A recruiter messages you on WhatsApp: a UK care provider wants you, the job starts in six weeks, and you only need to pay a "processing fee" today. Before you reply, stop. A job offer is the start of a checking process, not the end of one, and the checks you do in the first week decide whether the move works or costs you your savings.
This guide is for Nigerian nurses and health or adult social care workers (and readers in Ghana, Kenya and elsewhere in similar roles) who have an offer, or are close to one. It uses the official GOV.UK Skilled Worker page, which is the only source for the visa facts below. Where it doesn't give specifics, I'll tell you where to check instead of guessing.
What the official page says about this route
GOV.UK's Skilled Worker overview says that if you're a doctor or nurse, or you work in health or adult social care, you should check whether you can apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It adds two things: it's cheaper to apply for, and you don't pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
That's all the overview says about it. The exact eligible jobs, salary thresholds, application fee and savings rules are on the dedicated GOV.UK pages, and they change. Don't rely on a screenshot from a Facebook group or a recruiter's PDF. Open the official page on the day you decide, and again before you apply.
The general Skilled Worker rules, which sit alongside this route, are useful context. You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply, work for an employer approved by the Home Office, hold a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), do a job on the eligible list and be paid at least the minimum salary for that job. For a wider walkthrough, see our step-by-step Skilled Worker visa guide.
Check 1: Is the employer approved, and will they issue a CoS?
The visa depends on a sponsoring employer. No approved employer means no visa, however friendly the recruiter sounds. A real offer should include a clear statement that the employer will sponsor you and issue a certificate of sponsorship.
Ask these questions in writing:
- What is the exact legal name of the employer that will sponsor me?
- Are you currently approved by the Home Office to sponsor workers?
- When will you assign my CoS, and what job title and salary will be on it?
- Who is my line manager and at what address will I work?
Then verify the answers yourself. Search the employer's company details, call the main number you find independently (not the one the recruiter gives you), and check the licensed sponsor information on GOV.UK. A sponsor that dodges these questions is telling you something.
Check 2: Does the job on the CoS match the job you were offered?
The official page says the job must be on the list of eligible occupations and paid a minimum salary that depends on the type of work and the date you got your CoS. So the details on the CoS matter more than the details in the WhatsApp chat.
Compare the CoS against your offer letter line by line: job title, duties, hours, salary and start date. If a nurse is promised a nursing role but the CoS describes something else, or the salary is lower than promised, raise it before you apply. Fixing it later is harder, and you'd be applying with a mismatch.
Also note the start date. You can apply up to 3 months before the day you're due to start work, and that date is on your CoS. Applying earlier isn't possible, so a recruiter who says "send documents now, we'll sort the date later" is not following the process.
Check 3: Who pays what, and what do you repay if you leave?
The page says each applicant (you, and any partner or children applying with you) must pay the application fee, and prove they have enough personal savings. On the Skilled Worker route you also pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay. On the Health and Care Worker route the page says you don't pay the annual surcharge. Look up the current figures on GOV.UK rather than trusting anyone's quote.
Ask your employer plainly whether they will cover any of these costs, and get the answer in the contract. Then read the contract for repayment clauses. Some offers say you must repay costs if you resign within a set period. You don't have to accept those blindly: ask what exactly would be repayable, for how long, and whether it reduces over time. If the terms are unclear, have a licensed adviser or a lawyer read them. Our guide on checking that a UK immigration adviser is regulated shows how to pick one safely.
A hypothetical budget to build before you commit
The figures below are invented placeholders to show the structure. Replace every line with the real, current number from official pages and your own quotes.
| Cost line | Placeholder | Who pays? |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application fee | £A | You or employer (check contract) |
| Personal savings you must show | £B | You (must be your own funds) |
| Flight and first-month housing deposit | £C | You, unless the employer helps |
| Dependants' fees, if they come | £D each | You |
| Repayable costs if you resign early | £E | You, if the contract says so |
Add A to E, convert to naira at the rate your bank or transfer app gives you on the day, and ask: could I survive the first two months if the first salary arrives late? If the honest answer is no, delay the move and save more rather than borrow.
Check 4: Your savings must be genuinely yours
The page lists proving you have enough personal savings as a requirement. Your money must be real, in your name, and yours to keep. Never accept an offer from a "friend of the company" who says they can lend you money to sit in your account for a month, or sell you a ready-made bank statement. That's fraud, it can lead to refusal and long-term bans, and agents who suggest it are usually the same ones who disappear after collecting fees. Read our guide on verifying advisers before paying anyone for help.
If you don't yet have enough, the legal options are slower but safe: save over several months, ask whether the employer offers any support in writing, or consider whether family can give you a genuine gift that you can document honestly. Check the official guidance on what evidence is accepted.
Check 5: Your professional registration and English
The official page says you must be able to speak, read, write and understand English and will usually need to prove it when you apply. It doesn't spell out what proof is accepted for your profession. Nurses and other regulated professionals typically also need to meet the rules of their UK professional regulator, but that isn't covered by the reference page, so check the regulator's own website for your job. Start those processes early, because they can take longer than the visa itself.
Make sure your documents are in order too. Your passport name, NIN record and certificates should match. If they don't, read how to fix a name mismatch first, and see how to request your university transcript for foreign use.
Check 6: What the visa lets you do, and what it doesn't
For the Skilled Worker route, the page says you can work in the eligible job, study, bring a partner and children if you meet the requirements, take additional work in certain circumstances, travel and return, and do unpaid voluntary work for registered charities and similar bodies. You cannot claim most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension, and you cannot change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa.
That last rule is the one that surprises people. If you arrive and the employer turns out to be poor, you can't just walk into another job. Plan for that: ask about shifts, guaranteed hours and training before you accept, not after you land. The page says dependants may be able to apply, but they each have their own costs and requirements, so cost them separately.
Ask the employer: Are hours guaranteed? Will I be paid for travel between sites? Is accommodation offered, and is it optional? A good employer answers without pressure.
Timeline and decision
The page says that once you've applied online, proved your identity and provided documents, you'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you're outside the UK. You may need an appointment to prove your identity, so allow extra time. You may be able to pay for a faster decision, and you'll be told when you apply. Don't book non-refundable flights until you have a decision.
After a successful visa, the visa can last up to 5 years before extension, and after 5 years you may be able to apply to settle permanently, if you meet the other requirements.
Red flags that mean walk away
- You're asked to pay "sponsorship" or "CoS" fees to a recruiter or an individual.
- The employer's name changes between messages.
- You can't reach the employer except through the recruiter.
- You're told to hide or alter anything on your application.
- Payment is requested into a personal account or in crypto.
- Pressure: "offer expires tonight."
If anything on this list appears, pause and report it to the relevant authorities in your country. Don't send more money to "fix" the problem.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Health and Care Worker visa the same as the Skilled Worker visa?
No. GOV.UK describes it as a separate route for doctors, nurses and health or adult social care workers, with a lower application cost and no annual health surcharge. Check which one applies to your role on GOV.UK.
Can I apply before I have a job offer?
No. The official page says you must have a confirmed job offer before you apply.
How early can I apply?
Up to 3 months before the start date shown on your certificate of sponsorship.
Can I change employer once I'm in the UK?
Not without applying to update your visa, according to the official page.
Your next step
Today, write down the employer's legal name and ask for the draft contract and CoS details in writing. Then open the GOV.UK Skilled Worker page, follow the link for your health or care role, and fill in the budget table above with real figures.
Sources
Details checked against the official sources above on 7 November 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
This is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Rules change often, so confirm on the official government website or with a licensed adviser, and avoid agents who promise guaranteed visas.