Recruiting and Retaining an International Dental Workforce – current rules and expected changes later in 2026

Speaker: Jacqueline Moore and Amy Jones

Date: June 12, 2026

Time: 13:30‐14:30

Room: Atrium 2

This session aims to introduce or upskill dental practice owners and managers on the process for recruiting international staff into their practice. 

We’ll introduce or upskill the above audience on roles eligible for sponsorship, current process, salary requirements, costs and timescales involved, and steps to take in the recruitment process to minimise the risk of a discrimination claim.

To raise awareness on the anticipated changes being introduced to immigration rules later in the year which will impact the sector

Objectives

By the end of this session participants will have been:

1. Introduced to what roles can be sponsored.
2. Introduced to how roles should be advertised to meet sponsorship rules and the steps to take in the recruitment process to minimise the risk of a discrimination claims.
3. Introduced to the process, timescales and fees involved.
4. Introduced to the restrictions on self-sponsorship.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this session participants should be able to:

1. Identify if a role can be sponsored.
2. Identify likely costs involved, and understand which costs must be borne by the employer
3. Run a recruitment exercise which minimises discrimination claims arising from the process.
4. Identify pitfalls of self-sponsorship, ie a dentist owning a practice who requires sponsorship to work in that practice.

General Dental Council eCPD outcomes: B.