From 9 April 2025, care providers in England must attempt to recruit UK-based workers before sponsoring overseas care workers (SOC 6135) or senior care workers (SOC 6136). This new rule, introduced to reduce reliance on international recruitment, requires confirmation from regional partnerships that local hiring efforts were made. The change doesn’t apply to workers already sponsored or those switching visa routes after three months with the employer. Our team can guide care providers through these requirements to maintain compliance and secure Certificates of Sponsorship.

Starting 9 April 2025, the minimum salary for Skilled Worker visa holders rises from £23,200 to £25,000 per year (£12.82 per hour). This adjustment aligns with the latest UK pay data and ensures salaries remain above the National Living Wage. Healthcare and education sector going rates have also been updated, including a reduction in the working week from 40 to 37.5 hours for some roles.

UKVI has announced its proposed fee changes to come into effect on 6 April 2017; with settlement and indefinite leave to remain application fees to rise by as high as 22.5%. This means an £422 increase for a Settlement/ILR application which will stand at £2297 compared to current fee of £1875.

Spouse visa application fees also rise by the same percentage as above and will increase by £269 to £1464 from the current level of £1195.

Students and visitor visa application fees to rise by 2%.

Fees are also increased by £90 for premium service/same day appointments in UK and will rise to £490 + £100 compared to £400+£100 as of now.

Full list of the new proposed fees can be found on www.gov.uk.

Latest immigration rules implemented from the 24th Nov, 2016 will require resident labour market test  (RLMT) to be carried out before a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is issued to any migrant Nurses using Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code 2231.

The SOC code 2231 Nurses is still on the shortage occupation list (SOL) and therefore any request for Unrestricted CoS is going to be given priority over other occupations which are not on the SOL.

The RLMT criteria remains the same which is advertising the vacancy for 28 days, at two sources, one of which must be Universal Jobmatch.

When the RCoS limit is reached, nurses, medical radiographers and paramedics will be given extra points in the allocation process from 24 November 2016. This extra weighting will remain in place until July 2019.  In addition to it they will also be exempt from the increased salary threshold for new Tier 2 General entrant; which is being phased – £25,000 from 24 November 2016 to £30,000 from April 2017.

For full details please visit the following link which lists statement Of changes in immigration rules.

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) has announced changes in its International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirements for nurses and midwives coming on to the register from overseas and within the European economic area.

This is aimed at making it more flexible for overseas Nurses to acquire the required IELTS score while still ensuring that the appropriate minimum standard is met to carry out their jobs successfully.

Under the previous system, applicants were required to achieve the IELTS Academic Test Level 7 in reading, writing, speaking and listening in a single sitting. Under the new protocols the NMC still requires applicants to achieve Level 7 in all areas, but this can now be achieved over two sittings of the tests. Both tests must be within six months of each other and no single score must be below 6.5 in any of the areas across both tests.

Nurses trained within EEA/EU can take any version of IELTS Academic Test as they currently do not need any work visa to come and work in the UK, however overseas Nurses from outside EEA who want to come and work in the UK must take the UKVI version of the IELTS Academic exam as its needed for processing their Tier 2 General visa.

Separate test sessions are held for UK Visas and Immigration applicants. You must ensure you register for an “IELTS for UKVI” test date.  The IELTS test for UK visa purposes is designed to meet certain administrative requirements that are specific to UK Visas and Immigration. Test Report Forms will be slightly different, to show that test takers have taken the test at an IELTS UK visa session.

There are no differences in the test format or questions. The actual test taken is the same – same content, examiners, format, level of difficulty, scoring and so on. For further details and to book please visit:  http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ielts-ukvi/book-ielts-ukvi

We at UK Visa Works specialise in providing immigration and recruitment services to the healthcare sector in the UK. If you are an overseas nurse trained wishing to work in the UK then please get in touch using our contact form. You can also follow us through our facebook page.

Tier 2 (General) visa applicants who are applying from outside the UK have to submit and pay for their visa application using the following url: https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome . The online payment system is currently not taking into account that there is reduced fee levels for Tier 2 applicants whose job is on the shortage occupation list.

According to the latest fees table of UK Visa Fees published on 18^th March, 2016: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/503658/Fees_table_18_March_2016_PDF.pdf  the normal UK visa application fee for Tier 2 General visa application is £575 but those jobs that are currently on the shortage occupation list qualify for a reduced fee level of £437 which is £138 less. However when the overseas applicants reach the stage of paying for their visa application the system does not offer them the reduced fee even when they have clearly mentioned and specified in the relevant section that the job is on the official shortage occupation list.

There are about 36 different Standard Occupational Classification codes on the official shortage occupation list  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tier-2-shortage-occupation-list ; and there is a high likelihood that thousands of pounds are being overcharged by UKBA online system from overseas visa applicants from around the world.

One of our client recently submitted the Tier 2 online application from overseas and being a Chef his job falls under the 5434 code which is a shortage occupation but he had to pay the full fee. He even tried and contacted UKBA through their online website form but the response he received clearly showed that his message was not even read properly. We will try and pursue this matter for our client and update in due course.

All overseas Tier 2 General visa applicants shall check if the job that their visa is sponsored for is on the shortage occupation list to qualify for a reduced visa fee.

Home Office is changing the way in which (customers who applied from outside UK) could notify the Home Office of an issue or problem with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). This includes those who:

• have been unable to collect their permit within 10 working days of arriving in the United Kingdom;
• need someone to either collect their BRP on their behalf or accompany them to collect their BRP – because they are have a serious illness or disability, or they are under 18 and cannot collect their permit at the same time as their parent or legal guardian collects their own permit;
• have lost their permit or it has been stolen; or
• identify a mistake on their permit.

The following in-boxes, previously used for reporting an issue with a BRP, will close on 30 January 2016.

• BRPCollection@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• RACollection@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• 3PCollection@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• BRPError@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
• BRPLost@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

E-mails received on or after 30 January will be advised to use the on-line service to report issues or problems.

Registered Traveller is a new service launched by Border Force to give faster and more convenient entry to the UK for frequent travellers travelling in eligible immigration categories from the US, Australia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand.

Registered Traveller is currently available at
• Heathrow, Gatwick and the rail terminals at Paris, Brussels and Lille
• Stansted, London City, Manchester and Birmingham to be added in the coming months.

Registered Traveller members benefit from:
• the choice at passport control of using the ePassport gates (where available and if they have a biometric passport), the UK/EU queue or Fast Track (if they hold a ticket) at Heathrow, Registered Traveller Lanes at Gatwick and EU/UK queue at Paris, Brussels and Lille.
• not having to complete landing cards or undergo an interview on arrival.

For applications go to: https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller

From March, 2015 any non-EEA national applying from overseas for permission to stay in the UK for more than six months will be required to apply for a BRP and then to collect it within ten days of their first arrival in the UK. This change will be delivered over a 4 month period between March and July 2015, subject to parliamentary approval.

The basic visa application process will remain largely unchanged but the applicant will be required to provide their intended date of travel, a UK address and post code. The UK post code submitted as part of the application process will be used to identify the branch of the Post Office to which the Biometric Residence Permit will be sent for collection by the applicant. Help will be provided as part of the application process to guide the applicant in selecting the most appropriate Post Office collection branch.

Successful applicants will receive a letter informing them of the decision, which will also include notification that they must collect their BRP from the designated Post Office branch within 10 days of arrival in the UK. The passport or travel document will also be endorsed with a 30 day short validity (travel) vignette – which will be valid for thirty days from the expected date of travel provided by the applicant – to enable them to travel to the UK and to collect their BRP.

There is no additional fee for the applicant. The visa application fee remains the same.

Any applicant who does not travel to the UK within the 30-day period of their vignette must apply to the Entry Clearance Officer for a replacement short-term visa to enable them to travel to the UK.

We are often asked the question about the time permitted outside the UK for the purpose of calculating continuous period requirement for ILR applications.

Home Office guidance stipulates: “When applying for ILR it is necessary for the applicant to have spent no more than 180 whole days (i.e. not including the day of departure from the UK or arrival back in the UK) in any 12 month period during the 5 year qualifying period. Although particularly large absences can be split across two 12 month periods, no single absence can be greater than 180 days.”

However the thing to keep in mind is that “absences must be connected to the applicant’s sponsored or permitted employment, or the permitted economic activity being carried out in the UK, for example, business trips or short secondments. This also includes, any paid annual leave which must be assessed on a case by case basis and must be in line with the UK statutory annual leave entitlement.”

We are at times asked if its ok to be outside the UK for 6 months at a stretch on account of maternity leave and our advice is that it’s better to avoid it as stated above: “Absences must be for a reason consistent with the original purpose of entry to the UK or for a serious or compelling compassionate reason. ” In the past we came across one case where the ILR was refused as the case officer was of the view that very good maternity services are available in UK and it does not make a compelling reason; however we must add that upon appeal the lady was granted the ILR.

UK Visa Works specialises in helping clients to get their ILR applications approved, please contact us for further details.