Tier 2 cap on Skilled Worker Visas to be lifted for doctors and nurses

The monthly quota for the Tier 2 Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship was reached every month, since December 2017.

The implication of the visa cap being reached in a month is that many UK businesses that apply for Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship to employ non-EU workers are not able to do so. They subsequently have to wait for the next monthly round of allocations of the Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). Furthermore, it is not only a waiting game, but they have to lodge a new CoS application for consideration.

This has huge implications for many sectors in the UK economy, including a growing shortage of staff at the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. (Note, however, that certain medical professions are on the Shortage Occupation List, and were, according to the Home Office, never refused.)

Medical Doctors and Nurses no longer included in Tier 2 Skilled Worker Visa cap

Fortunately, on 15 June 2018, the UK Government announced plans to exclude doctors and nurses from the cap on the Tier 2 skilled worker visa.

There will henceforth not be restrictions on the number of doctors and nurses that can be employed via the Tier 2 skilled worker visa. It will thus be possible to recruit more international doctors and nurses. This is, of course, excellent news for the NHS, which according to the Home Office, accounts for 40% of the Tier 2 allocations.

Good news for other Sectors in the Economy

The fact that doctors and nurses will be excluded from the Tier 2 Skilled Worker visa cap, also bears good news for other sectors of the economy.

This should free up hundreds of places every month for other skilled workers applying for the restricted Certificates of Sponsorship, including; engineers, IT professionals, teachers and others.

How the Tier 2 Skilled Worker Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship are allocated

The annual quota for Tier 2 Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship is 20,700. The unrestricted Certificates of Sponsorship do not have an annual cap.

Every month some Tier 2 restricted certificates of sponsorship are allocated. If the demand for CoS is more than the Home Office have available then applications that score, the least number of points will be rejected and have to reapply for the consideration the following month.

Where there are not sufficient numbers of CoS available to meet demand, the Home Office uses a point-scoring system to determine which CoS to issue. This system prioritises applications that are on the Shortage Occupation List, PhD level positions, and graduate roles recruited through milk round. After that, applications for positions with higher salaries attached to them will score more points than those with lower salaries attached.

For more information on Tier 2 Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship, or to get your application started, please feel free to contact us at info@bic-immigration.com or visit our website at www.bic-immigration.com Alternatively, please fill out the form below.