Care Worker Sponsorship: What the 22 July 2028 Date Actually Means

The date 22 July 2028 appears in the care-worker sponsorship rules, but it is often described too broadly. It is not a shared visa-expiry date for every Care Worker or Senior Care Worker. It applies directly to one in-country switching provision, and the two occupation codes are also currently shown with that date as their scheduled removal date on the Immigration Salary List.

The legal position can change before then. Here is what the published Rules say now.

Overseas recruitment closed on 22 July 2025

Since 22 July 2025, a person cannot make a new entry-clearance application from outside the UK for a job under:

• SOC 6135: Care workers and home carers; or
• SOC 6136: Senior care workers.

Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 6.1B requires an application under these codes to be for permission to stay, meaning an in-country application, and imposes additional status conditions.

This closure is specific to those occupation codes. Someone considering another health occupation must check that occupation’s own eligibility, salary, registration and sponsorship rules; “healthcare role” is not enough on its own.

The two in-country pathways are different

Under the current Rules, an applicant in SOC 6135 or 6136 must fit one of two situations.

1. Already working for the proposed sponsor

Someone with another form of immigration permission that allows the work may switch only if they have been legally working for that sponsor as a care worker or senior care worker for at least the three months ending on the date the sponsor issued the Certificate of Sponsorship.

SW 6.1B(a) says the application must be made before 22 July 2028. The Home Office sponsor guidance says this transitional provision will then end and the date will be kept under review.

Working for the same organisation in an unrelated job does not satisfy the requirement: the work must be in one of the two care occupation codes.

2. Already sponsored in one of the care occupation codes

A worker whose last grant was as a Skilled Worker in SOC 6135 or 6136—or the predecessor SOC 2010 codes 6145 or 6146—and who has held continuous Skilled Worker permission can currently apply for further permission with the same or a different sponsor.

The date condition in SW 6.1B(a) is not repeated in SW 6.1B(b), which covers this existing-sponsored-worker pathway. However, that is not a guarantee of indefinite eligibility: the current Appendix Immigration Salary List displays 22 July 2028 as the removal date for SOC 6135 and 6136. The Home Office would need to amend or clarify the Rules for applications after the list entry ends.

Other requirements still apply

Meeting the immigration-status condition does not make an application automatic. The worker still needs an eligible job, a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, the required salary and all other route requirements.

For a job located in England, the sponsor must normally hold active Care Quality Commission registration and be carrying on a regulated activity. There is a narrow CQC transitional provision for certain continuously sponsored workers whose relevant permission began under the pre-11 March 2024 rules, so do not assume it applies without checking the detailed sponsor guidance.

If changing employer, the worker needs the immigration permission required for the new sponsored job; a sponsor licence alone is not permission to start with the new employer.

Our practical guide explains employer changes in more detail:

Care worker employer changes: a complete guide →

What can honestly be said about 23 July 2028?

As of 3 August 2026, the published Rules do not provide a complete post-22 July 2028 replacement arrangement for these occupation codes. They do show:

• an application cut-off for the three-month in-country switching provision; and
• a 22 July 2028 removal date for the two care occupations on the Immigration Salary List.

That does not make every existing permission expire on that date. Each worker has their own grant end date, and any future extension or change application will be assessed under the Rules in force when they apply. Treat confident claims about a blanket extension—or a blanket cancellation—as speculation unless they point to a later Statement of Changes or updated Rules.

What to check now

1. Confirm your exact occupation code and current permission expiry date.
2. Identify whether you rely on the three-month switching provision or the continuously sponsored-worker provision.
3. If your job is in England, verify the sponsor’s current CQC position as well as its sponsor licence.
4. Check settlement or other route options early rather than waiting for 2028.
5. Re-check the live Rules and sponsor guidance before any application or employer change.

843 companies across the sponsor register were added in the past 30 days. Check the current licence and the specific occupation an employer intends to sponsor rather than treating register presence as confirmation that a care role qualifies.

Search licensed care sector sponsors

Sources and verification

• Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker — SW 6.1B and SW 6.1C.
• Immigration Rules Appendix Immigration Salary List — current entries and removal dates for SOC 6135 and 6136.
• Sponsor a Skilled Worker: Home Office guidance — in-country status, three-month work, continued sponsorship and CQC requirements.
• Applying for health and social care jobs in the UK from abroad — government guidance on the overseas closure and transition.

Verified against the official sources above on 3 August 2026. Immigration Rules and sponsor guidance change; obtain regulated immigration advice for your individual position.