Ahmed

  This post is about choosing your preferences for training programmes.  My background: 1. Non trainee SHO, Slough for 18 months from January 2016 to August 2017  2. Core medical training ( now replaced by IMT ) from August 2017 to August 2019 in Harrogate ( CMT1) and York ( CMT2) - Yorkshire and Humber Deanery  3. Specialty trainee registrar from August 2019 - ST3 in Scarborough, ST4 in Hull  - Yorkshire and Humber Deanery  I was born in the UK and used to visit UK frequently before coming here on a work visa. I had a general idea of all the areas as my parents used to talk about it but visiting, hearing about everything vs living here are very different things.  I am going to limit my advice to medical training but you could see if this helps if you are applying for another specialty.  My wife and I had visited the UK on a visit visa after we got married and I gave interviews for non training posts in 2015. We stayed in Sheffield and bought a ca...

Progressing from a SHO to a registrar can be quite a daunting experience. However with a bit of pre-planning and getting used to showing good leadership and management skills which we all have from day one anyway. I have mentioned some points here: LEADERSHIP SKILLS  As a registrar, we often have to deal with rota issues when there are not enough FY1s, SHOs on the acute take on the wards. We have to help struggling colleagues as well.  So what can we do as SHOs? 1. Give your contact number to the FY1 on call with you and ask them to call you/text you if they are stuck anywhere - it does not matter how small the task is.  If they ask for help and you are free, you can assist them. This will become a habit. And soon, you will be able to help even when it is busy by prioritizing tasks. This kindness will trickle down and you will see those FY1s do the same when they are SHOs. 2. Help distribute workload when there is understaffing/ too many doctors.  I am not asking you...

BOOKING THE APPOINTMENT  Having applied for visas in the UK before, I knew that it will be difficult to get an appointment for biometrics- even before COVID-19 . Having heard other colleagues' experiences, I decided not to bother with getting an early appointment and decided to go for the next free appointment as I had these options: 1. Check the UKVCAS portal every day at 0900 and midnight to check for early free slots  2. Book a paid slot - available 2 weeks from the time of submission of our documents  3. Book the next free slot.  I submitted my ILR application online on the 5th of February  I started looking for appointments as soon as I submitted the applications. I had a few options of paid appointments which were available - which were costing us 270 GBP.  I checked the next free available appointment - which was on the 5th of March in Manchester. I booked an appointment here: Manchester Fountain Street Barnett House, 53 Fountain Street Manchester M2...

 The UKVI uses the UKVCAS online portal to allow applicants to upload their documents so that the UKVI team can review them.  Once you submit your ILR application online, and paid for it, you will be sent a link to set up an account on UKVCAS where you can upload your documents.  I am going to attach screenshots of my UKVCAS portal so that you have an idea of where to upload your documents.  We had only one account - and there were 2 sections in it, one for me and one for my wife.  We uploaded all the documents mentioned in our cover letters: https://omarsguidelines.blogspot.com/2021/03/cover-letters-for-ilr-application.html                              MAIN APPLICANT  This is what the different sections of the UKVCAS account This is what I uploaded in the proof of application section: 1. ILR application which we submitted online  2. The signed declaration form  3. A scanne...

 A few colleagues of mine who applied for their ILR did not have cover letters. However I felt that they are useful to show to the UKVI as they would explain my wife's and my timeline clearly in a chronological manner.  I have attached our cover letters here ( after hiding our personal details):                         COVER LETTER FOR DR  ****** I, Dr  ****** , would like to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK along with my wife, *******. We are  ******  citizens and we came to the UK on a TIER 2 Work Visa and TIER 2 Dependent Visa respectively on the ******. We have a daughter, ****** (born in ***** on the ******) who has been residing with us since birth and is also on a TIER 2 Dependent Visa. We will be applying for her Naturalization along with our Naturalization after we get our Indefinite Leave to Remain. MY TIMELINE I came to the UK from Pakistan on a TIER 2 Work Visa ...