Hiring and sponsoring nursing auxiliaries and assistants (SOC code 6131)

Nursing auxiliaries and assistants, classified under SOC code 6131, are healthcare support workers who help patients with daily living, basic clinical tasks and personal care across hospitals, clinics and care settings. This guide explains how to hire and sponsor them under the UK's immigration rules in 2026.

Can you still sponsor a nursing auxiliary in 2026?

Yes, but through the Health and Care Worker visa, a branch of the Skilled Worker route, rather than the standard Skilled Worker route. When the route moved to graduate level (RQF6) on 22 July 2025, many lower-skilled roles lost access, but nursing auxiliaries and assistants, an RQF3 role, remain eligible because the occupation sits on the Immigration Salary List.

One date to plan around: the Immigration Salary List is due to be withdrawn at the end of December 2026. After that, new applications under SOC 6131 may no longer be possible, and the Home Office has yet to confirm transitional arrangements. If you are planning to recruit, do not leave it late.

Salary requirements

On the Health and Care Worker visa, the minimum salary for SOC 6131 is £25,000 a year, or the going rate for the role, whichever is higher. Where the post follows NHS Agenda for Change pay, use the relevant national pay scale. Use our minimum salary calculator and confirm the current going rate before you assign a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Note: the Shortage Occupation List was abolished in April 2024 and replaced by the Immigration Salary List (ISL). SOC 6131 currently sits on the ISL.

What it costs to sponsor a nursing auxiliary

The Health and Care Worker visa is cheaper than the standard Skilled Worker route, which is part of why it matters here:

• Sponsor licence: £611 for small or charitable sponsors, £1,682 for medium or large, from 8 April 2026.
• Certificate of Sponsorship: £525 per CoS.
• Immigration Skills Charge: not payable for Health and Care Worker visa roles.
• Health and Care Worker visa fee: £324 for up to three years, £628 for over three years, from 8 April 2026.
• Immigration Health Surcharge: not payable, as Health and Care Worker visa holders are exempt.

How to sponsor a nursing auxiliary, step by step

Step 1: Get a sponsor licence

You need a sponsor licence before hiring from overseas. We can handle the sponsor licence application for you, or follow our step-by-step guide. If you are a care provider in England, you also need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Standard processing is around eight weeks, or about 10 working days with the priority service.

Step 2: Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship

Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship with the job and salary details. Use a Defined CoS for someone applying from outside the UK, and an Undefined CoS for someone already in the UK who is switching or extending.

Step 3: The worker applies for the Health and Care Worker visa

Once the CoS is assigned, your hire applies for the Health and Care Worker visa and pays the lower application fee, with no Immigration Health Surcharge. See our Health and Care Worker visa guide for the full picture.

Right to work checks

Before they start, run a right to work check. Most sponsored workers now hold an eVisa, so you check their status online with a share code rather than a physical document. See the right to work check guide.

After hiring: your compliance duties

Keep accurate records and report changes such as salary or role through the Sponsor Management System. Falling short of your sponsor licence duties can lead to a downgrade or revocation. For care providers, CQC registration and compliance are checked too.

How Borderless helps

We help health and care employers sponsor with confidence, from the sponsor licence to the Certificate of Sponsorship and ongoing Home Office compliance. See our health and care page, or book a demo.