Post by Deborah Udy Okusaga Akanne (@deborah_udy_okusaga)
The NHS Application Form Has A Section That Is Not On The Person Specification And Is Not On Any Checklist. It Is The Section That Is Eliminating Most IMGs Before The CV Is Read.
I want to start today with something very specific.
Not the CV. Not the supporting statement. Not the interview.
The application form.
There is a section on almost every NHS TRAC application — every single one — that most internationally trained healthcare professionals complete incorrectly. Not because they are careless. Because nobody has ever explained what the system is looking for in this section.
It is the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Monitoring section.
Now — before you scroll past — I need to explain why this matters in a way you have not heard before.
The Equal Opportunities data itself does not influence shortlisting. NHS Trusts are legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to collect this data — it feeds the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) reporting that every Trust publishes annually.
What matters is what happens immediately after this section — the Declaration section.
In the Declaration section, you are asked to confirm several things. One of them — and this is where applications are lost — is the right-to-work confirmation and the visa status declaration.
Many IMGs leave this section incomplete. Or they tick boxes inaccurately because the options do not perfectly match their visa status. Or they note that they require sponsorship in a way that is technically accurate but contextually alarming to an HR team that has never processed a Health and Care Worker Visa application.
Here is what the declaration should say — and what it should not.
It should clearly confirm your current visa status and your right-to-work position as of the application date.
It should confirm that you understand the CoS process and that you have researched whether the Trust holds an A-rated Sponsor Licence.
It should not say "I am not sure" in the right-to-work section.
It should not leave the sponsorship question blank.
It should not describe your visa status in terms that suggest uncertainty about whether you can legally work in the UK — because that will generate an immediate HR hold on your application that a strong CV cannot overcome.
The application form is a legal document. Every section matters. Completing it strategically — not deceptively, but accurately and professionally — is part of the application process.
DM me "FORM" and I will walk you through the application form completion framework for your specific visa route and profession.
Post 2 drops at 9:00 AM — the post that changes how you think about the word "feedback" in NHS hiring.
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