London: The UK government has confirmed a one-year visa extension for foreign doctors and nurses including from India, whose visas are getting expired before March 31, 2021, as they fight to curb coronavirus pandemic in the UK.
When the pandemic had hit the country, free visa extensions were offered to health professionals whose visas were due to expire between March and October 2020.
This helped more than 6,000 doctors, nurses, paramedics, midwives, occupational therapists, psychologists as well as a range of allied health professionals to get a fee-free visa extension.
Priti Patel, UK Home Secretary, said, "We recognise the huge contribution healthcare professionals from overseas are making across the UK in fighting the devastating impact of coronavirus".
The extension will cover healthcare professionals working in the National Health Service (NHS) and the independent health and care sector. The visas will be extended for a year, free of all fee and charges, including the Immigrations Health Surcharge (IHS).
People benefitting from this extension will have to fill an online form to verify their identity, with their employers also asked to confirm eligibility.
"The visa extension will help benefit healthcare professionals who have shown extraordinary dedication during this challenging period," said UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.
The latest move is only a part of a range of measures taken to support the NHS.
The Bereavement Scheme, which grants permanent UK residency to the family members of overseas medics who have died after contracting coronavirus, has also expanded to all NHS, health and social care workers.
Health professionals and their dependent can also apply for the new fast-track Health and Care Visa, which is intended to make it easier, cheaper and quicker for the global health professionals to work in the NHS, the social care sector and for those organisations which provide commissioned services to the NHS.
The UK has reported 1,515,802 cases with 55,120 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.