Thousands of overseas healthcare workers in the UK will be granted visa extensions as the country stands guard against a third wave of coronavirus.
The Home Office said on Friday that eligible health and care workers whose visas expire in October will be granted an automatic one-year extension.
The government has already extended the visas of more than 10,000 people across the UK since last year.
Home Secretary Priti Patel praised the “dedication and skill” of overseas health professionals under the intense pressure on hospitals caused by the pandemic.
“Thousands of them have helped save countless lives throughout this pandemic and are now playing a vital part in the hugely successful vaccination roll-out,” she said.
“Our offer of free visa extensions shows how our country values the contributions of these heroes.”
The government listed doctors, nurses, midwives, biochemists, radiographers, podiatrists, pharmacists, social workers and speech therapists as among the health professions who could benefit from the scheme. The extension will apply to eligible professions in the National Health Service and the private sector.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said overseas workers were a vital part of Britain’s healthcare system.
“They are protecting our loved ones and vaccinating the public so that we can save lives and return to normality,” he said.
“To help those staff from overseas, we are extending their visas to provide security while they continue to tackle this virus.”
One in seven NHS workers are from overseas, with most coming from Europe and Asia, official figures show.
Unison, the trade union representing healthcare workers, welcomed the move but said it did not go far enough and claimed many lower-paid workers would be ineligible.
The union said workers such as hospital cleaners, healthcare assistants and porters would not benefit from free visa extensions.
“Many faced huge stresses and pushed themselves to the limit to treat and look after us all. It’s only right the government looks after them and makes their lives a little easier by granting free visas,” Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said.
