On my CV, what will be the best way to present the 5 months gap since defending my PhD and the official start of the postdoc appointment?
I doubt that five months needs any explanation at all, especially at the present time. But, unless you are in an unusual legal system, &quot;postdoctoral&quot; is a descriptive not a legal term. &quot;Independent researcher&quot; also works.
But a line in the CV suggesting &quot;Independent collaborative research&quot; would seem to me to cover it well and also be positive.
In interviews and discussions you can go in to the visa and pandemic issues.