Regulations: Vis-à-vis visas

The government has announced its plans to change the immigration system post-Brexit. In this article we look at the current systems, what is changing and practical steps that you can take now to get ready.

Until now, workers from the European Economic Area (EEA) have been able to move to the UK without any type of visa.

Those from outside the EEA need to apply for a highly skilled worker visa, called a Tier 2 visa. In order to qualify, they must be sponsored by a UK employer. They must also speak English.

This route is currently used quite widely to recruit optometrists. There are around 60 optical businesses that already have a sponsor licence, including most of the big multiples. This reflects the fact that optometrists can be very hard to find, particularly in certain regions.