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Tier 5 - pre-registration employment

Optometry - Eye scan

MPharm, MSc OSPAP and BSc Optometry students can now apply for Tier 5 in order to complete their pre-reg year

 

*Applications for 2013 Pharmacy graduates will be accepted by the RPS from May 1st 2013*

Pharmacy - MPharm

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society will now sponsor MPharm graduates under their Pharmacy Professional Sponsorship Scheme (PPSS).  This will only be available to MPharm students enrolled in the UK on Pharmacy programmes who will graduate in 2012, 2013, 2014 or 2015. Students who wish to work in the UK for a while after the pre-reg (not possible with Tier 5, see below) might be better to apply under Tier 2 (General), where the minimum salary for pre-reg students is now £20,300. The UKBA expect that migrants will have obtained or applied for their Tier 5 visa prior to starting their pre-reg placement.

Pharmacy - OSPAP

The RPS will sponsor MSc OSPAP graduates to do their pre-registration providing that they have graduated in 2012 or 2013 (and no later).

The current RPS guidelines for the PPSS state that OSPAP students graduating in 2012 or 2013 will be eligible as long as they have obtained the OSPAP MSc. Those with the OSPAP PG Diploma are not eligible to apply. 

Please read the PPSS handbook on the RPS website for more information on how the scheme works.  Please note that the UKBA expect that migrants will have obtained or applied for their Tier 5 visa prior to starting their pre-reg placement.

In any case, those who intend to work in the UK once qualified should consider Tier 2 first, where the minimum salary for pre-reg students is now £20,300, as Tier 5 is for temporary work only.

Optometry

The College of Optometrists will now sponsor BSc Optometry graduateslicence and scheme for pre-reg students approved.  Those students who decide not to take the MOptom and extend their Tier 4 student visas may be able to get a visa under Tier 5 instead. You won't be able to work in the UK after your pre-reg if you use Tier 5 (see below), so all students are advised to take the MOptom and extend Tier 4 where possible. The College also state on their website that they will not allow students to start their pre-reg until the Tier 5 visa has been received, unless they are taking it as a placement as part of the MOptom programme.

On 6 April 2012, the UK Border Agency changed the Tier 5 visa rules to allow a dedicated scheme under which pre-registration employment is allowed, prior to you leaving the UK. You will not require an employer to sponsor you. Instead, under the special Tier 5 scheme, you will have to be sponsored by an 'overarching body' (see the UKBA register of sponsors). The College of Optometrists and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society have agreed to act as this sponsor for students in their respective sectors.

The UK Border Agency have also made it possible to switch from a Tier 4 (General) or old-style Student visa into Tier 5, if:

  • You have lawfully obtained a full UK bachelors or masters degree (not a diploma)
  • You intend to pursue a career overseas at the end of the pre-reg year

After your pre-registration, it will not be possible to switch from a Tier 5 visa into Tier 2 without first leaving the UK and applying from abroad. By applying for Tier 5 you are in effect declaring to the UKBA that you do not intend to pursue a career in the UK. This means that you will not be able to commit to working for your employer after the pre-reg year. For those who wish to complete their UK registration and then return home to practise, this is not a problem.

  • Speak with an International Student Adviser at The Hub Advice Zone to check your elibility to apply. You are strongly advised to bring in your documents for checking at each stage of the process.
  • Make sure you apply for your National Insurance Number, if you don't already have one. Your sponsoring body may ask for this information, even if you haven't started working yet.
  • Apply to your sponsoring body for your Certificate of Sponsorship. Pharmacy students must bring in their RPS application form to an adviser, because the University is required to check these, apply on your behalf and keep records for each applicant.
  • Apply to the UKBA for your Tier 5 visa, giving your Certificate of Sponsorship number on the application form. Information about how to apply can be found on the UKBA website.

Through The Hub Advice Zone, Aston can:

  • Help you check if you're eligible to apply for Tier 5, and if you can apply inside the UK.
  • Check your application for your certificate of sponsorship (CoS) which must be sent to your sponsor and your application for the Tier 5 visa for the UKBA, including all relevant documents.
  • Point you towards the UKBA guidance for employers and sponsors, if you are asked for this information.
Due to UKBA rules and the nature of our immigration advice service:
  • We cannot sponsor you under Tier 5. This must be done by the overarching body who has applied for the licence.
  • We cannot give detailed advice to employers who are unsure how Tier 5 will work or if you're eligible to work in the UK. It is the employer's responsibility to check this, and to get appropriate legal advice where necessary. Aston's advisers are qualified only to advise you as a student/recent graduate.

Page last checked and updated 17 May 2013   LB