The Newly announced ‘Health and Care visa will be open on 4 August 2020
The new visa is for health professionals who have been trained to a recognised standard and have good working English. Applicants can apply from the UK or overseas.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for a Health and Care Visa, the individual must be offered one of the jobs in the list below.
- 2112 – Biological scientists and biochemists
- 2113 – Physical Scientists
- 2211 – Medical Practitioners
- 2212 – Psychologists
- 2213 – Pharmacists
- 2214 – Ophthalmic Opticians
- 2215 – Dental practitioners
- 2217 – Medical Radiographers
- 2218 – Podiatrists
- 2219 – Health Professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2221 – Physiotherapists
- 2222 – Occupational Therapists
- 2223 – Speech and Language Therapists
- 2229 – Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
- 2231 – Nurses
- 2232 – Midwives
- 2442 – Social Workers
- 3213 – Paramedics
The individual must also be employed or engaged either for an NHS trust/health board, or for one of several other medical and social care organisations listed in page 5 of the guidance.
Employers/Sponsors requirements
Employers can offer roles and assign certificates to eligible individuals, but the individual cannot make an application until 4 August 2020.
When assigning the certificate of sponsorship (CoS), the sponsor must:
- include in the ‘Notes’ field of the CoS a brief explanation of how the individual meets the Health and Care Visa criteria
- if the employer is a private organisation which provides services commissioned by the NHS, they must provide brief information in the Notes field about the contract or agreement held with the NHS trusts or bodies to provide those services
- tell the individual they are eligible for the Health and Care Visa so they can correctly complete their visa application form
Individual requirements
The individual who is making the application for the Health and Care visa must meet the following requirements:
- have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship
- evidence of an appropriate salary, which meets the relevant salary threshold
- being able to provide evidence of knowledge of English language
- having sufficient personal savings when arriving in the UK
- being able to demonstrate ability to travel and travel history over the preceding five years
- have a valid tuberculosis test results (if from a listed country)
- provide a criminal record certificate from any country where they have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, if working with vulnerable people.
Visa fee reduction
The visa fee applies a 50% to the current fees. This reduction will be applied automatically, provided your employer has confirmed eligibility and indicated it on the CoS.
The proposed fees will be the same for overseas and UK applications.
- Up to 3 years – £232
- More than 3 years – £464
A further reduction of £55 will be applied to the European Social Charter nationals.
Partners and dependants of Health and Care Visa applicants will pay the same fees provided they select the appropriate option in the visa application.
If an individual is applying as a partner or dependant of a person who qualifies for the Health and Care visa, and the qualifying person arrived in the UK before 4 August 2020, the family member will need to obtain confirmation from the sponsor of their employee’s eligibility for the visa. A letter or email from the sponsor should be submitted with the family members application.
Applicants and their family will be exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Fast-Track entry
UKVI will prioritise Health and Care Visa applications, with the aim to process within three weeks from biometric collection.
If you are an employer or individual and need any advice on the new visa, please get in touch with Imelda Reddington Head of Immigration at FSP. [email protected].
