Evidence of Right to Work in the UK

Applicants who already have Right to Work in the UK at the point of application

Applicants who already have Right to Work in the UK at the point of application must upload evidence of this onto Oriel when submitting their eligibility application.

Applicants who hold a visa must not have restrictions to work as a doctor or dentist, and the visa must be valid for the duration of the two-year programme; that is, until August 2026.

Applicants who currently have Right to Work which will expire before the programme starts in August 2024, should indicate on the Oriel application that sponsorship is required. A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) will then be arranged once the applicant has been allocated to a programme.

Irish nationals

Irish nationals are not required to provide proof of Right to Work and should select “Yes” to “Would you like to use your passport evidence as right to work proof?” in this section on the Oriel application form. For further information, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-travel-area-guidance.

Applicants who do not have Right to Work in the UK at the point of application

The condition of “right to work required” will remain on the eligibility application until after allocation to a programme. This is so that the correct processes can be followed to ensure sponsorship is arranged. This condition will have no bearing on the application.

If an applicant will require visa sponsorship, they should select the option in Oriel: “I wish to be sponsored (I understand my details will be shared with the relevant sponsorship team)”.

Holders of biometric residence cards and permits

Holders of biometric residence cards and permits will need to provide evidence of their right to work. Applicants must follow guidance on the Home Office website on what they will need to provide the UKFPO and their employer in order to verify their right to work. Please follow the link for details on how to obtain a share code. Applicants should provide their share code and associated information to the UKFPO by email at: helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk. 

Some applicants may be unable to provide their biometric card or permit at the time of application. Once these are obtained, these applicants should provide their share code and associated information to the UKFPO by email at: helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk. 

Applicants whose visa will expire part-way through the programme

Applicants whose visa will expire part-way through the programme must provide evidence of their continued Right to Work status beyond this point. Alternatively, they may need to apply for an extension or alternate visa without disrupting their training programme.

Following recent changes in immigration law, all medical specialties are included on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL), therefore Resident Labour Market Tests (RLMT) no longer applies. Sponsorship will be arranged for applicants who require it to apply for a specific visa.

UKFPO processes are subject to Immigration Law in the UK and any changes to the rules and regulations set by the UK Home Office.

Applicants with dual nationality/multi-citizenship

Applicants with dual nationality/multi-citizenship should complete the Oriel application form using the most relevant nationality for them (in regard to the information they must submit to evidence their Right to Work in the UK) and upload the relevant passport.

Further information about how to obtain the Right to Work in the UK can be found on the UK Border Agency website at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ and UK Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration.

UK/Settled Applicants

UK/settled and pre-settled applicants are required to provide a copy of their date stamped passport or biometric residence card as proof of their right to work. This evidence must be uploaded on Oriel when completing an eligibility application. Applicants with pre-settled status will need to provide evidence of their settled status when received if applicable.

Please note: Applicants with dual nationality should upload the most appropriate nationality passport relevant to the right to work in the UK.

Sponsorship

The Tier 2 Visa has now changed to the Skilled Worker visa. The UKFPO do not arrange Skilled Worker sponsorship, this is arranged by the national sponsorship teams and contacts are listed below for each of the four nations:

– NHS England (NHSE) – Sponsorship@hee.nhs.uk

– Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW) – NWSSP.EmploymentServices.Enablement@wales.nhs.uk

– The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) – tier2.nimdta@hscni.net

– NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – tier2sponsorship@nes.scot.nhs.uk

Tier 4 sponsorship has now changed to the Student Visa. A Student Visa is arranged by the sponsorship team at HEE. This is a programme specific visa. The contact details are as follows:

– NHS England (NHSE) – StudentSponsorship@hee.nhs.uk

Graduate Route

The new Graduate Route offered by the Home Office opened on 1 July 2021. Applicants considering applying for this route will not require sponsorship from the relevant Statutory Education Body (NHSE/ HEIW/NIMDTA/NES) and will need to apply directly with the UKVI. Once the application has been approved the applicant can then provide evidence of this to the UKFPO. More information on the Graduate Route can be found on the Home Office website: Fact sheet: Graduate Immigration Route – Home Office in the media (blog.gov.uk)

Applicants with refugee status

Please apply through the eligibility process and email helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk if you have any questions about the application process for the foundation programme

Frequently Asked Questions on Right to Work can be found here.