Recruitment of care workers on skilled worker health and care visa is put under more scrutiny by Home Office. Where an applicant for health and care visa is being sponsored for a job with working locations entirely in England as '6135 – Care workers and home carers', and '6136 – Senior Care Workers' from 9 April 2025, their sponsor must have tried to recruit from the pool of displaced care workers.
Displaced care workers pool
The displaced care workers pool is made up of care workers and senior care workers who have been sponsored as a Skilled Worker under occupation code 6135 or 6136 (or their equivalent SOC 2010 occupation codes, 6145 or 6146 respectively) and they require new sponsorship because one or more of the following is true: " their previous sponsor has lost its licence " their current sponsor has been unable to provide sufficient work for them " they have been identified by the relevant regional or sub-regional partnership as a worker requiring assistance in obtaining new sponsorship.
Sponsor information on COS
The sponsor must state on the CoS that they have attempted to recruit from the pool managed by their local regional partnership. The sponsor must confirm that no suitable workers were available from the pool and which regional partnerships they have contacted. You must check the local regional partnership has confirmed that the sponsor has recorded an attempt to recruit from the pool of displaced workers.
When requirement to recruit from displaced care workers pool does not apply
This requirement does not apply to sponsors who are assigning CoS to applicants who are in the UK and either: " were last granted permission as a Skilled Worker, sponsored in occupation codes '6135 – Care workers and home carers', or '6136 – Senior Care Workers' (6145 or 6146 for CoS assigned before 4 April 2024) – this includes workers who are in the displaced pool, " have been legally working for the sponsor in one of these occupation codes for at least the 3 months ending on the date of application – this includes working whilst on a different visa route.
Immigration rules on recruitment from displaced care workers pool
The immigration rules set out the requirements as to the recruitment from displaced care worker pool. SW 6.1B. If the applicant is being sponsored for a job with working locations entirely in England in either of the SOC 2020 occupation codes "6135 Care workers and home carers" or "6136 Senior care workers"; and:
(a) is applying for entry clearance; or
(b) is applying for permission to stay, and was not last granted permission:
(i) as a Skilled Worker, sponsored in either of the SOC 2020 occupation codes in (a), or the SOC 2010 occupation codes "6145 Care workers and home carers" or "6146 Senior care workers", or
(ii) in any other route, and has been legally working for the sponsor in one of these occupation codes for at least the three months ending on the date of application;
the requirements in SW 6.1C must be met.
SW 6.1C. Where SW 6.1B applies:
(a) the sponsor must have tried to recruit for the job the applicant is being sponsored for, from the pool of Skilled Workers who:
(i) are in the UK;
(ii) were last sponsored in an occupation code in SW 6.1B; and
(iii) are in need of new sponsorship because their sponsor has lost its licence or has not provided sufficient work , or have been identified by the relevant regional or sub-regional partnership (set up for the purpose of delivering activity which prevents and responds to exploitative employment practices with international recruitment of care staff, in the area in which the sponsor is located or recruiting) as a worker requiring assistance in obtaining new sponsorship; and
(b) the sponsor must provide confirmation from the regional or sub-regional partnership in (a)(iii) that the requirement in (a) has been met; and
(c) the sponsor must confirm that no suitable workers were available from this pool of Skilled Workers.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
