To meet the resident labour market test prior to issuing a Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship, employers must ensure that the advert has been listed with Jobcentre Plus (JCP) for a period of two weeks.
This requirement can be met through advertising on NHS Jobs, which has a daily automatic download to JCP.
There are also changes to point allocation for qualifications in Tier 1.
The announcements form part of a wider government programme to promote employment opportunities to the resident labour market.