United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) Extended Visas of NHS Frontline Workers to Focus on Fighting COVID-19

April 10, 2020POEA ADVISORY NO. 45-20UNITED KINGDOM'S NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (NHS) EXTENDED VISAS OF NHS FRONTLINE WORKERS TO FOCUS ON FIGHTING COVID-19Doctors, nurses and paramedics with visas due to expire before 01 October 2020 will have an automatic extension of the said visa for one (1) year, free of charge and exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge, as part of the national effort to combat corona virus. caITACThe extension, announced on 31 March 2020 by the Home Secretary Priti Patel, will apply to around 2,800 migrant doctors, nurses and paramedics, employed by the NHS whose visa is due to expire on 01 October 2020, including their family members.The Home Office has also lifted the restriction on the amount of hours student and trainee nurses and doctors can work in the NHS during their time.Pre-registered overseas nurses who are currently required to sit their first skills test within three (3) months and to pass the test within 8 months, deadline of which is extended to the end of the year as well, to give them more...