The Conservative government is planning to bring in an Australian-style points-based system in 2021 after leaving the EU in a bid to get tighter control of immigration, an issue which commentators said was a major factor in Britons voting for Brexit three years ago.
About 153,000 of 1.2 million health workers are non-British, and critics have said the end of freedom of movement for EU citizens after Brexit would deprive the NHS, one of the world's largest employers, of a vital pool of workers. The government said the new NHS Visa would allow it to control immigration while ensuring there would not be a skills shortage for the health service.
"These measures are part of our plan for an Australian-style points-based immigration system that allows us to control numbers while remaining open to vital professions like nurses," Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement.