A number of different teams will be interested in the progress of your visa application.  These are as follows:

• Immigration Team – this team manage the sponsorship of all doctors and dentists in training in Northern Ireland. They are required to update the Home Office on any changes to residents’ circumstances to meet sponsorship requirements under NIMDTA’s Sponsor Licence. They will also communicate immigration related information to the teams listed below.
• NIMDTA Training department – this team will manage your training and need to be made aware of your right to work status
• NIMDTA Single Lead Employer department – this team will manage the employment of all doctors and dentists in training who are on NIMDTA payroll, therefore they need to be advised of your right to work status/start date/any changes in circumstances.
• Host Organisation Medical HR department – as you will be posted to a trust/practice, they will need to be aware of your right to work status and need to be kept updated on any changes to your circumstances.

The Immigration Team will keep all relevant individuals updated on the progress of your visa application; therefore you need to ensure that you keep the team informed via immigration.nimdta@hscni.net

If your current visa is not sponsored by NIMDTA, you will need to apply for a new Skilled Worker Visa.  All trainees are eligible to apply for a health and care visa.

If you already have a CoS that has been issued by another sponsor, then NIMDTA will not be able to assign one for the same period, as the Home Office system will only permit one CoS to be assigned to you at any given time.

If this is the case, you will need to contact the other sponsor to ask them to withdraw their CoS to allow NIMDTA to proceed with your application.

If you have been assigned a CoS with a different sponsor as you need to extend your current visa, you will need to have the decision on this application before you can apply for a visa with NIMDTA.

Please complete all the sections of the application form.

Your completed application should be forwarded to immigration.nimdta@hscni.net.

Additional documents required are listed on the CoS application form.

If you are applying from within the UK, as long as your passport is valid at the time of application with the Home Office there should not be any issues.  It is advisable to review when you may be making your Skilled Worker application to the Home Office to ascertain if a new passport is needed in the first instance.

If you are applying from outside of the UK, you need to ensure your passport is valid for more than 6 months so you will be able to travel after your visa has been granted.

Some applicants must meet the maintenance criteria set out by the Home Office and should ensure that they are aware of the regulations set out for Skilled Worker route applications.

NIMDTA do not certify maintenance as standard.  If you are experiencing difficulties providing evidence of your own maintenance, please advise the Immigration Team via immigration.nimdta@hscni.net when you apply for your CoS.

Please note, applicants who have been in the UK for more than 12 months on a Skilled Worker Visa will not need to provide evidence of maintenance in subsequent applications.

Please complete the ‘Application for a Certificate of Sponsorship’ and forward it, along with the required documents listed on the application form to: immigration.nimdta@hscni.net.

Your application cannot be processed without all of the documents.  Please complete this form if you will be new to NIMDTA or if you will be requiring an extension of a current NIMDTA sponsored visa.

Please note: You can only apply for your Skilled Worker Visa a maximum of 3 months before the start date on your CoS. 

A CoS can only be issued for the duration of your training contract, up to a maximum of 5 years. If your programme is longer than 5 years, you can apply for another CoS to extend your visa.

Yes, however the minimum salary requirement must be met.

Please visit the following link for further information about salary requirements: Skilled Worker visa: If you work in healthcare or education - GOV.UK

For the purpose of the Home Office requirements, the job title is standard in line with the Standard Occupation Code (SOC) code as per Appendix J of the Immigration Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-j-codes-of-practice-for-skilled-work ).

The salary quoted on your CoS is the minimum guaranteed salary that a doctor or dentist in training will earn, as per Home Office guidance.

Your exact salary will be calculated by your employer, this can be discussed with the Single Lead Employer team.

If you are working Less Than Full Time (LTFT) this figure will be calculated on your basic salary, pro rata for your LTFT hours.  Evidence of pay slips may be required.

When an extension CoS is issued, the start date will be the day after your current visa expires. 

You will be able to continue working on your current visa as long as you submit your extension application before the end date of your current visa.

If you send a copy of your new passport to immigration.nimdta@hscni.net this can be updated on your CoS using a sponsor note.  This can only be done if you have not applied for your visa, if the certificate is marked as used on the UKVI Sponsorship Management System (SMS), this will not be possible.

When you receive your CoS, please check all details thoroughly.  If you notice a mistake, please contact the immigration team on immigration.nimdta@hscni.net.

A sponsor note will be added to the CoS to correct the error, which will appear in a section at the top of the certificate.

An updated copy will be emailed to you.  Please note that the error on the CoS cannot be removed, therefore it will still appear in the body of the certificate.

Please inform the Immigration Team at immigration.nimdta@hscni.net as soon as possible.

We will aim to issue your CoS within 2 weeks of receiving all the required documentation.

Please note that you can only apply for your visa a maximum of 3 months before the start date on your CoS.

Yes, you can and should make your visa application under the Health and Care visa route.

We will confirm your eligibility for this on your COS issued to you. You will find this in the ‘Summary of job description’ field of the COS.

The requirements for Health and care visa are contained in this guidance and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa

Individuals applying for the Health and Care visa will be pay the reduced application fees.

All visa application fees, including for the Health and Care Visa, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table

The visa fee reduction will also apply to partners and dependants of Health and Care Visa applicants. Partners and dependants of Health and Care Visa applicants should therefore also tick this box. In addition to the reduced visa fee, applicants applying for the Health and Care Visa, and their family will be exempt from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge

All applications should be made under the Health and Care visa route and therefore the IHS is not required.

For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/who-needs-pay

NIMDTA is an A rated sponsor.

You will find the sponsor number at the top of your CoS once this has been issued to you.

NIMDTA is a public body, not a limited company.

The Home Office require those applying to come to the UK under Skilled Worker as doctors and dentists in training, and their adult dependants, to produce a criminal record certificate from any country in which they have been resident for 12 months or more, consecutively or cumulatively, in the previous 10 years, aged 18 or over.

If you are successful in being appointed to a training programme in the UK, require Skilled Worker sponsorship, and are applying to come to the UK, you will be required to provide the criminal record certificate to the Home Office when you make your visa application. As it can take some time to obtain a criminal record certificate, it may be helpful for you to begin the process of seeking certificates, if required, at the earliest opportunity.  Details of how to obtain such a check from the relevant authorities abroad is available on the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants  If the country concerned is not listed, please contact the relevant embassy or consulate for further details. Contact details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk

Please note that NIMDTA will require a copy of your Criminal Records Certificate as part of the pre-employment check process to supplement NI criminal records checks which will be carried out through AccessNI.

The Home Office publish their service standard processing times and will depend on which application and route you have taken. Please refer to the following link for processing times: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about-our-services

If you are applying from outside the UK you can also use the link below: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk

This will be dictated by the type of visa that you have, please see table below:

Please also refer to the current immigration guidance on the UKVI website in regard to starting with or without your new BRP: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

You will need to forward the receipt you receive from the UKVI when you submit your visa application.

Please ensure that you keep the immigration updated on the progress of your application so that we can keep your host organisation and training team updated.

NIMDTA have a New to Northern Ireland team who have developed a number of events and resources to support you on your relocation.  Please visit the N2NI webpages at: New to Northern Ireland - N2NI

You will also receive a new start survey from the NIMDTA pre-employment checks team.

Please ensure you complete this survey and indicate that you are new to Northern Ireland to be included in the mailing list for events.

It is your responsibility to keep NIMDTA informed of any changes in circumstances that occur throughout your sponsorship.

You will need to notify the Immigration Team at immigration.nimdta@hscni.net at the earliest opportunity, but no later than 5 working days of the change being implemented so that we can notify the UKVI within the appropriate timescale.

Please see the list below for the type of changes you will need to inform us:

• Your contact details/address change
• Your immigration status changes
• Your training ends earlier than expected
• Your Inter Deanery Transfer (IDT) application is approved
• You are changing your hours i.e. Less Than Full Time (LTFT) application is approved
• An Out Of Programme (OOP) application is approved
• You are planning to go on maternity or adoption leave
• You have had a period of long-term sickness (1 month of longer)
• You are taking a period of authorised unpaid leave
• You have changed your specialty
• You are resigning from training

Residents who hold a Skilled Worker visa can apply for an inter-deanery transfer, however they will need to arrange a new CoS/visa through the region that they are relocating to.

Sponsorship via NIMDTA will be withdrawn from the date of leaving the NIMDTA training programme.

Residents on a Skilled Worker visa can undertake other work in addition to that which their CoS is assigned for. This is known as supplementary employment and it must:

• be in the same profession as your main job
• be for no more than 20 hours per week
• be outside the normal working hours for which the CoS was assigned

You can also undertake unpaid voluntary work.  It is your responsibility to advise your new employer that the employment is supplementary to the work you are being sponsored for, so that your new employer can make the necessary checks in relation to the prevention of illegal working.  If you wish to undertake work that does not meet the conditions above you will need to get a new CoS and visa under the sponsorship of your second employer.

The impact upon your visa is dependent upon the situation, therefore please contact the Immigration Team via immigration.nimdta@hscni.net for further information.

You will require a supporting letter from NIMDTA.

Please email your request to immigration.nimdta@hscni.net;we will endeavour to forward the letter within 5 working days.

Please inform the Immigration Team at NIMDTA (via the email above) as soon as you receive your ILR so that a right to work check can be completed and your skilled worker sponsorship can be ceased.

To find out when you can apply for your ILR, please visit the Home Office website for further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/indefinite-leave-to-remain-calculating-continuous-period-in-uk

If you are applying for ILR, you will require a letter from the Immigration Team. Please email immigration.nimdta@hscni.net to request the letter.  We will endeavour to send the letter to you via email within 5 working days.

Once you have received a decision from the Home Office, you must inform the Immigration Team and email a copy of your new Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 5 working days of receiving it. NIMDTA will update your records and cancel your Skilled Worker visa as per Home Office guidance.

How to apply for a Visa Extension

When it is time to apply, please follow the steps below:

If your visa is due to expire at your CCT date

1. Make a Skilled Worker Visa application (using the health and care route) via the UKVI website: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/extend-your-visa Please note you will need to pay the associated visa application fees at this time, but will be refunded later - see point 7

2. As part of this application, you will need to use the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number currently issued to you for your training (or the most recent one if you’ve had an extension before your CCT date) and NIMDTA’s sponsor licence number (you will also find this on your CoS).

3. Add the start date as the day after your visa expires (i.e. if your BRP is due to expire on 01/02/2024 please add 02/02/2024).

4. Add the end date as your start date plus 4 months (i.e. if your start date is 02/02/2024 the end date will be 01/06/2024).

5. Notify NIMDTA at nimdta@hscni.net that you have applied for the 4-month extension.  Forward your UKVI application reference number and the full name and reference numbers for each dependant (as per the application form/passport).  NIMDTA are required to inform the UKVI of trainees who wish to take up the offer.
6. The Home Office will then ‘hold’ your application for a period 4 months.  Please note they will not assess your application and you will not be given a decision or a new visa. Your application will just be placed in a holding position so that your stay in the UK will not be curtailed and you will not be asked to leave.

7. When you find a new employer, they will issue you a CoS for you to apply for a further Skilled Worker Visa. You will then need to make an application for a further Skilled Worker visa directly with UKVI, with the relevant start and end dates of your new employment and pay the associated fees.

8. Once your second application is received, the Home Office will refund the cost of one of the applications directly back to you.

If you have additional leave remaining on your current visa

1. Notify the immigration team at NIMDTA that you would like to avail of the 4-month post CCT extension. The immigration team will notify the UKVI that you have completed training and will be switching to the post CCT extension.

When you secure employment and a new sponsor, please notify the immigration team.

email: immigration.nimdta@hscni.net