While sponsored with NHS England

While sponsored with NHS England there are certain rules you must follow to protect your Visa status

Start date

If for any reason you did not start on the date that was stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), you must notify the National Overseas Sponsorship team within 2 working days of the date you were due to start with reasons why you have not commenced.

You should complete the delayed start form to inform Overseas Sponsorship Team. Please note that you are required to start within 28 days of the latest date of:

• the work start date on your CoS – you can find this near the top of the second page of your CoS
• the date you received your visa approval decision email from UKVI
• the date you are notified of a grant of entry clearance or permission to stay
• the ‘valid from’ date on your entry clearance vignette (visa) (if you applied for your visa from outside the UK)

If your work start date was changed by a sponsor note, this will show near the top of page one of your CoS and replaces the work start date.

Change of circumstances

You are required to keep NHS England National Overseas Sponsorship Team informed of any changes in circumstances that occur throughout your sponsorship. You will need to fill in a Reporting Form within 5 working days of the change so we can notify UKVI. You will need to inform us if:

• your start date is delayed from the date entered on your Certificate of Sponsorship (Cos)
• your immigration status changes
• your training ends earlier than expected
• your Inter Deanery Transfer (IDT) application is approved
• you are changing your hours for example, a Less Than Full Time (LTFT) application is approved
• an Out Of Programme (OOP) application is approved
• you are planning to go on maternity or adoption leave
• you have had a period of long-term sickness (1 month of longer)
• you are taking a period of authorised unpaid leave
• you have changed your speciality
• you are resigning from training

As part of our Sponsor Licence duties, the NHS England Sponsorship Team are required to inform UKVI of changes in sponsored post graduate doctors’ circumstances. The Conditions of Sponsorship are essential to ensure you understand what you are required to do as part of you sponsorship arrangements.

UKVI requires all Sponsors to fulfil certain duties. The objectives of these duties are to:

• prevent abuse of assessment procedures
• capture early any patterns of migrant behaviour that may cause concern
• address possible weaknesses in process which can cause those patterns
• monitor compliance with Immigration Rules

Sponsors must report certain information or events to UKVI within any time limit set.

If you need an extension of your current NHS England sponsorship

To request an extension to your training, please complete the reporting form or email us at [email protected]. We will need to know your GMC number, visa expiry date and your extended end date. Please be aware you may be asked to provide evidence of the extension such as a confirmation email from your Trust. 

Once verified, the NHS England National Overseas Sponsorship Team will provide you with log in details to make an application for an extension CoS.

Please note, organisations can only request an extension CoS 3 months prior to the end date of your existing visa as per UKVI guidance. 

Contact details

You will need inform your local NHS England office if your contact details change so they can update your records on the Trainee Information System (TIS).

You will also need to update United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

Inter-Deanery Transfer (IDT)

If you are sponsored by NHS England, you can apply for IDT but you will need to meet all of the eligibility requirements.

If you are successful for IDT, you would need to notify the NHS England National Overseas Sponsorship Team of your change in location by completing a Reporting Form.

If you are planning on transferring out of England to another UK country (Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), NHS England will not be able to continue to sponsor you. Instead, you will need to contact the sponsorship team of that nation to arrange a new CoS.

Out Of Programme (OOP)

If you are considering going Out of Programme, you will need to be aware of the implications this may have on your visa.

Find out more about going Out Of Programme while sponsored.

Less Than Full Time (LTFT)

You are able to work Less Than Full Time (LTFT) on a Sponsored visa. However, the minimum salary requirements need to be met which will restrict what LTFT hours you can request.

Read a full breakdown of the minimum salary requirements.

Locum shifts

You can do additional paid work on a Health and Care Worker visa as long as you’re still doing the job you’re being sponsored for. You can also do unpaid voluntary work.

You may need to apply to update your visa to do additional paid work. This will depend on the type of work you’re doing and the hours you’re going to work.

You can work up to 20 hours a week in another job without updating your visa. If your additional job is more than 20 hours a week you must update your visa.

More information can be found on Health and Care Worker visa: Taking on additional work.

Resigning

Please contact the NHS England National Overseas Sponsorship Team immediately via email [email protected] and your NHS England Local Team/Lead Employer. It is our duty to inform UKVI of any sponsored recruits that have terminated their contract. Once you have resigned and completed your last day at work, NHS England cannot continue to sponsor you and you will need an alternative immigration status to remain in the UK.