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Visa extensions for thousands of frontline healthcare staff

Around 6,000 international healthcare staff and scientists will be given free 12-month extensions as the NHS faces rising cases of COVID-19 and hospitalisations across the country, the Government announced on Friday.

The move covers doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, occupational therapists, psychologists and other allied health professionals whose visas are due to expire before March 2021, as well as their children below the age of 18 years. 

This extension applies to healthcare professionals working in the NHS and the independent health and care sector.

Those eligible for the extension will have their visas extended for a year, free of all fees and charges, including the Immigration Health Surcharge. Applicants will need to complete a simple online form to verify their identity and have their employers confirm their eligibility.

This extension follows an announcement earlier in the year offering free visa extensions for health professionals whose visas were due to expire between 31 March and 1 October 2020

Home secretary Priti Patel said overseas staff had made “huge contributions” during the pandemic, with the latest visa extension recognising that.

Welcoming the move, British Medical Association (BMA) council chair Chaand Nagpaul said: “We’re glad that the Government has listened to the calls of the BMA by removing this unnecessary, bureaucratic and costly barrier to international healthcare staff continuing to offer their services and expertise here in the months ahead, during what is set to be an incredibly difficult winter.

“Our international colleagues have worked tirelessly and selflessly during the pandemic, providing care and support as we all faced unprecedented challenges. This often came at the expense of their own health and wellbeing, and as we know, in too many cases, we have seen staff who came from overseas to look after people in this country tragically lose their own lives to COVID-19.”


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