The Tier 2 visa is a UK work visa designed for skilled workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. This visa category is employer-led, meaning that individuals can only apply if they have been offered a role by a registered sponsor employer. Employers who wish to recruit skilled workers from outside the EEA must be registered with the Home Office as a licensed sponsor.
For General Practitioners (GPs), this visa is particularly relevant to non-EEA trainees who come to the UK for their GP training. During their training, they are sponsored by Health Education England (HEE). However, upon qualification, they must secure employment with a practice that holds a sponsorship licence or return to their home country.
Once non-EEA GP trainees complete their training in the UK, they face two primary options:
Work in a Sponsor Practice – To remain in the UK and practice as a GP, they must obtain employment with a GP practice that holds a sponsorship licence and can issue them a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
Return to Their Home Country – If they cannot secure a sponsorship arrangement, they are required to leave the UK after their visa expires.
Doctors on a Tier 2 visa can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years of continuous work in the UK under a sponsored employment arrangement.
A GP practice with a Tier 2 sponsorship licence can employ qualified non-EEA GPs. By doing so, the practice provides the necessary sponsorship certificate that allows the doctor to work at the allocated site and eventually apply for ILR.
Many practices are unaware that they can become sponsors, and NHS England has introduced funding initiatives to support practices in obtaining sponsorship licences. This ensures that international GPs can remain in the UK and contribute to the NHS workforce.
NHS England has developed the International GP Recruitment Programme to address GP workforce shortages by supporting both non-EEA GP trainees in the UK and international GPs seeking to relocate. Initially focused on European doctors, this programme has expanded to include Australia and New Zealand.
Helping non-EEA GP trainees secure employment within sponsor practices.
Assisting overseas-trained GPs with relocation to the UK.
Developing a database of Tier 2 sponsor practices to streamline recruitment.
Providing financial incentives to GP practices willing to sponsor international doctors.
More details about this programme can be found on the NHS England website.
NHS England actively assists non-EEA GP trainees in finding suitable roles by matching them with practices that hold sponsorship licences in their preferred locations. While NHS England helps with this initial connection, standard recruitment procedures still apply.
To enhance the chances of securing employment, non-EEA GP trainees are advised to express their interest early by contacting england.intrecruitment@nhs.net. Early engagement ensures that sponsor practices are available in the desired locations.
To encourage more practices to become Tier 2 visa sponsors, NHS England has introduced financial support, including:
Reimbursement of sponsor licence application fees (even if the application is unsuccessful).
Coverage of the Certificate of Sponsorship fee.
Immigration Skills Charge funding for the first two years.
Visa fees for the GP trainee and their dependents.
This funding package is designed to remove financial barriers for practices interested in employing international GPs, ensuring a smoother recruitment process and retention of skilled professionals in the NHS workforce.
The UK faces a significant shortage of qualified GPs to meet the growing healthcare demands of its population. Traditional recruitment efforts have struggled to provide a sufficient number of doctors, leading to increased waiting times for patients and added pressure on existing GPs.
The journey to becoming a fully qualified GP is extensive, requiring:
A full medical degree.
Two years of foundation medical training.
A minimum of three years of specialist GP training.
While efforts are underway to increase GP numbers domestically, immediate workforce shortages persist. To address this, recruiting qualified international GPs has become essential.
Recognizing the urgent need, the UK government has included General Practitioners on the UK Shortage Occupation List since 6 October 2019. This designation allows for an expedited visa process and reduced costs for recruiting international GPs.
The Tier 2 visa is a crucial mechanism for ensuring that qualified international doctors can contribute to the UK’s primary care workforce. With ongoing workforce shortages, practices should consider becoming licensed sponsors to retain skilled GPs and provide long-term stability in patient care. NHS England offers significant support to both practices and international GPs to make this process as smooth as possible.
For further information, practices and trainees can visit the NHS England website or contact england.intrecruitment@nhs.net.
Further information
https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general
Latest information regarding entering and staying in the UK
https://www.gov.uk/entering-staying-uk
Latest Tier 2 sponsorship information
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sponsorship-information-for-employers-and-educators
Register/Apply for a sponsor licence
https://www.gov.uk/apply-sponsor-licence
To identify the area a practice is in
https://www.performer.england.nhs.uk/AT/SearchByPostcode
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