Visas and Immigration

The Skilled Worker visa allows people from outside the UK to work in a specified job for a UK employer that holds a sponsorship licence, such as NHSGGC. It is based on your job meeting certain skill and salary requirements, and you must normally have a job offer before you can apply. The visa gives you permission to work in the role named on your Certificate of Sponsorship and stay in the UK for the duration of your employment and in line with the immigration rules at the time of application.

Key points

• You must comply with visa conditions (e.g. reporting changes to your employer that might affect your status).
• You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor.
• The role must meet minimum skill level and salary thresholds set by the Home Office.
• You can usually bring dependants (e.g. partner and children) if you meet the criteria.
• You have the right to work in the UK in the job named on your sponsorship.

This is general guidance only. Specific eligibility and conditions must be confirmed by the Recruitment or Sponsorship Team before formal advice is given.

A Student visa allows a person to live in the UK mainly for the purpose of studying at a recognised educational institution. It is tied to a specific course and sponsor (the university, college, or training provider), not to an employer. The visa gives limited permission to work in the UK alongside study, but the primary purpose must remain education.

Key points

• You must be sponsored by an approved education provider and enrolled on an eligible course.
• You can usually work only within set limits (hours and type of work depend on your course and level of study).
• You cannot normally work full time during term time unless a specific exemption applies.
• You may be able to bring dependants in certain circumstances, depending on your course level.
• Your permission to stay in the UK is linked to your studies and attendance, not to employment.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions, and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

A Graduate visa allows someone who has successfully completed an eligible UK degree to remain in the UK for a limited period after their studies. It is not tied to a specific employer or job, which means the holder has flexibility to work or look for work. The visa is time-limited and cannot normally be extended beyond the period granted.

Key points

• You must have completed an eligible course with a UK Student visa sponsor.
• You do not need a job offer to apply for this visa.
• You can generally work in most roles and at most skill levels, within UK law.
• You can change jobs freely without needing employer sponsorship.
• You cannot usually bring new dependants unless they were already in the UK as dependants on your Student visa.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

A Family (or Dependant) visa allows someone to live in the UK based on their relationship to another person who already has permission to be here, such as a partner, spouse, civil partner, or parent. The visa is linked to the status of the main visa holder rather than to an employer or a specific job, although it usually permits employment in the UK.

Key points

• Your permission to stay is connected to the immigration status of the main visa holder.
• You generally do not need employer sponsorship to work in the UK.
• You can usually work in most roles, subject to any conditions on your visa.
• Your right to remain typically lasts as long as the main visa holder’s permission (or until you apply to extend in your own right).
• You must comply with any conditions attached to your visa.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

EU Settled Status and Pre-Settled Status are forms of immigration permission granted under the EU Settlement Scheme to eligible EU, EEA and Swiss citizens (and some family members) who were living in the UK before the end of the Brexit transition period. They are not tied to an employer or a specific job, and they allow people to continue living and working in the UK. The main difference between the two relates to how long a person has lived in the UK.

Key points

• Settled Status (Indefinite Leave to Remain):
  • Normally granted where a person has lived in the UK for five continuous years.
  • Provides the right to live and work in the UK without a time limit.
• Pre-Settled Status:
  • Usually granted where a person has lived in the UK for less than five years.
  • Allows the holder to live and work in the UK for a limited period, with the possibility of applying for Settled Status later.
• Neither status requires employer sponsorship.
• Holders can generally work in most roles in the UK, subject to standard employment checks.
• Individuals must continue to comply with any conditions attached to their status.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is a form of permanent immigration permission that allows a person to live and work in the UK without a time limit. It is not tied to any employer, job, or sponsorship, and it normally follows a period of lawful residence in the UK on an eligible visa route.

Key points

• ILR gives you the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely.
• You do not need employer sponsorship once ILR is granted.
• You can generally work in any role, subject to normal employment checks.
• You may still need to meet ongoing requirements (for example, absence limits from the UK).
• ILR can normally support future applications for British citizenship, subject to eligibility.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

There are a range of other UK immigration routes that do not fit neatly into the main categories described above. These may include, for example, humanitarian routes, specialist work routes, or time-limited permissions linked to specific circumstances. The rights attached to these visas can vary significantly depending on the route, the conditions granted, and any restrictions set by the Home Office.

Key points

• Permission to work may be full, partial, or restricted, depending on the visa type.
• Some visas are not linked to an employer, while others may restrict you to a named sponsor or role.
• The length of permission to stay in the UK can differ widely between routes.
• Conditions attached to these visas can change if you apply to extend or switch routes.
• Always check the specific conditions on the individual’s visa before making recruitment or employment decisions.

This is general guidance only. Specific rights, restrictions and eligibility must be confirmed by the recruitment or Sponsorship Team before any formal advice is given.

A job advert must not suggest you will exclude people because of their immigration status, nationality or visa needs. Stating “visa holders need not apply” or “no sponsorship available” can be discriminatory and could expose NHSGGC to legal risk under employment and equality law.

Hiring managers can explain whether the role meets eligibility for UK visa sponsorship in a neutral, factual way. This helps manage expectations without discriminating. For example, job adverts can include the following clause

• This role does not meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa routes.

NHSGGC must avoid phrases implying who can or cannot apply because of their nationality or visa status.

When you shortlist, hiring managers must not make decisions based on an applicant’s current visa permissions or immigration status.

• Managers can see a candidate’s immigration status during shortlisting, but this must not influence whether they progress to interview. This helps ensure fair, non-discriminatory selection.

• A person’s current visa may be time-limited, but NHSGGC cannot predict future visa outcomes. You must not assume whether they will or will not be eligible to continue working later.
• Treat international applicants the same as all others at shortlisting. Assess their skills, experience and suitability for the job first.
• Decisions based on immigration status alone can risk indirect discrimination claims under UK employment and equality law.

What you should do:

• Focus shortlisting decisions on job-related criteria only.
• Leave consideration of immigration permissions and right to work compliance to HR or trained staff later in the recruitment process.

When planning assessment exercises, you should choose the method that best evaluates a candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills. NHSGGC has a range of technology available, and in many cases it is reasonable for all assessment exercises to be conducted face-to-face.

Important points for you

• Choose the format that best measures what the job requires. Don’t default to face-to-face without checking it’s the most suitable option.
• Offer the same opportunity and access to all candidates, regardless of nationality, background, ethnicity, or visa status.
• If you require attendance in person, make sure the need for this is clearly explained in advance in the job advert or assessment invite.

Example

• Face-to-face reasonable: a practical skills assessment that cannot reasonably be done online (e.g. hands-on clinical demonstration).
• Online reasonable: knowledge-based tests or interviews where technology can reliably assess the skills required.

Do

• Confirm the rationale for your chosen format before inviting candidates.
• Ensure candidates have equivalent access and support to take part.

Don’t

• Apply different assessment formats because of someone’s visa status or perceived convenience.

When you interview candidates, you should focus on assessing skills, experience and fit for the job. You can also capture factual information about a person’s visa and right to work status where this is necessary to plan next steps, but you must not use immigration status to disadvantage or screen out candidates at interview.

Key points for hiring managers

• Interviews must treat all candidates equally, regardless of nationality, background, ethnicity or visa status.
  UK discrimination law forbids disadvantaging candidates based on protected characteristics including nationality.
• You should ask factual questions about a candidate’s right to work where it helps you plan recruitment timing and compliance. For example:
  • Can you confirm when your current right to work expires?
  • Do you need the role to be sponsored under a visa route?
    
    Only ask this to understand timing and compliance needs, not to make selection decisions.
• You must not reject or score down a candidate simply because they need a visa; decisions should be based on job-related criteria first.
• Right to work checks (e.g. checking identity documents or digital status) usually happen after interview and before offer.

Do

• Keep interview questions factual and job-focused.
• Explain why you’re asking about right to work and how the information will be used.
• Refer enquiries about visa permissions to the Recruitment Service if you need help interpreting responses.

Don’t

• Use someone’s immigration status to decide who to interview or score them lower.
• Ask speculative or irrelevant questions about someone’s future visa eligibility.

If NHSGGC is sponsoring you on a Skilled Worker visa or a Health & Care Worker visa, you have a duty to notify us about certain changes so we can meet our Home Office reporting obligations and protect both your immigration status and NHSGGC’s sponsor licence.

You must tell us by emailing ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot before a change happens where feasible. If a change has already happened, you must notify us as soon as possible.

You must tell us if any of the following apply:

• Change of job (including role, duties, or grade).
• Change of work location (new base, secondment, or permanent move).
• Change of contracted hours (increase or reduction).
• Change of salary (including pay protection, allowances, or acting-up arrangements).
• Any period of leave (excluding annual leave) – including:
  • sick leave
  • maternity, paternity, parental, shared parental or adoption leave
  • jury service
  • industrial action
  • special leave
  • unauthorised absence
• If you plan to leave NHSGGC, or your employment ends for any reason.

These reporting duties apply only if you are sponsored by NHSGGC under a Skilled Worker or Health & Care Worker visa.
If you hold another type of immigration permission (for example Student, Graduate, or Family/Dependant visa), you do not need to report these changes under NHSGGC’s sponsorship duties – although you may still need to inform your manager for normal employment reasons.

If you are unsure whether something needs to be reported, email ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot and they will advise you.

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) supports your visa application, but it is not automatic and is never guaranteed. Every request receives a fresh, case-by-case assessment. We do not rely on precedent, past decisions, or what has happened for other colleagues.

Your eligibility can change over time. Being suitable for a CoS once does not mean you will be suitable again later. Decisions depend on the immigration rules in force at that moment, which change regularly.

When should I request a Certificate of Sponsorship?

You should normally request a new Certificate of Sponsorship no more than three months before the end of your current visa. Requests made earlier than this may be rejected as premature.

Example

• If your visa expires in September 2027, you should not request a new CoS until June 2027 at the earliest.

If your circumstances change unexpectedly (for example your visa is curtailed, or you receive new immigration correspondence), contact ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot for advice before waiting.

How your case is assessed

When considering a CoS, the Sponsorship Team will review factors such as:

• the role you are doing and its skill level
• your salary and whether it meets the visa route requirements
• your current immigration status (if you already hold a UK visa)
• how much time you have left on that visa
• any other personal circumstances relevant to compliance
• NHSGGC’s responsibilities around public spend

Because these elements differ for every person and every point in time, each application stands on its own merit.

What you must do if you are assigned a CoS

If NHSGGC assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship:

• follow all instructions from the Sponsorship Team exactly
• submit your visa application within the required time limit
• provide any information or evidence they request without delay
• tell the team immediately if your circumstances change

If you are unsure about anything, contact ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot before acting.

Certifying maintenance means that a sponsor confirms you have enough funds to support yourself in the UK for your visa application, so you do not need to show your own bank statements.

NHSGGC’s default position

NHSGGC will not certify maintenance as its default policy. This means you will usually need to meet the Home Office financial requirement yourself, using an accepted alternative method (for example, your own bank statements).

This is a local policy choice. Other organisations may certify maintenance; NHSGGC does not, as standard. As a result, the maintenance box on your Certificate of Sponsorship will normally remain unticked.

An exception can be reviewed only if you can evidence that not certifying maintenance would disrupt either:

• your recruitment into NHSGGC, or
• your ongoing employment with NHSGGC.

If you want an exception to be considered, you must submit a clear, evidence-based case to ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot.
Each request is assessed solely on its own facts; approval for one person does not set a precedent for anyone else.

If NHSGGC agrees to certify maintenance

• Maintenance would be certified only for the main applicant, never for dependants.
• Any maintenance money provided would be treated as an advanced salary payment.
• The amount provided would align with Home Office rules.
• The advance would be recovered through monthly payroll deductions until fully repaid.

If you are unsure whether you need to demonstrate maintenance, or how to do this, contact the Sponsorship Team before submitting your visa application.

If you are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you will normally need employer evidence about your work and your absences in the UK as part of your visa application. The NHSGGC Sponsorship Team can provide a standard ILR support letter that meets Home Office requirements.

A support letter for Indefinite Leave to Remain is different from a normal reference or confirmation of employment because it provides immigration-specific evidence (including your role, service, and absence history) in the format the Home Office expects for your visa application.

What you need to do

• Request your ILR letter by emailing ggc.sponsorship@nhs.scot
• State your full name, payroll number, and the date you intend to submit your ILR application.

What to expect

• The letter draws on several internal systems and requires multiple checks, so it can take several days to produce.
• Once complete, you will receive a signed PDF copy by email for use in your immigration application.

If your circumstances are urgent (for example, an imminent visa deadline), tell the Sponsorship Team when you make your request so this can be factored into their review.