Overseas criminal record certificates to Tier 2

Overseas criminal record certificates

From April 2017, the Government plans to extend the requirement to provide a criminal record certificate to Tier 2 visa applicants coming to work in education, health and social care sectors and to their adult dependants.

The extension of this requirement will strengthen safeguards against those with a criminal history seeking to come to the UK.

Tier 2 visa applicants who are coming to work in an occupation defined by the relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, and their adult dependants, will need to provide a criminal record certificate from any country they have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. The list of relevant SOC codes is attached.

It is the sponsor’s responsibility to inform their prospective employee of the new requirement. Failure to do so may result in refusal of the visa.

We recognise the need to give those affected sufficient time to obtain a criminal record certificate which is why the new requirement will not be implemented before April 2017. It will therefore not affect those required to apply for a visa before then.

To ensure those applying for a visa from April 2017 are made aware of the new requirement, we advise sponsors to inform prospective employees assigned a certificate of sponsorship from January 2017.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes
From April 2017, Tier 2 visa applicants who are coming to work in one of the
following occupations will be required to provide a criminal record certificate:
1181 - Health services and public health managers and directors
1184 - Social services managers and directors
2211 - Medical practitioners
2212 - Psychologists
2213 - Pharmacists
2214 - Ophthalmic opticians
2215 - Dental practitioners
2217 - Medical radiographers
2218 - Podiatrists
2219 - Health professionals not elsewhere classified.
2221 - Physiotherapists
2222 - Occupational therapists
2223 - Speech and language therapists
2229 - Therapy professionals not elsewhere classified
2231 - Nurses
2232 - Midwives
2312 - Further education teaching professionals
2314 - Secondary education teaching professionals
2315 - Primary and nursery education teaching professionals
2316 - Special needs education teaching professionals
2317 - Senior professionals of educational establishments
2318 - Education advisers and school inspectors
2319 - Teaching and other educational professionals not elsewhere classified
2442 - Social workers
2443 - Probation officers
2449 - Welfare professionals not elsewhere classified