For Nigerians planning to relocate to the United Kingdom and work as a Healthcare Assistant, here are the steps to follow and complete the application process.
Though, the whole process isn’t stress free but very easy if one carefully follow the steps and instructions meticulously.
WHO IS A HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT?
A Healthcare Assistant is also (or used to be) known as a Nursing Assistant or Auxiliary Nurse in the UK. They provide care to patients in hospitals or other medical settings under the watch of a professional, and they work closely with patients to help aid their recovery, comfort and safety.
YOU WILL NEED THESE QUALIFICATIONS
If you’re from Nigeria and you want to work in the UK as a Healthcare Assistant, you don’t necessarily need loads of qualifications because most of the care giving jobs come with on-the-job training and close supervision.
But you have an added advantage if you have either of the following:
1. Care Certificate (can be gotten from HEE – Health Education England approved training organization in the UK)
2. Diploma in Health and Social Care
3. GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at grades 9-4 (A to C)
4. WAEC or SSCE can serve as equivalent Healthcare qualifications
Apart from the above listed items that some employers expect, there are no mandatory requirements for a Healthcare Assistant position.
YOU WILL NEED HEALTH AND CARE WORKER VISA
To work in the UK as a Nigerian, you definitely need a visa. From the various types of visas available. The best visa for this role is the “Health and Care Worker visa”, under the skilled worker visa, which was formerly categorized as Tier 2 visa.
A Health and Care Worker visa permits medical professionals to go to or stay within the UK to work in adult social care, with the NHS or an NHS supplier.
This means that you are to look out for Healthcare Assistant roles in the NHS, NHS suppliers (organizations providing medical services to the NHS) or in adult social care then your potential employers could be hospitals, nursing homes, and companies that provide in-home healthcare.
YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION
Your certificate of sponsorship reference number (your employer will give it to you)
1. Proof of your knowledge of English
2. A valid passport or any document that shows your identity and nationality
3. Your job title and annual salary
4. Your job’s occupation code (6141 – for nursing auxiliaries and assistants)
5. The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number (this should be on your certificate of sponsorship)
6. Ask your employer for your certificate of sponsorship if you don’t have one.
HOW LONG DOES YOUR VISA LAST?
The visa can last for up to five years considering the number of years you pay for when making your application. You ought to extend or update your visa when it expires or if you get another job or employer.
YOU WILL NEED EXPERIENCE
To qualify for a Health and Care Worker visa, you are likely to need to be:
1. A doctor
2. A nurse
3. A health care provider
4. An adult social care professional
5. Work in a health or social care job
YOU WILL NEED A JOB OFFER
Before you can qualify for a visa you will need a confirmed job offer, plus a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from a UK employer with information about the role you’ve been offered within the UK. The minimum salary scale and confirmation that the job offer is from an approved UK employer
YOU WILL NEED YOUR EMPLOYER TO BE APPROVED.
Approved employers are also regarded as sponsors, because they’re sponsoring you to go to or stay within the UK.
An approved employer has been approved by the UK immigration/Home Office. Your employer needs to apply for a sponsor licence if they are not currently approved by the UK home office and they meet the eligibility requirements. They will need to pay a fee of £536 for small businesses and charities and £1,476 for medium and large organisations. It normally takes around 8 weeks to process a licence application.
YOU WILL NEED A CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
If you already have an employment offer then they (your sponsor) will make sure you meet the eligibility requirements.They’ll offer you a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ so that you can prove this.
The certificate of sponsorship isn’t a physical document but an electronic record. It’ll have a reference number, which you will need for your visa application. You have to apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
YOU WILL NEED KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH
You need to prove your knowledge of English language when you apply. You must prove you know how to read, write, speak and understand English to a minimum of level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale.
YOU WILL NEED MONEY
When you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa, you would need to pay an application fee of £232 if you’ll be in the UK for up to 3 years, or £464 if you’ll be in the UK for more than 3 years.
You will need to have a minimum of £1,270 in your bank account to prove that you can support yourself for a month when you arrive the UK.
Alternatively, if your employer can support you, your certificate of sponsorship must confirm it.
NOTES: PARTNERS AND CHILDREN
If you have a partner and/or children then you will need to also comply with a set of demands that need satisfying in that respect. Applicant will get to know the details as soon as he/she begins the application.
OTHER DOCUMENTS YOU MIGHT NEED
You might also be asked to provide proof that you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK, for example bank statements (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your employer can support you)
Proof of your relationship with your child(ren) or partner if they’re applying with you. A tuberculosis test result. You need $150 for your test and $60 for your dependent (below 11 years old) from International Organization For Migration (IOM) in Lagos or Abuja.
A criminal record certificate (if you’ve lived in more than one country you have to provide a certificate from each country you’ve lived in). If you’re under 28, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve resided in for a period of 12 months or more since you turned 18.
If you’re over 27, you’ll need a certificate from any country you’ve resided in over the last 10 years. Your unique UK NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) reference number if your qualification is from outside the UK (you’ll need to apply for this through the UK NARIC visas and Nationality Service). An unused page in your passport for your visa
However, if you feel you might get stuck or make mistake, seek professional help from a VISA processing agency.Try to ensure that all details provided are accurate to avoid clash of information because the UK Home Office will use the personal information you provide to decide whether to grant your application and they may also share your information with other public and private sector organisations in the UK and overseas.