Care workers and home carers) is Medium Skilled – Subject to listed conditions (RQF level 2) and is on the Immigration Salary List. It is listed in Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations: only for people granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 22 July 2025 who have held it continuously since, unless the job is on the Immigration Salary List (option D) or the Temporary Shortage List. SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker also limits this code to applications for permission to stay made by someone who has legally worked for the sponsor in code 6135 or 6136 for at least three months and applies before 22 July 2028, or who already holds Skilled Worker permission in one of those codes.
What is the going rate for SOC code 6135?
Table 1a of Appendix Skilled Occupations gives a going rate of £33,400 a year (£17.13 an hour) for 6135, based on a 37.5-hour week. It must be pro-rated for other working hours.
Is 6135 on the Immigration Salary List?
Yes. All jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Eligibility for Skilled Worker applicants to be sponsored in this SOC 2020 occupation code is restricted, as set out in SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. The list states a removal date of 22 July 2028.
What job titles use SOC code 6135?
GOV.UK lists: Community support workers, Home care workers, Residential care workers, Care workers and home carers not elsewhere classified.
Sources
- Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes (GOV.UK, updated 29 April 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Immigration Salary List (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker (GOV.UK, updated 29 October 2026)
- ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups
Compiled by SWC Editorial Team from the sources above. An information summary, not immigration advice. Report an error on this page.