International Healthcare workers free visa extension: Home Office

Frontline health workers from overseas will be given a free one-year UK visa extension, the Home Office says. The move applies to eligible workers and their dependents whose visas are due to expire before 1 October 2021. 

The list of professions who are entitled to this extension includes doctors, nurses, paramedics and midwives with approximately 14,000 people who are expected to benefit.

The Home Office first granted free automatic visa extensions to health workers in March 2020 as the Coronavirus pandemic hit the UK. The offer was initially limited to NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics whose visas expired between 31 March 2020 and 1 October 2020, but it was later extended to include more professions.

The Home Office stated more than 10,000 professionals had received the extension last year, but this latest announcement would affect a further 14,000 workers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "The dedication and skill of overseas health and care workers who are leading the UK's fight against coronavirus is truly extraordinary." She said they were now helping with the vaccine roll-out, and the visa extension "shows how our country values the contributions of these heroes".

Reference Link: https://www.gov.uk/.

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