Offer Indefinite Leave to Remain to all NHS and social care workers
The Government should introduce legislation to offer non-UK NHS workers and social care workers automatic Indefinite Leave to Remain as they stay and risk their own lives and their families lives to look after the British people during the COVID -19 pandemic crisis.
14,416 Signatures
1. Written evidence submitted by the British Medical Association (IB17)
19/06/2020 - Bill Documents
Found: and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
Written evidence submitted by the British Medical
2. Letter from the Home Secretary on visa extensions for care workers and NHS staff dated 29 April 2020
29/04/2020 - Inquiry: Home Office preparedness for Covid-19 (Coronavirus) - Home Affairs Committee
- View source
Found: regarding visa extensions for care workers and the announced NHS visa extension offer. I
with you later
3. Ways in which people can be lawfully resident in the UK
24/10/2019 - Department of Health and Social Care
- View source
Found: Ways in which people can be lawfully resident in
the UK
2 Ways in which people can be lawfully
4. Home Office preparedness for Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
29/04/2020 - Inquiry: Home Office preparedness for Covid-19 (Coronavirus) - Home Affairs Committee
- View source
Found: evidence submitted by
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Reunite Families UK is the only support and
5. The Children's Society - written evidence
11/02/2019 - Inquiry: Funding of local authorities’ children’s services - Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
- View source
Found: committed to improving the lives of thousands of children and young people every year. All too often,
1. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
22/07/2020 - Lords Chamber
1: fairer points-based immigration system which treats people in the same way, regardless of their nationality - Speech Link
2. Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2020
23/09/2020 - Lords Chamber
1: live in the UK, it is the contributions made over the course of their lives that enable our NHS to continue - Speech Link
3. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
30/06/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: impact of the Act upon the health and social care sectors across the UK to be produced and laid before Parliament - Speech Link
2: 2—Children in care and children entitled to care leaving support: Entitlement to remain—‘(1) Any - Speech Link
4. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
18/05/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: could have imagined just a few months ago. The British people are making extraordinary sacrifices as we pull - Speech Link
5. Health and Social Care Workers: Recognition and Reward
25/06/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: the recognition and reward of health and social care workers.The Petitions Committee is delighted - Speech Link
6. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
19/10/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: discuss the following:Lords amendment 2, and Government motion to disagree.Lords amendment 3, - Speech Link
2: the Government, but we must now enact this Bill and deliver on our promise to the British people. I will - Speech Link
7. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
30/09/2020 - Lords Chamber
1: express my warm appreciation for their support. I leave it to others to speak to other amendments in this - Speech Link
8. Covid-19: BAME Communities
18/06/2020 - Commons Chamber
1: House is concerned about the level of deaths from covid-19 among Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities; - Speech Link
2: House is concerned about the level of deaths from covid-19 among Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities; - Speech Link
9. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill
14/09/2020 - Lords Chamber
1: Some Members are here in the Chamber, respecting social distancing, and others are participating remotely - Speech Link
2: for indefinite detention, an assertion based on semantics. She knows full well that by “indefinite”, we - Speech Link
10. Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill (Sixth sitting)
16/06/2020 - Public Bill Committees
1: “health and social care workers” includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers - Speech Link
2: conditions, NHS charging, the possibility of granting British citizenship to non-British health and social care - Speech Link
3: impact of the Act on EEA and Swiss nationals in the UK.(2) A report under subsection (1) must clarify - Speech Link
asked by: Holly Lynch
03/02/2021
... how many NHS health and social care workers of non-British nationality were working in the UK as of 20 January 2021; and what proportion of those people had indefinite leave to remain as of that date. 2. Health Services and Social Services: Migrant Workers
asked by: Justin Madders
01/03/2021
... how many families of (a) NHS workers and (b) independent health and social care workers who have died after contracting covid-19 have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK since 29 April 2020. 3. Coronavirus: Death
asked by: Stuart C McDonald
29/05/2020
... (v) Non-EEA or Swiss nationals with any temporary leave to remain and (vi) Foreign nationals with no leave to enter or remain in the UK. 4. NHS: Migrant Workers
asked by: Barry Sheerman
29/04/2020
... whether she plans to grant relevant NHS staff indefinite leave to remain until the end of the covid-19 pandemic. 5. Migrant Workers: Coronavirus
asked by: Claudia Webbe
08/10/2020
... whether she plans to provide dependant family members of all migrant NHS workers Indefinite Leave to Remain during the covid-19 outbreak.
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The UK Govt has said it will extend the visas of those frontline workers, such as doctors, nurses and paramedics "so they can focus on fighting coronavirus", but this will only apply to around 5,000 NHS workers.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics and social care workers from all over the world are playing a leading role in the NHS and social care. The country owes them a great deal of gratitude for all that they do. So give right to stay.
Top 50 Constituencies by Number of Signatures
3,575 signatures - 25.0% of total
Government Response
The Government recognises the vital contribution of overseas NHS workers but to qualify for ILR a person must meet various requirements including a substantial period in their sponsored occupation.
The Government recognises the significant contribution which health and care workers from overseas have made in tackling the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The Home Office introduced several unprecedented measures over recent months to ensure these individuals are supported, including the Health and Care visa which launched on 4 August. This delivers and builds upon the Government’s commitment to introduce a route which makes it quicker, easier and significantly cheaper for eligible people working in health and social care to come to the UK with their families. It will also benefit eligible workers in the UK, if they are extending their visa.
We have also extended the visas of more than 6,000 health professionals, and their eligible dependants, working for the NHS and independent health and care providers. This 12-month extension applied to eligible health workers whose visas expired between 31 March and 1 October 2020, to enable them to focus on fighting the pandemic. This extension was free of charge and included an exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
As announced on 20 November, we renewed our visa extension offer for eligible health professionals and their family dependants, in view of the increased volumes of those testing positive for the virus within the UK population and the re-introduction of restrictions. This offer is open to anyone subject to UK immigration control, working in the relevant professions whose visa expires between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021.
However, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is based on several requirements, including a period of lawful residence in the UK without excess absences, sufficient knowledge of the English language and life in the UK, and any specific requirements of the visa route a person is on. The standard requirement of 5 years to achieve settlement is based on applicants building up ties and an ongoing commitment to the UK.
Given the provisions which we have already put in place to support those working in the NHS and social workers, we do not intend to make a more general grant of ILR in the way the petition suggests.
Home Office