UK visa options for international medical graduates
The default route for IMGs taking up a substantive NHS post is the Health and Care Worker visa. It requires a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed NHS employer and proof of registration with the GMC. The visa is cheaper than a standard Skilled Worker visa, exempts holders from the Immigration Health Surcharge, and allows dependants. You cannot switch to it from a Standard Visitor visa inside the UK.
What this covers
Confirm GMC registration and job offer
Both are required before UKVI will grant the visa.
Receive a Certificate of Sponsorship
The NHS trust issues this via its sponsor licence — check the CoS details match your offer letter.
Apply from your home country
Standard Visitor holders must leave and apply overseas — no in-country switch.
Biometrics and decision
Provide biometrics, wait for the decision, then travel with a 90-day vignette.
Read the guides in this cluster
- The Health and Care Worker visa for doctorsWho qualifies for the Health and Care Worker visa, current fees, what it lets you do in the NHS, and how long it lasts.
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for NHS doctorsWhat a Certificate of Sponsorship is, how NHS trusts issue one, and what to check before you accept it.
- Bringing dependants on a UK doctor visaWho counts as a dependant, the extra evidence UKVI expects, and what dependants can do in the UK.
- Switching from a UK visitor visa to a work visaWhy you cannot switch inside the UK from a Standard Visitor visa, and how the PLAB 2 visitor route interacts with a later Health and Care Worker application.
Official sources
Every fact above should be confirmed against the controlling source before you act on it.