Falkland Islands work-permit planning must account for medical assessment and employer sponsorship

The May health policy assesses the demands on limited services

The Falkland Islands Government's currently linked Immigration Health Assessment Policy, labelled May 2026, explains how medical needs are considered in permit decisions. It covers applications requiring health assessment, including work, accompanying-dependent, dependent and carer permits. This is current procedural reporting on the published policy, not an announcement of a further November medical restriction.

The policy allows refusal where an applicant's healthcare needs would represent an unreasonable burden on public resources, and permits conditions intended to prevent such a burden. The Principal Immigration Officer considers the particular facts and advice from the Chief Medical Officer. The policy identifies conditions, treatments and medication costs that may be relevant; its list should not be converted into an automatic diagnosis-based refusal in every case. It specifically identifies medicines that cannot reasonably be sourced locally and medication costs likely to exceed GBP2,500 annually. Applicants with continuing care needs should arrange an individual assessment using the official medical documents before relying on an employment start date. This is an immigration assessment, not a substitute for medical advice.

The contract length changes the practical medical preparation

The Customs and Immigration Work Permit page requires suitable accommodation, criminal-record checks and medical and dental assessment for new applicants or existing holders without a medical in the preceding five years. It ordinarily links permit duration to the contract, up to four years in total, and identifies limited exceptions to the usual rule that applications are made from outside the islands.

For a permit of nine months or less, that service instead describes a medical self-declaration sent to King Edward Memorial Hospital for approval, with adequate insurance covering aeromedical evacuation of at least US$2 million for the intended stay. Confirm the applicable assessment for the actual contract and history rather than assume that a short assignment has no health requirements. The government's Immigration Forms resource identifies the medical, X-ray, self-declaration and dental paperwork alongside permit forms; use the current official documents to arrange the examinations or declaration the case requires.

Employers must provide more than a general job offer

The current RES2 sponsorship form is completed by the prospective employer. It identifies the worker, job, work location, proposed start and finish dates, and the business's registration under the Registered Employer Scheme. It asks the employer to check the current Workforce Shortage List, describe recruitment efforts and attach the advertisement, including reasons why permanently settled applicants were not selected.

The same form requires a choice identifying housing responsibility for the worker alone or for the worker and agreed accompanying family. It expressly says the separate RES3 employer undertaking must accompany the sponsorship form and takes effect when the relevant work permit is granted. The signatory declares authority to act and the business's capacity to meet its financial responsibilities. An employer should resolve housing and the agreed family coverage before signing, rather than present a sponsorship intention as an undertaking covering unspecified dependants.

Registered-employer duties and additional jobs need their own checks

The October 2025 Registered Employer Scheme guidance distinguishes different permit holders' work rights. Accompanying dependants aged sixteen or over can work for registered employers, but work outside the Workforce Shortage List requires prior permission using RES5. Employment then requires the employer's RES4 notification. Dependants of a permanent resident or Falkland Islands status holder have a different route: the guidance allows those aged sixteen or over to work for registered employers with the notification requirement.

Use that guidance to establish which permit the person actually holds and whether permission or notification is needed. A family connection or an employer's RES registration alone does not identify the correct work authorisation. Keep the worker's own permit evidence and the department's acknowledgement with the employment records.

Budget for the July fee schedule and obtain the actual decision

The official 2026-27 charges schedule applies immigration fees from 1 July 2026. It lists GBP80 for a work-permit application and GBP80 for an extension, with GBP40 for a work-permit holder's request to work outside the Workforce Shortage List. Accompanying-dependent applications are separately charged at GBP80 from age sixteen and GBP40 below sixteen. These are application charges, not the cost of medical examinations, insurance or repatriation. Confirm the correct assessment before payment and obtain the required permit and any additional employment permission before work begins; the reviewed resources do not promise approval by a proposed contract start date.