14 November 2007

Court ruling gives equal rights to doctors on HSMP

A Court of Appeal ruling this week upheld the rights of foreign trained doctors on Highly Skilled Migrant Programme visas.

The court said that HSMP doctors should have the same rights in applying for NHS posts as doctors who are UK and EU citizens. The case was brought by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin on behalf of the many doctors seeking to work in Britain on the HSMP.

Mr Ram Moorthy, chairman of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee, said: "Doctors on the HSMP came to the UK in the honest expectation of careers in the NHS. The BMA has never wavered from the view that they should be able to compete for training posts alongside their UK colleagues."

The case could be good news for other professionals interested in UK immigration such as accountancy and engineering. Amit Kapadia, director of campaign group HSMP Forum, said: "Employers will have to stop unlawfully applying such discriminatory rules of restricting HSMP holders from applying for permanent positions due to their limited leave to remain."

Anyone interested in getting a better understanding of their current position under UK visa regulations should request a call from a qualified UK Visa Bureau migration consultant to see if they are eligible for migration to the UK, or call direct on Freephone 0800 043 7011. Alternatively, HSMP visa hopefuls should try taking the HSMP online assessment.