Re: Doctors in the UK
Hi CB, after doing a quick search, it seems that Tier 1 general and HSMP visas are both closed to applicants. The Tier 2 general is the only one open. My suggestion would be just to get whichever visa you can get anyway - that’s the most important thing. I would really recommend consulting a solicitor to be sure. I can give you the contact details of a place that has very good reviews with dealing with visas (I contacted them recently too), maybe they can suggest the best route. So find out if she can get Tier 2 with adequate sponsorship and available funds (you and your husband could be her sponsors and she could live with you?).
Anyway, as you have checked and confirmed as I suggested, that 2 years of training in Pakistan plus passing PLAB is sufficient for full GMC registration, your sister can apply for any suitable jobs. I believe an approved settings means any hospital setting where she will be adequately supervised. So any NHS hospital employment, including locum will be fine. What I believe will not be okay is private work, which a lot of IMGs try to do.
She can also do F1 and F2 posts and they won’t count as necessarily training posts. I did a search a few months back and there were a decent number of F1 and F2 positions to be filled for 3-6 months. They are not aimed at people at F1 level because one of the requirements was full GMC registration (which an F1 won’t have). I believe they would most likely be filled by IMGs as British grads would be in the system and have no need to go for a 3 month F1 post if they are fully registered.
She should also be able to go for S1 posts (this is the first training year after F2).
Locum posts are also fine I believe. My cousin’s brother-in-law is an engineer and came here about 2 years ago (btw, I think he was sponsored by his brother who is a GP here and they lived with him and my cousin for a while). His wife was a Dr. in Pakistan and had completed 2 years or so working in Pakistan. She also had a baby. She sat both parts of PLAB - it took a while with the baby and everything, and got full GMC reg. She did some attachments whilst job hunting and last I heard she had started locuming and then finally got a proper contract.
Your sister first has to come to the UK for PLAB 2. I would suggest getting the separate visa for this and doing an attachment as well, whilst she is here for the 6 months. Then she can apply for full GMC registration and go back until she gets the Tier 2 visa. Then come again to the UK and start looking for jobs. The reason I suggest this is because she doesn’t want to waste a year of the Tier 2 visa sitting PLAB, waiting for GMC reg and applying, when it’s only 3 years long anyway. Another thing I would just confirm with a solicitor is if it is at possible to switch from the PLAB visa to Tier 2, or if it’s totally not allowed.