As part of Boris Johnson’s ‘shakeup’ of immigration rules, several new routes have been announced as the UK carves out its future outside the EU. As well as a Global Talent Visa, designed to attract the ‘best and brightest’ academics and scientists to the UK, the Home Office has also announced an NHS Visa to attracting doctors and nurses to the UK.
We are currently short of medical professionals in the UK – they are on the Shortage Occupation List – and fears are that the sector’s staffing crisis will get worse when the UK can no longer freely access EU workers after January 2021. The NHS Visa promises to mitigate this.
What are the benefits of the NHS Visa?
The main feature of the NHS Visa is a discount. The fee is half the usual £928 at £464. However, some say the reduced cost may not be enough to attract workers in Europe who can otherwise still move, work and live in all of the other 27 EU member states. This fee doesn’t include other costs such as the fee to register biometric information or to take an English language test.
Applicants will get preferential treatment in the points-based-system as they will get a lot more points by offering to work for the NHS. There will be no cap on the number of people who can apply, and the £30,000 income requirement of the Tier 2 Work Visa need not be met. The Government also wants to distribute NHS Visas within two weeks – a service that currently comes with a £250 fee.
Disappointingly, NHS workers will still need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge which is now £625 per head per year. However, rather than asking for a lump sum, people under the NHS Visa can pay this in regular instalments straight from their salary.
Scarsdale Solicitors – Manchester, Rochdale and Oldham
For advice on immigration issues, call Scarsdale Solicitors Rochdale, Scarsdale Solicitors Oldham and Scarsdale Solicitors Manchester. If you need the help of Rochdale immigration solicitors, Oldham immigration solicitors and Manchester Immigration solicitors, call today on 0161 660 6050.
