How to find a UK nursing job with visa sponsorship (2026)

You need a job with a licensed sponsor

To work in the UK on the Skilled Worker (or Health and Care Worker) route, you need a job offer from an employer the Home Office has approved as a licensed sponsor, who assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship for the specific role. Only employers on the official register of licensed sponsors can do this. A licence means an employer can sponsor a visa — it does not mean they are hiring, have a vacancy, or will sponsor any particular role, so always confirm sponsorship for the role before you apply.

Register with the NMC

Before you can practise as a nurse in the UK you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Overseas-trained applicants register through the NMC's international route, which includes an English language requirement and a competence test (a computer-based test and an OSCE). Start this early — it can take several months — and run it in parallel with your job search.

The Health and Care Worker visa

Many nursing roles with the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa, a variant of the Skilled Worker route with lower application fees and no immigration health surcharge. Your employer confirms which route your Certificate of Sponsorship uses.

Salary and English language

Healthcare salaries on the Skilled Worker route follow the NHS national pay scales: your pay must meet at least the going rate for your band and UK nation. New applicants must also prove English at level B2 (CEFR), although nurses who have already passed an English assessment accepted by the NMC for registration do not need to prove English again for the visa. See our sponsored-salary guide for the figures by occupation, pulled from GOV.UK and the live board.

Check the employer before you apply

Search vacancies in your field and check whether the employer appears on the register of licensed sponsors. You can use our free sponsor licence checker to look up any employer against the Home Office register, refreshed daily — then browse our live nursing roles, which are all with employers on the register.