UK Nursing Visas – Are you a qualified nurse?

Want to Get into UK Nursing? Registered nurses who qualified abroad can come and work in the UK. You will need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) first before you can be employed in the UK as a nurse.

Trained Outside the European Union/European Economic Area

If you were trained outside the EU/EEA you will have to go through their new registration process established on October 2014 and recently updated this year (2016) to get into UK nursing.

To qualify for registration, the NMC will assess your qualification, training and experience. You must have:

1. Completed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and achieve a minimum score of at least seven in all areas.
2. Hold a current registration or licence without restriction with the licensing authority or registration body in the country in which they qualified or have been practising.
3. Practised as a registered nurse for at least 12 months (full time or the part-time equivalent) after qualifying.

For the NMC registration process, to get into UK nursing, you will need to:

1. Complete the online application on the NMC’s website
2. Complete the Part 1 test of competence (CBT) – can be taken abroad or in the UK.
3. Complete the Part 2 test of competence (OSCE) – can only be taken in the UK.

Once the tests have been successfully taken, you will be admitted onto the Nursing register and can begin working.

The are a few ways to get into UK Nursing. To undertake the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) test, you can come to the UK on a Visit visa or as a Tier 2 (General) migrant if you have an employer who is sponsoring you.

Trained within the European Union/European Economic Area

If you are trained within the EU/EEA you can register with the NMC under the following routes to get into UK nursing:

1. Automatic Recognition –  If your qualification was begun after the European Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications was established in your country or after your country joined the EU, then you will meet the requirements for automatic recognition of your qualification and will be accepted for registration with the NMC, following the completion of a full and correct application.
2. Acquired Rights – if you started training for your qualification before your country’s reference date or before your country joined the EU, your application can be still be considered if you meet the additional requirements.
3. Individual Assessment – If you have trained as a general nurse or a midwife in an EEA member state but your qualification does not meet the requirements for automatic recognition, and you have not undertaken the pre-requisite period of practice to meet acquired rights, the NMC will still be able to assess your training and experience against the UK standards to practise.

To begin your registration, you will need to complete the online application on the NMC’s website. Our trained immigration and employment services team can assist you through the whole process. Start your UK nursing career by completing the nurses enquiry form.

If you require further information and needs advice regarding coming to the UK to work as a nurse please do not hesitate to speak to one of our advisers.

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kobi

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