Visa for Filipino nanny

[BacktoUK889]

We are looking to move back to the UK early next year. We want to bring our nanny with us as she is an absolute angel. She is Filipino. Anyone know where to even start with this process?

You will really struggle to meet the requirements.

First step you'll need to be registered as a sponsor.

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa

You might be able to bring her for six months to help you settle in, if she meets all the requirements: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-domestic-worker-visa/eligibility

@Hazeltwig - apologies - I cross posted with you

Salary will have to be a minimum of £38,700 per year.

She'll need to pass the English language test.

Then you get to the visa process which is changing, and the sponsorship fees, and the NHS surcharge...

And it's hard to get a visa for a role a UK citizen could do. Six month Domestic is possible, anything more is difficult.

If you want her here for more than six months it will need to be a Skilled Worker Visa for Nanny/Childminder not the Domestic Worker Visa. You will need to be a Home Office-approved sponsor licence holder for this type of visa. Quite a lot of criteria. The salary isn't quite as much as stated before, at the moment it's a maximum of £30,960.00 but she would also have to have a certain amount of funds available before getting the visa. You should probably contact a specialised Immigration Lawyer as it's quite a complicated process.

Thank you all! My DH wants to come back to the UK, I really don't, and I'm getting a bit overwhelmed. I'm having a massive panic and can't think straight. Our families are useless and I would be working much longer hours than DH (I'm the one with the higher earning potential) so losing the help will ruin my life and possibly kill our marriage.

I think being able to take the nanny with us will sway me towards coming back. I'll take a look at the links, much appreciated!

Oh dear the skilled worker visa is so complicated. I don't even know if we can get the proper license and everything. I'll have to contact an immigration lawyer as I don't think I can do this myself 😪

@BacktoUK889are you in Hk

I moved back from Asia a few years ago ago and we have managed with finding help, it’s really not been that bad. If you’re having to pay your Filipino the local salary then you will find other people here to pay the local salary to

My wider family are also utterly useless nobody helps me

Sorry for the drip feed I am getting ready for work!! I work in a bank and have v young children and we have managed well. Best wishes if you make the move. Try Childcare.co.uk xx

@SallySooo I know we can find a nanny in the UK and of course we would pay a UK salary (we pay much higher than average here anyway). She is just very much part of the family at this point, sometimes I think I love her more than my husband. My child adores her too.

Updating in case anyone else has this issue. We spoke to an immigration lawyer and the Home Office rules changed as of December 2024. We cannot get a visa under the Skilled Worker route anymore for a nanny. Unless your nanny has family in the UK or some other connection, there is absolutely nothing we can do to bring her with us and continue to employ her (regardless of salary etc).

The only way for anyone to get work as a nanny would be through an agency but then she wouldn't be working for us.