• It is critical that there is action to improve retention and active support for international recruitment; including overcoming a number of regulatory hurdles from some professional bodies
  
• Expand the number of student nurses and look beyond traditional routes to maximise the opportunities offered through alternative routes, such as apprenticeships, and under-represented groups
• Achieving the necessary level of expansion will require the government to review and improve the targeted incentives on offer, financial and otherwise, to students entering the profession, and to employers looking to become more directly involved in supporting education opportunities
• Increase investment in ongoing training and development for existing staff
• Small and medium healthcare providers can significantly benefit from becoming registered sponsors

Becoming a registered sponsor can solve the problem of workforce shortage in the healthcare sector, as the employer will be able to relocate as many overseas workers to the UK as they need to cover the local demand for experienced staff.

Health and Care visa was introduced by the government to attract the most experienced workers to the UK and to cover the shortage caused by Brexit and post-pandemic issues in the industry. A Health and Care visa is a part of the Skilled Worker route, however, the employers can benefit from hiring migrant workers in the sector, as there are some exemptions worth paying attention to:

1. Although the Health & Care Worker visa is a part of a Skilled Worker visa, the costs related to the visa application are different from the common Skilled Worker visa expenses. The visa fee in the Health and Care Worker category is:
           – £247 if issued for 3 years or less
           – £479 if issued for over 3 years
2. Exemption from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge by the applicants in the healthcare sector (both the main applicants and their dependent family members)
3. In February 2022 there were 2 more jobs added to the list of Skilled Worker eligible occupations, namely, 6145: Care workers and home carers; 6146: Senior care workers that allow businesses who operate in the healthcare sector to hire workers for these jobs, that are in the highest demand in the UK.

These measures have been undertaken to support the NHS and help businesses around the UK to survive through the lack of staff and cover the local needs of the healthcare workers.

Becoming a sponsor is a good way to attract foreign workers to the UK, be competitive in the market in your sector, and boost business growth.

Contact us today for more information and our specialists will assist you with any queries you may have.