COVID-19 FAQs: Visas

Please see advice below.

• If my visa permits entry for one month while COVID-19 flight restrictions are in place, is there any chance for the visa to be extended by the Home Office?

  If you are in possession of a Tier 5 visa but are unable to travel to the UK due to the COVID-19 travel ban, you will be most likely be required to re-apply for your Tier 5 visa at later date once the travel ban has been lifted. Please ensure that you keep us and the UK Trust updated regarding any change in your circumstances.

• My Tier 5 Visa is valid for 90 days. If the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted within this time period, can I travel to the UK and start my post providing the Trust is able to accept me?

  Yes. If you have a valid visa and the UK Trust has confirmed a new start date you can travel to the UK to start the post. Please ensure that you keep us and the UK Trust updated regarding any change in your circumstances.

• I am not able to travel to the UK due to COVID-19 flight restrictions. What will happen to my CoS and visa? How long is my Tier 5 CoS valid for?

  The Tier 5 CoS must be used within the three month time period indicated on the CoS, after which the CoS will expire and become invalid. If your CoS has expired, the ISTP Team will arrange for a new CoS to be issued to you once the travel bans have been lifted and you will be able to travel to the UK. It is important that you keep us and the UK Trust updated regarding any change in your circumstances.

• Are ISTP trainees whose training in the UK has been impacted by COVID-19 and their visa expire after 1 October eligible for automatic visa extension by the UKVI?

  The RCS has received confirmation from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges that all trainees who were in post in April 2020 and have a Tier 5 visa that expires after 01 October are also eligible for 12-month extensions. Please note the following:

  • Tier 5 dependants are also eligible for the 12-month extension
  • The Home Office is not able to cover the cost of this visa extension, so it will be for the doctors and trusts to consider this cost
  • The Home Office have advised that it is not currently possible to make MTI doctors exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) at the point of application (due to IT processes). They will continue to look into this, however in the meantime, MTI doctors will need to seek reimbursement from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) scheme due to launch in October. The reimbursement will be paid in arrears of six-month increments.

    If you are eligible for this 12 month visa extension, and your employing trust has confirmed that they can accommodate you for a further period, please email istp@rcseng.ac.uk with the following information, by Friday 28 August:

  • Your full name
  • Name of the Trust
  • Address of the Trust

  It is unclear how this will be processed at the moment, but we will let you know as soon as this is clear.