General Practitioner (GP) 4-month extension scheme
Information about to the overseas sponsorship General Practitioner (GP) 4-month extension scheme.
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Important: Important
This scheme only applies to those who complete specialty GP training. It does not apply to any other specialties.
If you change specialty before you complete your training, you will no longer be eligible.
About the scheme
From Autumn 2023, the General Practitioner (GP) 4-month extension scheme announced by United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) allows you to apply to remain in the United Kingdom (UK) for an additional 4-months beyond the end date of your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
The 4-month extension allows you to legally remain in the UK while you are looking for employment and waiting to start work. You cannot carry on working in a training post past the end date of your CoS.
This scheme is not an alternative to securing sponsorship with your next employer as you will not be given a new visa. You must submit a new Cos if you gain new employment within the UK. This must be done before the end of the 4-month extension.
Non-urgent advice: You do not need to apply for the 4-month extension if:
- you have already secured employment and sponsorship with a new sponsor by the end of your training
- you have a new immigration status by the end of your training (for example indefinite leave to remain (ILR))
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- be sponsored on the Skilled Worker route as a newly trained GP under occupation code 2211
- have completed your training and use the extension post-Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)
How to apply
The following process has been issued by UKVI for eligible postgraduate-doctors in training to request a 4-month extension.
It is your decision about whether you apply for the 4-month extension to the end of your visa.
You cannot apply more than one month before your current visa is due to expire (the end date on your biometric residence permit (BRP) card or visa). Applications submitted too early will be rejected by UKVI.
Dependents must apply at the same time as you. If they apply later, their applications may not be considered in line with your application and may be refused.
When it is time to apply, you must follow the following steps.
- Make a Skilled Worker Visa application (using the health and care route) for you and any dependants (if applicable) via the UKVI website. You will need to pay the associated visa application fees at this time. These will be refunded later in the process.
- You will need to use the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number issued to you by NHS England (formerly Health Education England) for your training, or the most recent one if you’ve had an extension before your original CCT date. Our sponsor license number is QN9268BN2.
- Enter the start date. This will be the day after your visa expires (that is, if your BRP is due to expire on 18/08/2023, add 19/08/2023).
- Enter the end date. This will be 4 months after your start date (that is, if your start date is 19/08/2023 the end date will be 18/12/2023).
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Complete the 4-month visa extension form to confirm you have submitted your application. You will need to provide your application reference numbers.
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NHS England will provide confirmation to UKVI that you are eligible for this extension and that you have made an application.
- The UKVI will then ‘hold’ your application for a period 4 months. They will not assess your application and you will not be given a decision or a new visa. Your application will be placed in a holding position so that your stay in the UK will not be ended and you will not be asked to leave.
If you do apply and your application is successful, the additional 4-months will be added to the end of your visa after your CCT date.
New employment
When you find a new employer, you must follow the below steps.
- Your new employer will issue you a CoS for you to apply for a further Skilled Worker Visa. You will need to make an application for a new Skilled Worker visa and any dependants directly with UKVI. You must fill in the relevant start and end dates of your new employment and pay the associated fees.
- Complete the new CoS number form to confirm you have submitted a further application, providing application reference numbers for you and your dependants (if applicable).
- Once your second application is received, UKVI will refund the cost of one of the applications directly back to you.
When the Overseas Sponsorship Team create your CoS, we will add your planned CCT date as the ‘work end date’. We will then indicate in the job description section that you are eligible for the 4-month post-CCT extension with the following wording.
“Confirmed General Practitioner in specialty training and should be granted an additional period of 4 months beyond the end date on the COS.”
If this wording is not on your CoS, email please email [email protected] with your portal application identification (ID) number before making your visa application so that this can be amended.
When you make your visa application with UKVI, this wording will be picked up by your case worker and the additional time will be automatically granted on your visa. For example, if your planned CCT date (work end date on your CoS) is 06/09/2027, your visa should be issued until 06/01/2028.
If the extension is not added to your visa, you will need to have this amended through the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration's administrative review process. You must do this within 14 days of receiving your granted visa decision.
It is your decision about whether you apply for the 4-month extension to the end of your visa.
You cannot apply more than one month before your current visa is due to expire (the end date on your biometric residence permit (BRP) card or visa). Applications submitted too early will be rejected by UKVI.
Dependents must apply at the same time as you. If they apply later, their applications may not be considered in line with your application and may be refused.
When it is time to apply, you must follow the following steps.
- Make a Skilled Worker Visa application (using the health and care route) for you and any dependants (if applicable) via the UKVI website. You will need to pay the associated visa application fees at this time. These will be refunded later in the process.
- You will need to use the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) number issued to you by NHS England (formerly Health Education England) for your training, or the most recent one if you’ve had an extension before your original CCT date. Our sponsor license number is QN9268BN2.
- Enter the start date. This will be the day after your visa expires (that is, if your BRP is due to expire on 18/08/2023, add 19/08/2023).
- Enter the end date. This will be 4 months after your start date (that is, if your start date is 19/08/2023 the end date will be 18/12/2023).
-
Complete the 4-month visa extension form to confirm you have submitted your application. You will need to provide your application reference numbers.
-
NHS England will provide confirmation to UKVI that you are eligible for this extension and that you have made an application.
- The UKVI will then ‘hold’ your application for a period 4 months. They will not assess your application and you will not be given a decision or a new visa. Your application will be placed in a holding position so that your stay in the UK will not be ended and you will not be asked to leave.
If you do apply and your application is successful, the additional 4-months will be added to the end of your visa after your CCT date.
New employment
When you find a new employer, you must follow the below steps.
- Your new employer will issue you a CoS for you to apply for a further Skilled Worker Visa. You will need to make an application for a new Skilled Worker visa and any dependants directly with UKVI. You must fill in the relevant start and end dates of your new employment and pay the associated fees.
- Complete the new CoS number form to confirm you have submitted a further application, providing application reference numbers for you and your dependants (if applicable).
- Once your second application is received, UKVI will refund the cost of one of the applications directly back to you.
When the Overseas Sponsorship Team create your CoS, we will add your planned CCT date as the ‘work end date’. We will then indicate in the job description section that you are eligible for the 4-month post-CCT extension with the following wording.
“Confirmed General Practitioner in specialty training and should be granted an additional period of 4 months beyond the end date on the COS.”
If this wording is not on your CoS, email please email [email protected] with your portal application identification (ID) number before making your visa application so that this can be amended.
When you make your visa application with UKVI, this wording will be picked up by your case worker and the additional time will be automatically granted on your visa. For example, if your planned CCT date (work end date on your CoS) is 06/09/2027, your visa should be issued until 06/01/2028.
If the extension is not added to your visa, you will need to have this amended through the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration's administrative review process. You must do this within 14 days of receiving your granted visa decision.
Changes to your CCT date
You may need to change your CCT date if you finish your training earlier than expected or need to delay your CCT date.
If you complete your training earlier than expected
If you complete your training earlier than expected, you will need to make the Overseas Sponsorship Team aware. We will report this to UKVI as your visa/leave will also end earlier.
If you need to extend your training or your CCT date is delayed
If you need to extend your training or your CCT date is delayed, you will need to apply for a normal extension visa with NHS England before your planned CCT date. You cannot use the additional 4-months to continue your training. Your extension visa will then have another additional 4-months granted on it after the new CCT date.
Supplementary employment
The 4-month extension is intended to allow you to legally remain in the UK while you are looking for employment and waiting to start work.
You are allowed to work no more than 20 hours per week post-CCT on your existing visa. Any work you do after your CCT will be classed as "supplementary" to that which the CoS was issued for.
Any supplementary employment must meet the requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). This includes locum work.
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
Applying to the GP 4-month extension scheme will not affect your application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Any extension taken under this scheme submitted (before the expiry date of your visa) will extend your permission under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. This time period within the UK will be counted as Skilled Worker permission for the purposes of calculating eligibility for settlement. Section 3C extends the person’s existing permission until the application is decided (or withdrawn).
If you are eligible for ILR, you can apply for this instead of sponsorship with your new employer.
Find out more about applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Overseas travel
You may not be able to travel overseas during the 4-month extension period depending on when your CoS was issued.
If your CoS was issued before September 2023
The purpose of this scheme is to give you additional time once you have successfully completed your training to find a job in the sector without needing to leave the UK.
If your CoS was issued before September 2023 and you were to leave the Common Travel Area (consisting of the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) during the 4-month extension, you would be unable to return to the UK as your application would be considered outstanding.
Any ongoing immigration status you have under Section 3C will lapse if you leave the UK, even if you remain within another part of the Common Travel Area. You would then need to make an application from overseas once you have been offered a job.
If your CoS was issued after September 2023
Once you have your visa, you are able to travel overseas for as long as it is valid. You cannot travel while you have an application in progress.
Contact information
The NHS England Overseas Sponsorship Team can only help with queries regarding your sponsorship for your training post.
If you need further help with the process or your application for the 4-month extension, please refer to the United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.
Page last reviewed: 6 March 2024
Next review due: 6 March 2025