Career opportunities for GPs needing a Visa Sponsor

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are a valued and essential part of our workforce in Northern Ireland.

The number of organisations that can act as a Visa Sponsor for GPs in Northern Ireland is growing.

  • Individual GP Practices - Any GP practice can become a VIsa sponsor. NIMDTA hold a database of GP practices which are current Visa Sponsors. Please email for more information gpcpd.nimdta@hscni.net

  • GP Retention Scheme - The GP Retention Scheme offers stable work in a practice of your choice for up to 3 years ( 4 sessions per week) with one Out of Hours session worked per month. This can be alongside additional sessional work (Visa permitting). More information can be found HERE

  • PICRT - PICRT is a regional service in Northern Ireland supporting practices who have been identified as being “at risk”. There is a small team of Salaried GPs who are deployed into the practices who need clinical sessional support. The team have regular monthly team meetings as well as an educational afternoon for sharing learning and CPD. They are supported by 2 Clinical Leads, a Lead Practice Manager and a Project Support Manager. For more information email Laura.Whyte@easternfsu.co.uk

  • CIC (Community Interest Companies)- Salaried GPs are employed by specific CIC practices, where the contract is held by the GP Contracts and Management Company linked to FSUs. The salaried GPs are based in the one surgery only and will be supported by an overarching management company made up of experienced GPs, NI GPC Rep, RCGP rep and Project Support Managers. Each practice will have a Lead GP to offer support and development opportunities as part of a primary care team. For more information email lisa.stewart@easternfsu.co.uk. You can find a list of CIC practices HERE

  • Western Federation Support Unit (FSU) - Follow thie link to see the range of options available in the West of NI Western Federation Support Unit - Primary Care Opportunities (westernfsu.com)

  • Dalriada Urgent Care - For more information contact Ann.Convery@duc.hscni.net

  • Southern Trust Urgent care Centres - The Southern Trust offer salaried and As & When contracts of employment to GPs to work within a Primary Care 24/7 Urgent Care Service. The available work comprises a mix of daytime urgent care work within a GP Led MDT urgent care centre (Monday to Friday 9-6pm) based on the Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospital sites. The GPs working within the urgent care centres have access to urgent bloods, rapidly reported plain X-Rays and ECG. Urgent care services extend to cover 24/7 with work within the OOHs element also available within the same centres. For further enquiries please email Rosemary.Sloan@southerntrust.hscni.net

If you need a Visa Sponsor after completing your GP Specialty Training, you can find out more by watching the webinar recorded in January 2024 at this LINK. Please contact gpcpd.nimdta@hscni.net to request the password. It includes inforamtion from most of the above listed, as well as first hand experiences of 2 GPs who recently completed training in NI and found a Visa sponsor here.

Applying for a Health and Care Visa

For detailed information on this process click here

For Practices who wish to apply to be a Visa sponsor, you can more information HERE

Opportunities for GPs recently qualified in Republic of Ireland

Did you know that if you have qualified as a GP within the past 2 years in the Republic of Ireland, you can now follow a Streamlined Process to be able to work in Northern Ireland? This avoids the need to sit any exam and allows you to do a short orientation placement in a training practice in the area where you might wish to work

To find out more click HERE