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Application process

A breakdown of the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) application process for clinical radiology and clinical oncology.
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To start the process

Both potential applicants and potential employers must read the Eligibility criteria together with the guidance for potential MTI applicants and UK supervisors available on our website for full information about the Medical Training Initiative (MTI).

The UK supervising consultant will need to provide the following documentation and return this to the RCR via email. Please note that a completed UK supervising consultant form must be co-signed by the relevant TPD/HoS:

The application will be reviewed by the Medical Director of Education and Training (MDET) and initial approval of sponsorship will be granted if all the documents fulfill the eligibility criteria. Once an initial approval has been granted, the UK supervising consultant will be asked to complete a structured interview with the applicant according to the RCR template. 

While a local interview may have been completed, the RCR structured interview forms part of the sponsorship process and an application will not be supported without one.  The interview can be conducted in person or via video conference and the questions should not be sent to the applicant in advance.

To continue the process

The applicant completes the MTI application form and sends it to the RCR along with all the documents as set out in the application form checklist:

Please see our guidance on how to format your CV.

There is a non-refundable fee of £200.00, which can be paid via PayPal. 

When all the documents including references are received, the RCR will formally consider the application and decide whether sponsorship is granted.  

If sponsorship is granted, the RCR will send a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for GMC registration to the applicant with a letter confirming that sponsorship is agreed for the particular post, and copied to the UK supervising consultant. The RCR will also send a copy of the CoS directly to the GMC.

Applying for GMC registration

  • The applicant starts the application process with the GMC for registration which is completed online through the GMC website.  The applicant should apply as an IMG with sponsorship for full registration with a license to practise 
  • There is a fee for the GMC application process.  The applicant will need to provide various documents to the GMC when applying for registration as an IMG. The applicant must apply online for GMC registration within three months of the date of the RCR CoS.
  • Once the application process has been satisfactorily completed online, the GMC will issue an invitation to the applicant to attend for an identity check. This should be copied immediately by the applicant to the UK employer and the RCR.

Applying for the Tier 5 Visa and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC)

When the invitation to a GMC identity check is issued, the UK employer must complete the AoMRC MTI application form in respect of the visa and return it to the AoMRC with the information requested, and send a copy of the form and documents to the RCR. The deanery must also complete part of this form.  Processing of the MTI Application Form by the AoMRC produces a Tier 5 visa CoS. The AoMRC will send this to the Trust for forwarding to the applicant, who must then apply for their Tier 5 visa.

The applicant must be in their home country to apply for the visa.  You should allow up to three weeks for a decision on your visa and the process may require you to temporarily relinquish your passport. The visa CoS is valid for three months; the UK employer and applicant must complete their respective parts as soon as possible after the invitation to the GMC identity check and the CoS are issued.

  • The applicant confirms success in the visa application to the UK employer and the RCR and confirms the start date with the employer. The GMC identity check must be attended by the applicant on arrival in the UK.  Registration is not granted until this is satisfactorily completed.  The identity check must be attended within three months of the GMC invitation to attend it, or the application for registration will be closed by the GMC.
  • UK employers who have doctors set to arrive in the UK and take up post must complete the AoMRC MTI starters report. This is to be completed and sent to the AoMRC along with a verified copy of the doctor’s visa and passport within five days of the doctor starting their placement. Failure to return this form could result in the AoMRC withdrawing the visa sponsorship.

Our Medical Training Initiative scheme

Discover our Medical Training Initiative (MTI) scheme, which is designed to allow a limited number of overseas doctors to enter the UK for a maximum of two years, to benefit from training and development in the NHS. 

Medical Training Initiative (MTI)