If you will need visa sponsorship after GP training, start the conversation early in ST3. A GP practice does not have to be a large NHS organisation to sponsor you: an eligible practice can obtain a Skilled Worker sponsor licence and sponsor a salaried GP through the Health and Care Worker route. The usual sequence is a job offer, a sponsor licence if needed, a new Certificate of Sponsorship, the required visa application and confirmation of your right to work before the new job begins.
Raise sponsorship early in ST3
If you expect to need sponsorship after training, do not wait until the final weeks before CCT. First confirm your expected CCT date, the end date on your current Certificate of Sponsorship and the expiry date of your immigration permission. Then discuss sponsorship while you are applying for jobs.
A practice that already holds the correct sponsor licence can move to the Certificate of Sponsorship stage. If it does not have a licence, it may still be able to apply, but the licence application must be completed before it can sponsor you.
Sponsorship is a common barrier, not an unusual request
In 2025, an RCGP survey found that 29% of responding practices offered visa sponsorship. In a separate survey of GPs and trainees who needed or had recently obtained sponsorship, 71% described finding a sponsored job as difficult or very difficult. Those figures do not predict an individual job search, but they explain why it is sensible to raise the subject early and approach more than one practice.
Questions to ask the practice
It is reasonable to ask about sponsorship early. This is practical information that affects whether the job and start date can work; it is not something to hide until the contract is ready.
- Does the practice already hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence?
- If it does not, would it consider applying for one, and who would lead the application?
- Has the practice sponsored a doctor or another worker before?
- How long does the practice intend to employ and sponsor me for?
- When could the practice assign my Certificate of Sponsorship?
- Who will check the occupation code, salary and proposed start date before the certificate is assigned?
Check before applying
Search the register of licensed sponsors, but still confirm the position directly with the practice. The registered organisation name may differ from the name used on the practice website, and a licence does not by itself guarantee that the practice will sponsor this particular role.
Explain the practical process
If a practice is interested but unfamiliar with sponsorship, send the manager the official employer guide. A small practice is not automatically ineligible; the organisation must meet the Home Office requirements and be willing to take on the sponsor duties.
A GP practice can sponsor an eligible salaried GP
General practitioners are included under occupation code 2211: Generalist medical practitioners. An organisation providing medical services to the NHS can be an eligible Health and Care Worker visa employer if it holds the appropriate Home Office sponsor licence and the job meets the current role and salary requirements.
Sponsorship is more than paying a fee. The practice must understand who is responsible for the licence, keep the required records, monitor sponsored workers and report specified changes through the Sponsorship Management System.
Example: sponsoring one GP for three years
The example below uses the small or charitable sponsor rates in force on 20 September 2026. The practice should check the live fees and confirm whether it meets the Home Office definition of a small sponsor before budgeting.
What could sponsorship cost the practice?
Choose the practice size, proposed sponsorship period and whether a new licence is needed. This estimates the mandatory employer costs for one GP.
Estimate based on GOV.UK fees in force on 20 September 2026. It excludes legal or administrative support and the doctor's own visa fee. Confirm the practice's size and the current fees before applying.
A Worker sponsor licence now normally remains valid indefinitely, provided the organisation continues to meet its duties and the licence is not surrendered or revoked. It can be used to sponsor other eligible workers later.
From licence application to ongoing sponsorship
Choose the people who will manage sponsorship
The practice needs an authorising officer, key contact and at least one Level 1 user. These roles carry responsibility for the licence and the Sponsorship Management System.
Prepare the licence application
Complete the online application and send the submission sheet and requested supporting documents. The main work is usually gathering the correct evidence and checking that HR and record-keeping arrangements are suitable.
Wait for the licence decision
Most applications are currently dealt with in less than eight weeks. A limited £750 priority service aims to provide a decision within ten working days, but a priority place is not guaranteed.
Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship
Once licensed, the practice assigns an electronic Certificate of Sponsorship to the doctor. It is a digital record with a reference number, not a paper certificate or a visa.
Complete the employer checks
The practice must carry out the correct right-to-work check and keep the required record. It must then continue to meet its reporting, monitoring and record-keeping duties.
The four-month arrangement is a bridge, not a new job visa
NHS England describes a GP-specific four-month post-CCT arrangement for eligible doctors completing GP specialty training. Its purpose is to give additional time to remain in the UK while looking for employment or waiting to start. It does not allow you to continue in the training post after the work end date on your training Certificate of Sponsorship, and it does not remove the need for sponsorship by the new employer.
Check whether it is already included
For many Certificates of Sponsorship issued from September 2023, the expected four months should already be reflected in the visa. Compare the work end date on the certificate with the visa expiry date and read the current NHS England instructions. If the wording or dates are wrong, contact the sponsorship team promptly.
Do not assume you can start the new role
The new practice must assign a new Certificate of Sponsorship and you must make the required Health and Care Worker visa application. Follow the current rules for changing job or employer and obtain confirmation of what work is permitted before starting.
Complete the correct right-to-work check
Most visa-holding doctors can generate a right-to-work share code through their UKVI account. The employer uses the code and the doctor's date of birth in the Home Office service to confirm the type of work allowed and any time limit. A screenshot shown by the applicant is not the employer check.
If the doctor has an outstanding application and the online service does not confirm the position, the employer may need the Employer Checking Service. The practice should follow the latest right-to-work guidance and retain the required evidence.
Ask before assuming there is no support
There is no single reimbursement scheme available to every GP practice. Local arrangements can change, so a practice considering sponsorship should ask its Integrated Care Board, Local Medical Committee and Primary Care Training Hub whether any current advice, funding or practical support is available.
In Wessex, Wessex LMCs publishes sponsorship guidance and information about practices that hold or are considering a sponsor licence. Doctors elsewhere can ask their own LMC whether it keeps similar information.
What sponsorship does—and does not—mean
“We are too small to sponsor a GP.”
Size alone does not prevent a practice from applying. A qualifying small organisation pays the small-sponsor rates, but it must still meet the eligibility and compliance requirements.
“The training visa carries over to the new practice.”
No. A move to a new sponsor normally requires a new Certificate of Sponsorship and an application to update the visa.
“The Certificate of Sponsorship is the visa.”
No. It is an electronic sponsorship record used in the visa application. It does not by itself provide immigration permission or prove the right to work.
“The doctor can repay the sponsorship fees.”
The employer must not pass the sponsor-licence fee, Certificate of Sponsorship fee or Immigration Skills Charge to the worker.
Check the current rules before making arrangements
Last reviewed 20 September 2026. Immigration rules, fees, salary requirements and processing times can change. This page gives general information and does not replace advice about an individual case.