Careers · checked 21 October 2026
NHS Jobs for Nepali Students and Graduates: Pay, NMC Registration and Visas
The NHS is the UK’s largest employer of health staff. Nepali students can work part-time in support roles while studying, and registered nurses and other professionals can be sponsored afterwards.
Can Nepali Students Get NHS Jobs?
Nepali students can work part-time for the NHS, for example as healthcare assistants, within 20 hours a week in term time. Registered roles need professional registration: nurses need NMC registration, with IELTS 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. NHS Band 5 pay starts at £32,073 in 2026/27.
Yes, in two stages. While studying, support roles such as healthcare assistant fit within your work limit. After graduating, the Graduate visa lets you take any NHS job without a sponsor, and registered professionals can then be sponsored on the Health and Care Worker visa.
Key facts
Checked against the sources cited on 21 October 2026.
- Work while studying
- Up to 20 hours a week in term time at degree level, full-time in official vacationsGOV.UK, Student visa
- NHS pay 2026/27
- Band 2 from £25,272; Band 5 from £32,073; Band 6 from £39,959NHS Employers
- NMC English (IELTS Academic)
- 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking; 6.5 in writingNMC, accepted tests
- NMC English (OET)
- Grade B (350) in listening, reading and speaking; C+ (300) in writingNMC, accepted tests
- Sponsored route
- Health and Care Worker visa: eligible health jobs, no health surchargeGOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa
- Care workers
- New overseas recruitment of care workers closed on 22 July 2025GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa
NHS Pay in 2026/27
| Band | Starting pay 2026/27 | In rupees a year | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | £25,272 | about NPR 49.3 lakhs | Healthcare assistant (entry) |
| Band 3 | £25,760 | about NPR 50.2 lakhs | Senior healthcare assistant |
| Band 4 | £28,392 | about NPR 55.4 lakhs | Assistant practitioner, nursing associate |
| Band 5 | £32,073 | about NPR 62.5 lakhs | Newly registered nurse |
| Band 6 | £39,959 | about NPR 77.9 lakhs | Experienced or specialist nurse |
These are full-time annual salaries. Part-time work is paid pro rata for the hours you work. Pay scales in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ slightly.
Working for the NHS While You Study
Healthcare assistant (HCA) and support roles, often through an NHS trust’s staff bank, are common choices. They count towards your weekly work limit: up to 20 hours a week in term time on a degree-level course. You cannot fill a permanent full-time vacancy on a Student visa.
- Apply on NHS Jobs or your local trust’s website once you are in the UK.
- Expect a DBS check, references and mandatory training before your first shift.
- Keep a record of your hours each week, since breaking the limit can affect your visa.
Registration: NMC and Other Regulators
To work as a registered nurse or midwife you need registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Doctors register with the GMC, and many other health professions with the HCPC. A UK degree does not register you automatically, and an MOI letter is not accepted as English evidence for the NMC.
For the NMC you need IELTS Academic 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or OET grade B in listening, reading and speaking and C+ in writing. Nurses trained outside the UK also take a computer-based test and a practical exam (OSCE). See nursing and healthcare courses.
After Graduation: Graduate and Health and Care Worker Visas
Graduate visa. 2 years if you apply by 31 december 2026, 18 months from 1 january 2027, and 3 years after a phd. You can take any NHS job without a sponsor.
Health and Care Worker visa. For qualified health professionals with an offer from an eligible employer such as an NHS trust. You do not pay the health surcharge, and the salary rules use NHS pay scales rather than the general £41,700 threshold.
Care workers. New overseas recruitment of care workers closed on 22 July 2025, so do not plan your UK career around a care-worker visa.
How to Plan an NHS Career from Nepal
Choose a course that leads to registration
For nursing, a pre-registration course approved by the NMC.
Work within your limits
Up to 20 hours a week in term time, for example as a healthcare assistant.
Prepare the English test
IELTS 7.0 (6.5 writing) or OET B (C+ writing) for the NMC.
Apply for registered roles
Use the Graduate visa or a Health and Care Worker visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, within your limit of 20 hours a week in term time on a degree-level course, and full-time in official vacations.
Band 2 starts at £25,272, Band 3 at £25,760, Band 4 at £28,392, Band 5 at £32,073 and Band 6 at £39,959 a year, full-time, in England.
IELTS Academic 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or OET grade B in listening, reading and speaking and C+ in writing. An MOI letter is not accepted.
Yes. The Graduate visa has no work restrictions and needs no sponsor.
Many NHS trusts are licensed sponsors and use the Health and Care Worker visa for registered nurses with a job offer.
Health jobs use going rates based on NHS pay scales rather than the general £41,700 threshold. Band 5 starts at £32,073 in 2026/27.
New overseas recruitment of care workers closed on 22 July 2025, so this is not a route to plan around.
Usually several months, covering English evidence, a computer-based test and a practical OSCE. Start alongside your studies.
No. HOA’s admissions guidance is free to students. Partner universities pay HOA when a student enrols; you pay only official costs such as the visa fee, health surcharge, TB test and NOC.
Key Terms
- NMC
- Nursing and Midwifery Council: the regulator nurses and midwives must register with to practise in the UK.
- Healthcare assistant
- An NHS support role that does not need professional registration.
- Agenda for Change
- The NHS pay system of bands 1 to 9.
Sources
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on 21 October 2026. If an official page and this page disagree, the official page is right.
- NHS Employers, Pay scales for 2026/27
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Accepted English language tests
- GOV.UK, Health and Care Worker visa
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: your job
- GOV.UK, Graduate visa
- GOV.UK, Student visa
About This Guide
Written by House of Admissions (HOA), a UK-only education consultancy founded in 2016 with offices in Kathmandu and Pokhara. All 20+ HOA counsellors hold the British Council’s UK counsellor certification. HOA’s guidance is free to students. Reviewed by Rahul Chhetri, Director. This is admissions guidance, not immigration advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Related Guides
Planning a Healthcare Career in the UK?
A counsellor can check which courses lead to registration. HOA’s guidance is free.