NHS IT Roles (New Skilled Worker threshold change)

[rioust]

Hi,

I have been offered a Band 6 position for NHS IT role (Non-Clinical Staff) and they would be giving me a COS. I have a couple of questions:

1. Will NHS IT roles be exempted from the Minimum Threshold (£38,700) as the new immigration rules states that NHS workers and National Pay Scales will be exempted. Its not clear whether NHS IT Roles will be exempted from the decision as the banding and salary is set by the government.
2. Does NHS IT role fall under the Health and Care visa route?
3. Do you have to pay for Immigration Health Surcharge for IT Roles in NHS?
4. My SOC Code will probably be 2136 whose min threshold is £34000, Band 6 starts from £35000, so if they raise the threshold to £38700, I wont be able to apply for the role?
5. Its odd that without revising NHS banding, government has just applied a blanket threshold which will affect many non-clinical roles.

Below is the extract from recent immigration rule change:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home ... -migration

Those coming on the Health and Care visa route will be exempted from the increase to the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas, so we can continue to bring the healthcare workers that our care sector and NHS need, and we will exempt those on national pay scales, for example teachers.

[AmazonianX]

The total ramifications of the proposal is mot yet known. The questions posed may be better suited for your prospective employer I.e. NHS to answer so ask them for specifics of what or how it affects you/your role.

[rioust]

Thanks for your response.

I wanted to know in general if NHS IT roles fell under the NHS Healthcare umbrella and if people who have got NHS sponsored IT jobs had to pay for immigration surchage or applied for a refund later.

[ska_abbas]

Hi,

I have been offered a Band 6 position for NHS IT role (Non-Clinical Staff) and they would be giving me a COS. I have a couple of questions:

1. Will NHS IT roles be exempted from the Minimum Threshold (£38,700) as the new immigration rules states that NHS workers and National Pay Scales will be exempted. Its not clear whether NHS IT Roles will be exempted from the decision as the banding and salary is set by the government.
2. Does NHS IT role fall under the Health and Care visa route?
3. Do you have to pay for Immigration Health Surcharge for IT Roles in NHS?
4. My SOC Code will probably be 2136 whose min threshold is £34000, Band 6 starts from £35000, so if they raise the threshold to £38700, I wont be able to apply for the role?
5. Its odd that without revising NHS banding, government has just applied a blanket threshold which will affect many non-clinical roles.

Below is the extract from recent immigration rule change:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home ... -migration

Those coming on the Health and Care visa route will be exempted from the increase to the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas, so we can continue to bring the healthcare workers that our care sector and NHS need, and we will exempt those on national pay scales, for example teachers.

1 - No they are not exempted, and with your role, you would need a minimum of £38,700 based on 37.5 hours working week.
2 - No they do not. The health and care is for health professionals, which you are not.
3 - Yes, but you can claim this money back in 6 months installments as long as you work in health and social care sector. https://www.gov.uk/apply-immigration-he ... re-setting
4 - Correct, but I think if you can apply now, it shuold be okay, but check with your employer

[rioust]

Thank you.

By any chance, would you know if NHS would be willing to withdraw the COS if I dont take up the job and go for another job.

[ska_abbas]

Thank you.

By any chance, would you know if NHS would be willing to withdraw the COS if I dont take up the job and go for another job.

I am sure they would, but you would need to inform them if you are no longer interested. To qualify for skilled worker visa on new salary thresholds, I think you need minimum of Band 7 job, and that too depends if the current going rate do not go up next spring.

[CR001]

Thank you.

By any chance, would you know if NHS would be willing to withdraw the COS if I dont take up the job and go for another job.

This is a question for the sponsor. We cannot know or tell you if they will. But you would have to ask them to withdraw it before a new CoS can be assigned by another sponsor.

[rioust]

Thank you both for your replies.

[lolo2]

You don't mandatorily need to find a role that pays £38,700 now because these new requirements are NOT YET implemented, and most likely will not be retroactive (or retrospective).

The NHS is probably the last employer capable to offer a minimum of £38,700 to all their sponsored foreign workers. And I can suspect the vast majority of other sponsors, i.e. SMEs who simply cannot offer such salary.

[rioust]

I agree, plus all the NHS bands and salaries have been set the government.

Its a shame that non-clinical roles are looked at differently although they fall under the wider NHS umbrella so why not enjoy the exemption and benefits of the other NHS medical roles.

Its a tough time out there with so many companies making redundancies, so good luck to everyone.