Switching from a UK visitor visa to a work visa
You cannot switch inside the UK from a Standard Visitor visa (including the PLAB 2 visitor route) to a Health and Care Worker visa. If you sat PLAB 2 as a visitor and now have an NHS job offer, you must leave the UK and apply for the Health and Care Worker visa from your home country. Plan flights, notice periods and CoS timing around that constraint.
Who this applies to
- Doctors who sat PLAB 2 in Manchester on a visitor visa and now hold GMC registration and an NHS offer.
Key requirements
| Rule | No in-country switch from Standard Visitor to work visa |
|---|---|
| Route | Leave UK → apply Health and Care Worker visa abroad |
| Timing risk | Visitor visa is 6 months — do not overstay while arranging the CoS |
Steps
1. Leave the UK before the visitor visa expires
Overstaying invalidates future applications.
2. Apply from home country
Wait for the CoS, then apply online and attend biometrics locally.
3. Return on the new vignette
Enter the UK on the 90-day Health and Care Worker vignette.
Common failure points
- Attempting an in-country switch and being refused.
- Overstaying the visitor visa while the CoS is delayed.
Official sources
Every fact above should be confirmed against the controlling source before you act on it.