Entry Clearances: Health Professions

Peter Bottomley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether overseas doctors and international medical graduates are eligible for highly skilled migrant status; and whether there is any restriction on numbers by category of medical specialty;

(2) what joint Home Office and Department of Health groups have responsibility for planning highly skilled migrant programme numbers in relation to service and training needs.

Mr. Byrne
Migrants may come to the UK or extend their leave here under the highly skilled migrant programme, subject to gaining sufficient points against four objective criteria (qualifications, previous earnings, age and UK experience) and meeting any other requirements for that category in the immigration rules. There is no restriction on numbers by category of medical speciality. National health service workforce planning is a matter for the Department of Health.