UK Begins Issuance Of Flexible Visa To Doctors, Healthcare Professionals

Posted by Lanre Aerodove on July 18, 2020 in COVID-19 Travels | Comments : 3

The United Kingdom has announced a special type of visa for foreign healthcare professionals to work in the United Kingdom effective from August 2020.

The Health and Care Visa, according to UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will create “a new fast track visa route for eligible healthcare professionals” to travel to the UK and assist in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK is one of the most hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic with over 295,000 confirmed cases and more than 45,000 deaths.

The British government said applicants will be able to start applying for the new visa effective August 2020. Adding that this category of health workers will be “ permanently exempted from the Immigration Health Surcharge”. The National Health Service noted that the new visa demonstrates the government’s commitment to delivering an inclusive healthcare sector. It stated in a statement that, “It is designed to make it easier and quicker for the best global health professionals to work in the NHS, for NHS commissioned service providers and ineligible occupations in the social care sector".The new Health and Care Visa will come with a reduced visa application fee compared to that paid by other skilled workers.