Career advice · Updated November 2026
UK Care Worker Jobs From Kenya: 2026 Visa Rules and Scam Warnings
If someone is offering you UK care worker jobs from Kenya in 2026, be very careful. Following the UK government’s May 2025 decision to end overseas recruitment for care workers, care workers (occupation code 6135) and senior care workers (code 6136) are no longer on the list of jobs that can be used for a new Health and Care Worker visa from outside the UK. These codes are now only allowed for people already in the UK who are extending, updating or switching their visa. In practice, a Kenyan in Kenya cannot get a new UK visa for a care worker job, whatever an agent promises. This guide explains the rules, which health jobs are still open and how to spot care-job scams.
Checked on 9 November 2026 against GOV.UK’s Health and Care Worker visa: your job and overview pages, and the Home Office announcement of 11 May 2025, “Overseas recruitment for care workers to end”. UK rules change often, so check GOV.UK before you act.
What changed for UK care worker jobs
On 11 May 2025 the UK government announced that international recruitment for care workers would end, as part of its immigration white paper. It said too many overseas care workers had faced “shameful levels of abuse and exploitation”, including debt, unfair treatment and jobs that did not exist. The Home Office said more than 470 care providers had had their licence to sponsor international staff suspended since 2022, and that around 40,000 workers had been displaced.
The GOV.UK eligible-jobs page now reflects this. Codes 6135 and 6136 appear only under jobs that are eligible “to extend, update or switch to this visa”. If you are switching from another visa, you must have worked legally in the job for your sponsor for at least three months.
Who can still get a care job in the UK
The government said workers who are already sponsored in the sector can keep extending their stay, change sponsors and apply to settle. That includes people who must move after their employer’s sponsor licence is revoked. These protections are for people already in the UK, not for new applicants abroad.
Health jobs that are still open to applicants from Kenya
The Health and Care Worker visa is still open from outside the UK for qualified health professionals in eligible codes. They include:
| Code | Example roles |
|---|---|
| 2231–2237 | Midwives, community, specialist, mental health and children’s nurses, nurse practitioners |
| 2211, 2212 | Generalist and specialist doctors |
| 2221–2223 | Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists |
| 2251, 2254, 2255 | Pharmacists, radiographers, paramedics |
| 2461 | Social workers |
| 3111, 3212 | Laboratory and pharmaceutical technicians |
| 6131 | Nursing auxiliaries and assistants |
To qualify you must be a qualified health or care professional, work in an eligible job for a Home Office-approved employer (the NHS, an NHS supplier or an adult social care provider), be paid the minimum salary or the “going rate”, whichever is higher, and hold a certificate of sponsorship. You must also prove your English. The visa can last up to five years before you extend it. After five years you may be able to apply to settle. You and your family do not pay the immigration health surcharge on this visa, and decisions usually take about three weeks after you give your biometrics and documents.
Warning signs of a UK care job scam
- The advert is for a “care assistant”, “carer” or “home carer” and promises a visa from Kenya. Under the current rules that new visa route is closed.
- You are asked to pay for a “certificate of sponsorship”. A sponsor assigns the certificate. GOV.UK says employers pay the sponsor licence fee (£611 for small businesses and charities, £1,682 for others).
- The “employer” cannot give a sponsor licence number, or does not appear on the UK government’s register of licensed sponsors.
- For care work in England, the employer is not registered with the Care Quality Commission, which GOV.UK says is required for codes 6135 and 6136.
- Pressure to pay quickly, use personal M-Pesa numbers or keep the offer secret.
Alternatives for Kenyan carers and caregivers
If your experience is in caregiving rather than registered nursing, look at countries whose routes are still open, and check each one on its government website:
- Ireland: the Department of Enterprise’s General Employment Permit lists health care assistants and home support workers with a lower minimum salary of €32,691 a year (and at least €16.12 an hour), subject to the labour market needs test and other rules.
- Germany: if your nursing qualification is not fully recognised, the Make it in Germany portal says you can apply for recognition as a nursing assistant, and nurses can enter through recognition partnerships with German employers.
- Upskilling at home: a nursing diploma or degree recognised by the Nursing Council of Kenya opens the registered nurse routes that remain open in the UK.
Whichever route you choose, compare the total cost (language tests, document translation, flights and the first months’ rent) against realistic pay, and never borrow to pay an agent’s fee.
What to do if you have been offered a care job
- Ask for the occupation code and the sponsor’s name and licence number in writing.
- Check the code on the GOV.UK “your job” page and the employer on the register of licensed sponsors.
- Do not pay any “visa processing” or “placement” fee to an agent. Pay UK visa fees only on GOV.UK.
- If you are a nurse, consider the registered nurse route with Nursing and Midwifery Council registration instead of a care job.
- Report suspected fraud to the National Employment Authority and keep all messages and receipts.
Kenyan nurses should read our guide to working abroad as a nurse and our Germany nursing jobs guide. Before trusting any agent, read recruitment agency vs direct hiring and our fake job adverts guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a UK care worker visa from Kenya in 2026?
No new visa from outside the UK. Care worker (6135) and senior care worker (6136) codes are only eligible for people extending, updating or switching inside the UK.
Which UK health jobs can Kenyans still apply for?
Qualified roles such as registered nurses, midwives, doctors, therapists, pharmacists, radiographers, paramedics, social workers and nursing auxiliaries (6131).
Do I pay for a certificate of sponsorship?
No. The employer assigns it. Anyone selling you a certificate of sponsorship is a red flag.
How long does a Health and Care Worker visa last?
Up to five years before you extend it, and you may apply to settle after five years if you meet the other rules.