The Home Office have announced a new Health and Care Visa for foreign medical workers which will open for applications on 4 August 2020.
Instead of thinking of this visa as brand new, it is better to think of it as a new pathway within the Tier 2 (General) visa route. Plus, it is vital that applicants know that this visa is not open to all care workers, but rather a very specific list of professionals who the Home Office are looking to attract, who have been trained to a specific standard.
The list is as follows:
Biological scientists and biochemists
Physical Scientists
Medical Practitioners
Psychologists
Pharmacists
Ophthalmic Opticians
Dental practitioners
Medical Radiographers
Podiatrists
Health Professionals not elsewhere classified
Physiotherapists
Occupational Therapists
Speech and Language Therapists
Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
Nurses
Midwives
Social Workers
Paramedics
So, applicants will need to have a job offer within one of these roles in order to be eligible for the Health and Care Visa.
What are the benefits of this visa?
- Lower Visa Application Fees – Check out the before prices, it would probably be less than half of the application fee
- From £610 (or £464 if there is a shortage of workers) for those staying less than 3 years
- From £1220 (or £928 if there is a shortage of workers) for those staying more than 3 years
- Exemption of Immigration Health Surcharge – this usually costs £400 per year (or £624/year from 1st October 2020). This means if you work for 3 straight years, you will save up to £1,200 (or even £1,872 from 1st October).
- Fast-track Processing Time – you can get your visa within 3 weeks after you have submitted your biometrics at the Visa Application Centre, so the Home Office have said.
- Long Stay – you can stay for as long as 5 years and 14 days and get potentially extended up to 6 years.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has said:
“We are indebted to overseas health and care professionals for their tremendous contributions, not just in saving thousands of lives throughout this crisis, but for the vital role they play year-round.
This new visa is part of our new immigration system making it quicker, cheaper and easier for the best and brightest health and care professionals from around the globe to work in our brilliant NHS.”
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