Care Worker Employer Change: The Complete Guide

Changing care-sector employer is possible in some circumstances, but there are two different in-country rule branches for Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (SOC 6136). The 22 July 2028 cutoff applies to one of them, not automatically to every existing care worker. Start by identifying which branch covers you before relying on a job offer.

The current rules, in context

Since 22 July 2025, a person cannot use occupation code 6135 or 6136 for a new Skilled Worker entry-clearance application from outside the UK. Under SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker, an application under either code must be an application for permission to stay in the UK and must fit one of these branches:

1. You already have relevant Skilled Worker permission. Your current permission must be as a Skilled Worker sponsored in code 6135 or 6136 (or predecessor code 6145 or 6146), with continuous relevant permission. This is the branch normally used by an existing sponsored care worker changing employer. The current wording of SW 6.1B(b) does not attach the 22 July 2028 cutoff to this branch.
2. You are moving into care work from another immigration route. You must have been legally working for the proposed sponsor in code 6135 or 6136 for at least the three months ending on the date that sponsor assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The application must be made before 22 July 2028. Your existing immigration permission must actually allow that work.

These are the rules in force on the verification date above, not a guarantee that the route will remain unchanged. The Home Office's current sponsor guidance says the transitional end date can be brought forward, so check the live rule again before a CoS is assigned.

Before changing employer: four checks

1. Check the exact legal entity on the sponsor register

Confirm that the organisation named in your offer is on the official register of licensed Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors and is licensed for the relevant route. Match the legal name and location; do not assume that a similarly named care home, trading name, recruitment agency or group company is covered by another entity's licence.

The register confirms sponsor status at the time it was published. It does not prove that a particular vacancy, recruiter or message is genuine.

2. For work in England, check active CQC registration and regulated activity

For a job under code 6135 or 6136 with a working location in England, the sponsor must hold active Care Quality Commission registration and currently carry on a regulated activity. This is more specific than merely finding a business name somewhere on the CQC website. Check the provider and relevant service or location through the CQC's own service search, and make sure the registered legal entity aligns with the sponsor.

The Home Office applies separate regulatory checks in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The detailed requirements are set out in sections SK2 and SK4 of the sponsor guidance for Skilled Workers.

3. Check the occupation code against the real duties

A care-related job title does not establish the code. The sponsor must choose the code that best matches the work. An existing worker covered by SW 6.1B(b) can be sponsored in either 6135 or 6136; the new code does not have to be identical merely for appearance's sake, but it must accurately describe the role.

Ask for the written duties, working locations, hours and proposed code. Be cautious if the duties are vague, do not match the code, or change materially after the offer.

4. Check salary on both an annual and hourly basis

Current Home Office sponsor guidance states that a qualifying Skilled Worker Health and Care visa role under these codes must pay at least £25,000 a year and £12.82 an hour. Where the job does not meet the Health and Care visa requirements, the guidance states at least £33,400 a year and £17.13 an hour. Both the correct route and the worker's actual hours matter, so verify the live figures and the calculation on the CoS rather than relying only on the headline annual salary.

The change-of-employer process

A new employer cannot take over your existing sponsorship. It must assign a new CoS and you must apply to update your Skilled Worker permission. The official change-of-employer guidance says:

• you can apply up to three months before the new job's start date;
• you may continue in your current job or work out your notice while the application is being considered, provided you applied before your current permission expired;
• you should not start the new job until the new permission is confirmed; and
• travelling outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision will withdraw the application.

Coordinate the CoS, application, notice period and proposed start date in writing. Do not treat an offer letter or an assigned CoS as permission to begin work for the new sponsor.

If you are on another visa: the three-month rule is exact

The three-month pathway is not satisfied by having worked for the business in any role. You must 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 CoS is assigned. A CoS assigned too early does not satisfy the rule, and the application must be made before 22 July 2028.

This can be especially fact-sensitive for people with limits on the type or amount of work their current visa permits. If you are unsure whether all of the work was lawful or whether an employment arrangement matches the proposed sponsor, get regulated immigration advice before the CoS is assigned.

A practical evidence checklist

Before committing to the move, keep copies of:

• the sponsor-register entry for the exact legal entity;
• the CQC provider and service or location records for work in England;
• the written job description, SOC code, salary, weekly hours and every working location;
• the CoS details and proposed start date; and
• the submitted visa application and Home Office decision.

Do not use branch count or company size as a substitute for these checks. A large provider can have licensing or compliance problems, while a smaller provider can be legitimate.

Search licensed care sector sponsors

Sources and verification

This guide was checked on 3 August 2026 against:

• Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Worker, especially SW 6.1B to SW 6.3;
• Home Office sponsor guidance: Sponsor a Skilled Worker, especially SK2.7 to SK2.9 and SK4.31 to SK4.43;
• Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations, including the entries for 6135 and 6136; and
• GOV.UK: update a Skilled Worker visa after changing job or employer.

This is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and sponsor status can change after verification; check the live official sources and seek advice from a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor if your status or timing is uncertain.