UK extends work visas for Indian, foreign doctors amid coronavirus outbreak
"Doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are playing a leading role in the NHS's efforts to tackle coronavirus and save lives. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for all that they do,";
London: The UK government on March 31 confirmed that foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas are set to expire before October this year will get an automatic extension for one year as they battle the coronavirus pandemic for the country's National Health Service (NHS).
The extension, announced by the UK Home Secretary, will apply to around 2,800 migrant doctors, nurses and paramedics employed by the NHS whose visa is due to expire before October 1. "Doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are playing a leading role in the NHS's efforts to tackle coronavirus and save lives. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for all that they do," said the UK Home Secretary. "I don't want them distracted by the visa process.
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That is why I have automatically extended their visas free of charge for a further year, the Indian-origin minister said.
The free of charge extension will also apply to their family members, demonstrating how valued overseas NHS staff are to the UK, the Home Office said. To get more doctors and nurses on the frontline, the restriction on the amount of hours student nurses and doctors can work in the NHS has also been lifted.
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