PLAB 2 VISA
So PLAB 2 is back and I am guessing most of you guys who had booked PLAB 2 previously are already thinking to gear up to march toward the UK. In this post, I am going to dissect the PLAB 2 visa process so that you don’t have to go to those Travel Agent looters. I gave 25000 rupees to my agent and I swear to God he literally did nothing except filling up the online form (And believe me when I saw the printed copies of that online form, I wanted to bite myself because it was so straight forward. Any literate person can fill it easily.)
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR VISA AGENT?
If you go to a VISA agent, firstly he will try to intimidate you with some made up complexities of the VISA process. Then he will demand his fee which is 25000 PKR. After taking the fee, he will tell you to prepare some documents. You have to prepare them on your own and after you have gathered all the documents, the VISA guy will take them from you and then he will apply online. This is it. Nice way to waste your 25000 rupees, huh? Now in this blog, I am going to be your VISA guy FOR FREE (Or you could always pay me if you want😛)
BASICS OF PLAB 2 VISA
We have to apply for a standard Business Visitor Visa for PLAB 2. The visa fee is 95 GBP (20,000 PKR) and there is another 3500 PKR fee for scanning of your documents. The validity of the visa is fixed i.e., 6 months. There is no interview, you just apply online and they will give you a date to submit your documents at the UK Visa Center (Near FJMU).
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR PLAB 2 VISA
Following are the essential documents that you would need for your VISA application. Apart from that, you can write a cover letter as well. Some people write it, some people don’t. My agent asked me not to write it, but I did it anyway. You need to start working on these documents at least one month before your expected date of visa application.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THESE DOCUMENTS
You have to prove that:
You have got a genuine reason to visit the UK.
You have got enough funds in your account to aid your UK visit and that you also have someone there to sponsor you in an hour of need.
You and your sponsor are law-abiding citizens of Pakistan.
You have strong ties with your home country and you will come back as soon as your exam is over.
Now, let’s discuss each group of documents one by one!
EDUCATIONAL EVIDENCE
There is nothing to talk. You already have got all these documents.
EMPLOYMENT EVIDENCE
You already have got your first two documents. 3rd and 4th document are very important. YOU MUST HAVE A JOB IN PAKISTAN because you need to show them that you are actively working in Pakistan and that you will come back after your PLAB 2 to continue working here.
FINANCIAL EVIDENCE
This is the crux of your application. As I said earlier, you need to show them that you have got enough legal funds for your UK trip. Ideally you should provide a bank statement of the last 6 months and you should have at least 4-6 lacs in your account at the time of application. Your bank should be active, meaning there should be money coming regularly in it (like your salary) and you should be spending some of it regularly. You can also attach a Pay slip of your current job which will further strengthen your financial evidence.
FAQ: “I don’t have got enough funds in my bank account.” You can always get some money from your father/sponsor. For example, I applied for a visa after 2 months of completion of my house job and I had only 4 lacs in my account at that time. So, my father transferred like 3 lacs into my account to help me with the finances. I also attached his bank certificate to assure them about the proper transfer funds from his bank account to mine.
FAQ: “What if I have more funds in my account?” The bigger the better, however, if you have too much funds in your account like more than 10 lacs, it will be difficult for you to prove the source of all that money. I personally think 6-8 lacs is an ideal amount to show.
SPONSORSHIP EVIDENCE
Another important group of documents. Even if you have enough funds in your account, it’s always better to show them that there is someone willing to take care of you in an hour of need. You also need to show the source of income of your sponsor and his income tax report to assure them that your sponsor is earning the money from legal channels and is a law-abiding citizen of Pakistan. Mostly, people choose their fathers as their sponsors and I did the same.
FAQ: “What is the ideal amount of money that the sponsor should have in his account?” Again, the bigger the better, but at the same time you need to prove them the source of income. For example, if your sponsor is a government employee, his bank balance must be in accord with his salary. On the other hand, if your sponsor runs his own business, he can show any amount of money provided he can show his source of income. So, there is no ideal amount of money for this section. My father (a government employee) had two accounts, I only showed them the one in which he had only 9 lacs in his account.
PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP
These documents show that you and your family are legal citizens of Pakistan. Family registration certificate is the most important document here. You can get it made from any NADRA office.
ACCOMODATION EVIDENCE
Here you have to provide them with proof of dates of your arrival and departure from the UK (from the flight booking) and your place of stay in the UK. DO NOT MENTION ACADEMY. This section is a bit tricky. Let me give you an example. Suppose your PLAB 2 is booked for November 1 and you intend to go there by the start of September. You should apply for a visa on 1st August. In your Visa application, you must mention your stay for just 10- 12 days i.e., 20 Oct – 02 Nov. You need to attach a provisional return ticket for these dates (You can go to any travel agent and he can make you a tentative flight ticket for these dates for free). You also need to attach a hotel booking for these 12 days (You can search on google, a lot of hotels offer pre-booking for free). Now if you have applied on 1st August, most probably you will get your Visa at around 20th August and its validity will start right away. So now you can cancel your older flight and hotel booking and book new ones and join the academy on 1st September.
FAQ: “Why do we have to mention such a short trip? Why can’t we mention the whole 2-month trip?” The reason is threefold. Firstly, you need to show them that you mean business, that your sole purpose to visit the UK is to take an exam and you will come back as soon as your exam is over. Secondly, if you mention a 2-month whole trip, you will have to show them a big bank account and also prove the source of it which would be very difficult at our stage of career. This is the same reason why we shouldn’t mention academy in our application. Thirdly, a Visit Visa is almost always valid for six months and 90% of the time your visa’s validity starts as soon as it is issued to you.
FAQ: “What if they issue a Visa that actually starts according to our mentioned date of arrival in the UK.” This is highly unlikely, but yes there is a rare chance it can happen. In that case you will have to reschedule your PLAB 2 to a later date.
COVER LETTER:
This is like a summary of your Visa Application. I have attached my Cover letter at the end. You can get a general idea from there.
HOW TO APPLY VISA APPLICATION ONLINE
After you have gathered all your essential documents, just visit the website www.gov.uk and read about basics of Standard Visitor Visa before applying. The application process is very user friendly; any doctor can fill it easily. If you feel confused at any point, you can just pause your application process (It will be saved) and seek help from a colleague or senior and then complete the form after consulting them. Again, let me emphasize on it, PLEASE DON’T WASTE 25000 RUPEES ON SOME THING WHICH YOU CAN DO WHILE SITTING IN YOUR BEDROOM.
After submitting your application, you will download a pdf form of your application and print it. Then you will visit www.vfsglobal.co.uk and make an appointment for submission of documents at the UK visa center. Get copies of all your documents in A4 size: don't staple any of them. On the given date, you will reach the UK Visa center, get your documents scanned, submit your passport and come back home. If everything goes according to plan, you will get a call after 15-20 days from the center to collect your Passport and Visa.
FAQ: “What if my Visa gets denied?” I personally think, if you do everything according to plan, there is not a single chance your Visa will get denied. I literally don’t remember the last time I heard someone’s PLAB 2 visa getting denied. But even if it does, they will provide you a document mentioning valid reasons for their denial. So, you can work on those aspects and apply again.
Given below is a template for cover letter for your visa:
Dated: August 06, 2019
To
Entry Clearance Officer
UK Visa and Immigration
Subject: Applying for Business Visitor Visa (PLAB 2 Visa)
I, Dr. abc, Visa Reference Number xyz, Passport Number xyz, DOB xyz, am applying for Business Visitor visa to appear in PLAB Part 2 test which I've booked for October 17, 2019, which only takes place at 3 Hardman Square, Manchester, United Kingdom, M3 3EB and not anywhere else in the world.
I am registered with General Medical Council (GMC), UK as a candidate to appear for PLAB examination. My GMC reference number is xyz. I have passed my PLAB 1 exam which took place in Islamabad on March 14, 2019. I have received emails from GMC, UK regarding my PLAB 1 exam result and my booking confirmation for PLAB 2 exam. (Copies of emails attached)
I completed my primary medical qualification (MBBS) in March 2018 from Kind Edward Medical University Lahore, Pakistan (Copy of MBBS certificate attached). I worked as a House Officer at Mayo Hospital Lahore from May 01, 2018 to April 30, 2019 (House Job experience certificate attached). Now I am a fully qualified doctor. I am registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) with a license to practice medicine in Pakistan. My PMDC license number is xyz (PMDC registration certificate attached). Currently, I am working as a Medical Officer in Omar Hospital Lahore (Copy of Job letter and NOC attached).
WHY I WANT TO TAKE THE PLAB EXAM
I have worked in Pakistan as a house officer for one year and as a medical officer for 2 months. Now I want to work as a doctor in a better system to improve my skills even better. UK's healthcare system (NHS) is undoubtedly one of the best health systems in the world. I want to make myself a better doctor by working in UK and by learning from the doctors in UK and then serve my country with my experience. And to be able to work in UK as a doctor, I need to clear the PLAB exam.
MY TIMELINE
April 2010: Passed secondary school certificate examination with A+ grade (BISE Lahore).
May 2012: Passed intermediate certificate examination with A+ grade (BISE Lahore).
December 2012: Enrolled in 5-year MBBS program in King Edward Medical University.
March 2018: Passed MBBS Final Exam.
April 2018: Scored Band 7.5 in IELTS Academic taken by British Council, Lahore, Pakistan.
May 2018: Started training as a House Officer in Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
April 2019: Passed PLAB 1 exam from Islamabad, Pakistan.
May 2019: Started working as a Medical Officer in Omar Hospital, Lahore.
MY FAMILY MEMBERS
Father: abc,
Self-employed. Currently working as xyz. (Copies of his job letter and annual salary statement are attached). Phone number: xyz
Mother: xyz (Housewife) Phone number: xyz
Sisters: 1. xyz. Currently studying at xyz. (Copy of university student card attached) Phone number: xyz
2. xyz. Currently studying at xyz (Copy of college student card attached).
I live with my family in a residential colony of xyz, Lahore. My house number is house n.o 123, xyz, Lahore and it is owned by my mother (Property documents attached). My whole family lives in Pakistan and I have a very strong emotional attachment with all of them. My father is the main bread earner of our family. I am the eldest sibling and the only doctor in my family.
MY FINANCIAL STATUS
I have worked at Mayo Hospital, Lahore as a house officer for 1 year (May 2018 to April 2019). During my stay at Mayo Hospital, I used to get a monthly stipend of 45,555PKR every month (Copy of pay slip attached). After completing my House Job, I started working as a Medical Officer in Omar Hospital, Lahore (May 2019). My monthly salary in Omar Hospital is 50,000PKR per month (Copy of pay slip attached). I don't have any other source of income apart from aforementioned sources. I bear my expenses on my own and usually do not contribute to my family on a monthly basis. However, as a responsible son, I do help my parents occasionally as per their requirements. I have saved enough money for my visit to the UK. My expenses will also be supplemented with the money that my father transferred to my bank account (300,000PKR). A bank statement showing the record of my savings and transferred amount has been attached. I would also like to mention that I paid the fee of the PLAB 2 exam (860GBP) with my own money as it is evident from my bank statement.
FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP FOR MY VISIT TO UK
I am currently employed and I can take care of the finances of this trip but my father, abc will be my financial guarantor. His bank statement and an affidavit declaring his sponsorship toward my visa have been attached for your consideration. He is fully supporting me for this trip and has already transferred 300,000PKR to my account for this visit. He has also assured full assistance ahead if needed.
NO OBJECTION AND LEAVE LETTER FROM MY EMPLOYER
I have taken an unpaid leave of absence from 7th October 2019 to 18th October 2019 for 12 days for my PLAB 2 exam. (NOC and leave letter attached). I will resume my duty as soon as I return to Pakistan.
DETAILS OF MY EXPENSES
Return Flight Ticket: 550GBP
Accommodation in Hotel: 567GBP
Living expenses: 200GBP
Travel expenses: 150GBP
Miscellaneous: 83GBP
Total expenses: 1550GBP (300,700PKR)
My Bank Balance: 3785GBP (735,399PKR)
MY PLAN FOR ACCOMODATION IN UK
During my course of stay in the UK, I will be staying at a paid accommodation at Park View Residence, located at 220 Waterloo Road, Manchester, United Kingdom from October 7, 2019 to October 18, 2019 (Hotel Booking attached).
MY ITINERARY FOR THE TRIP TO UK
October 7: Reach Manchester, UK. Travel to my accommodation.
October 8: Acclimatize with a new environment.
October 9 to October 16: Study and final review for test.
October 17: Appear in PLAB 2 examination.
October 18: Return to Lahore, Pakistan. (Pre-bookings attached).
SUMMARY OF MY VISA APPLICATION
I am a law-abiding citizen of my country and aspire to be a hardworking and passionate doctor. I will obey the rules and regulations of the UK legislation and I will return within the specified frame of time and won’t overstay.
I have a genuine invitation from GMC, UK to appear in the PLAB 2 exam and as I have stated, I have more than enough funds in my bank account for my trip to the UK.
I am seeking entry into the UK as a visitor and I will be highly grateful to you if you allow me visa clearance to appear in PLAB 2 exam and make a success story out of my life.
Thank you for considering my application.
Dr. abc
CNIC number: xyz
General Medical Council (GMC), UK reference number: xyz
Residential address: 123, xyz, Lahore, Pakistan.
Email address: xyz
Phone number: xyz