Saturday, December 12, 2015

Immigration Matters: No Racial Discrimination on X Factor say 4th Impac...

Immigration Matters: No Racial Discrimination on X Factor say 4th Impac...: X factor finalists 4th Impact were asked if they had suffered any racial discrimination in the UK. Listen to what they said... Inter...

No Racial Discrimination on X Factor say 4th Impact





X factor finalists 4th Impact were asked if they had suffered any racial discrimination in the UK. Listen to what they said...

Interviewed at Elstree Studios (where Simon Cowell cut his teeth in the entertainment industry) in Borehamwood earlier this month, the super talented sister band show that they are articulate as well as beautiful.

Philippine nationals 4th Impact will be extending their stay in the UK to join the X Factor 2016 Tour in March along with fellow finalists.

Sorry it's in Tagalog for Filipino audience!

Want to work in the UK as a Nurse or Care Worker/Care Assistant?  Email your CV to ckelly7000@aol.com

Friday, December 04, 2015

4th Impact visit Boreham Wood Football Club







The super talented 4th Impact on a 'tour' of Borehamwood welcomed by by Boreham Wood Football Club - http://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.ukWatch for the unexpected sneeze!

Filmed by Charles Kelly

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Immigration Matters: Train More British Nurses Says UK Prime Minister A...

Immigration Matters: Train More British Nurses Says UK Prime Minister A...: Marking 100 days since the Conservatives won the General Election, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron was interviewed by Justin Webb for...

Train More British Nurses Instead of Importing Foreign Staff Says UK Prime Minister As International Recruits Ease NHS Staffing Crisis

Marking 100 days since the Conservatives won the General Election, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron was interviewed by Justin Webb for BBC Radio 4 this week. One of the questions he was asked was how he felt about the rising number of non-EU nurses coming to work in the UK to cover staff shortages in the NHS.

The RCN nursing union estimates that there are 20,000 nurse job vacancies in the NHS and warns of a staffing crisis as thousands of nurses retire in the next few years.




 Mr Cameron said we should be providing more nursing training for our own UK citizens for healthcare jobs that are currently growing within the economy.

Specifically on international nurses, Cameron added that the international nurses coming to work in the UK make a huge contribution to the country and the NHS, but called for better at workforce planning.

Knowing how many NHS nurses are needed, Cameron wants to encourage more young people to take nursing degrees at UK universities and promised help to provide the training places to meet the unmet demand.

In the meantime, thousands of job vacancies and shifts are being filled by expensive agency staff, which is why NHS hospitals are flying teams of managers all over the world to recruit international nurses. To add to their pressure, the government has also told NHS bosses to cut back on the millions spent on agency nurses.

Commenting on UK migration levels he stated that immigration controls go hand-in-hand with controlling the welfare system.

New immigration laws coming into force will mean that by April 2017 up to 30,000 non-EU nurses on Tier 2 Work Permits will have to leave the UK if they are not earning more that £35,000 per year. A Band 5 NHS nurse earns £25,000-£26,000, but could top this up with agency temping work.

Ironically, British trained nurses can easily earn well over £35,000 pa by taking up nurse jobs in America or Australia, prompting many of our best nurses to leave the UK each year, which only adds to the staffing time bomb in the NHS.

Bearing in mind that there are not enough places on nursing degree courses at British universities to meet current demands, and that it takes 3-4 years to train a nurse, it will be interesting to see how the NHS copes with UK nursing shortages over the next couple of years.

International nurses who want to work in the UK as a nurse should check the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) website for the requirements, such as an overall band score of 7.00 in the English language IELTS test, and new competency tests. Last year the NMC changed the old ONP scheme to a two stage test, which many nurses are failing.

For full details on the new registration process and working in the UK for non-EU trained nurses or midwives, visit the NMC website, or email me your CV if you are interested in migrating to the UK and working as a nurse or need a Tier 2 Work Permit and Home Office working visa sponsorship for a UK job in the NHS.


Monday, August 17, 2015

Immigration Matters: Petition to rescue 30,000 nurses being kicked out ...

Immigration Matters: Petition to rescue 30,000 nurses being kicked out ...: An online petition, set up by Jac Berry, to prevent up to a 30,000 nurses being forced out of the UK under new Home Office Immigration R...

Petition to rescue 30,000 nurses being kicked out of Britain under New Immigration Laws


An online petition, set up by Jac Berry, to prevent up to a 30,000 nurses being forced out of the UK under new Home Office Immigration Rules, has received over 56,000 signatures.

New Immigration Rules being introduced will threaten the UK status of thousands of non-EU nurses, recruited since 2011 from outside the EU, who earn less than £35,000 a year after six years.

Affected nurses citizens will be sent back to their country of origin, depriving them and their families of their livelihood and the NHS of their nursing services.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the Home Office action will cause chaos in the NHS, which ironically is currently recruiting nurses in the Philippines.

The online petition explains that the new law would leave NHS hospitals with a critical shortage of nurses, and could have a serious effect on care provided to an aging population especially when combined with social care cuts.

As many as 30,000 nurses currently working in the UK could potentially be affected as early as April 2017 when the rules starts to bite.

The NHS has thousands of job vacancies at a time when thousands of nurses are retiring or leaving the country for higher paid nursing jobs in America, Australia and the Middle East.

We are recruiting EU and non-EU nurses for the NHS, which has a severe shortage of nursing and medical staff. My advice to nurses working in the UK and potentially affected by the new law is firstly sign the petition and secondly remember that with your UK experience you will be highly appreciated in The USA, Middle East and Australia.



Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Immigration Matters: EU Migrant 4 Year Residency Test For Benefits Will...

Immigration Matters: EU Migrant 4 Year Residency Test For Benefits Will...: New government plans to tighten the rules of EU migrants includes a four year residency test for to qualify for benefits. However, the st...

EU Migrant 4 Year Residency Test For Benefits Will Hit Young Britons

New government plans to tighten the rules of EU migrants includes a four year residency test for to qualify for benefits. However, the stringent new test could also mean young Britons losing the right to claim benefits for four years.

Lawyers claim that applying the rule to migrants alone would breach EU laws, so the government is considering applying it to all UK benefit applicants from the age of 18. 

In a speech last year Prime Minister David Cameron said:

“Changes to welfare - to cut EU migration - will be an absolute requirement in the negotiation that I'm going to undertake."

Cameron has urged EU leaders to agree to his “reasonable proposals”, one being migrants arriving in the UK have to wait four years to access certain benefits.

Such a proposal could be deemed discriminatory and breach EU law.





 Britons may be affected as even if they have been a UK resident all their lives, from their 18th birthday would be ineligible for the benefits for four years until they reach 22. The plan is estimated to affect about 50,000 UK citizens under the age of 22, most with children.

The lawyers' assessment said: "Imposing additional requirements on EU workers that do not apply to a member state's own workers constitutes direct discrimination which is prohibited under current EU law."

British Labour Party politician Stephen Timms assumed that the EU negotiations were "not going well" and ministers were beginning to realise that they were not delivering their promises.

The former Tory Leader has pushed for the proposal of EU nationals to have been working in the UK for four years before they become eligible for benefits.

Some of the EU countries have strongly opposed the plans for a tougher benefit rule for EU migrants, including the Polish government. The government has already been taken to court over its habitual resident test by the European Commission.

"We've already taken action to protect the benefits system and ensure that EU migrants come to this country for the right reasons and to contribute to the economy.” said a government spokesman’s.

"Now we're focused on re-negotiating our relationship with Europe and getting a better deal for Britons, and we won't speculate on other options."

A friend of mine Simon Coulson runs a fantastic resident course centre (the TV show 'Darling Buds of May' farmhouse in Kent) where he teaches people how to launch an online internet business. Let's face it, all businesses are promoting themselves online nowadays, right? He's done ok, made £10 million, so he knows his stuff! Check out his courses on how to make money online here.



Monday, August 10, 2015

Immigration Matters: Illegal Working Crackdown Announced By Minister – ...

Immigration Matters: Illegal Working Crackdown Announced By Minister – ...: In the latest government crackdown on illegal working, Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, has warned that b usinesses employing i...

Illegal Working Crackdown Announced By Minister – Employers Risk £20,000 fine

In the latest government crackdown on illegal working, Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, has warned that businesses employing illegal migrants face "the full force of government machinery" and risk fines of up to £20,000 per worker. However, at the current Home Office removal rate it will take 4000 years to find and deport all illegal overstayers from the UK.

The Minister said that “rogue employers” who give work to illegal immigrants and visa overstayers were denying UK citizen’s jobs.
Immigration officers are specifically targeting raids on cleaning firms, building sites and care homes according to The Times.
A study carried out by the London School of Economics estimates that there are 618,000 "irregular" residents in the UK, however, campaign group Migration Watch said the figures is closer to 1.1 million.
In 2006 the ippr think tank estimated that it would cost £5 billion and take 20 years to remove 500,000 illegal immigrants and overstayers thought to be in the UK at that time.
Figures published in the Daily Mail this week claimed tha that last year Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams arrested around 700 people and removed just 132 overstayers. At this rate it will take 4600 years to remove the existing illegal immigrants from the UK! Removal figures are probably closer to the thousands per year, but it still means it will take 600 years to remove 600,000 visa overstayers.  

Almost 10 years on from the ippr report, despite numerous measures to tighten the Immigration Rules and reduce grounds on which to appeal against a refusal, the Home Office has an even bigger task on its hands as hundreds of migrants attempt to enter the UK illegally through Calais.

Make sure your employee files comply with the law or face a £20,000 fine
The Conservative government have made progress and more raids being launched by Immigration Enforcement teams, HM Revenue & Customs, the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority and Health and Safety Executive to tackle the problem.
Other measures to deter overstayers, brought in under the 2014 Immigration Act, include forcing landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants and a reduction in the number of immigration appeals.
Employers can be fined up to £20,000 for employing each illegal immigrant, and, if they knowingly employ the worker they could spend up to two years in prison.

NHS Trusts are still short of nurses and doctors and are recruiting overseas. Tier 2 work permits and working visa sponsorship are being offered to qualified international nurses with IELTS 7.00 and the first stage of NMC registration.
If you need immigration advice of a full file audit service for employers, drop me an email. 



Wednesday, August 05, 2015

Immigration Matters: Tier 2 Work Permits for Nursing jobs in London ava...

Immigration Matters: Tier 2 Work Permits for Nursing jobs in London ava...: Are you UK NURSING GRADUATE looking for a permanent job in an NHS hospital in London? A leading agency are now recruiting a limited n...

Tier 2 Work Permits for Nursing jobs in London available for limited time

Are you UK NURSING GRADUATE looking for a permanent job in an NHS hospital in London?



A leading agency is now recruiting a limited number of nurses for an NHS hospital in the London area and need qualified RGN's with NMC PIN's for interview in August.

NON-EU NURSES IN THE UK

Tier 2 Sponsorship or UK Work Permits and Visas also available for nursing jobs in the London area for nurses with UK nursing degrees, NMC PINS (or in process) and IELTS 7.00.

The hospital wants nurses who are currently in the UK either as a Tier 4 students graduating or a nurse on an existing Tier 2 Working visa. They can also help you to transfer your UK visa and permit from a Nursing Home job to an NHS employer.




 The hospital are offering a Band 5 salary and London allowance (£24900) and will also throw in a £500 relocation allowance if you have to move to London.

This is a permanent job, so you will enjoy the full NHS benefits, such as a pension scheme and paid holidays, as well as excellent training and career opportunities within Britain's largest employer.

NO PLACEMENT FEES

No fees charged for work placement.

This would also suit a Croatian nurse who requires a work permit to work in the UK.

Contact me now if you are interested or email your CV as these job vacancies will be filled very quickly.


Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Immigration Matters: Care workers needed for UK migrant worker research...

Immigration Matters: Care workers needed for UK migrant worker research...: The UKHCA reports that researchers at  older people's charity  Independent Age are carrying out research with the International Longevi...

Care workers needed for UK migrant worker research as employers look to Croatia and EU to fill staff shortages

The UKHCA reports that researchers at older people's charity Independent Age are carrying out research with the International Longevity Centre. researchers hope to identify the risk of future staff shortages in the care workforce and the role of migrant care workers in the UK in the light of current immigration policy. 

The report will make recommendations to the UK government and to the care sector about workforce strategies.

Independent Age are seeking care workers in London, who have come to the UK in the last 10 years, and who would be willing to take part in a 45 minute interview about their motivations to work in social care and their plans for the future. Interviews will be confidential and people will be given a thank you payment for taking part.

Do you know any staff who would be interested? If so, please get in touch with Sue Arthur of Independent Age for more details on 020 7605 4262 or sue.arthur@independentage.org. The researchers will be happy to send a copy of the research report to anyone who takes part. If any employers are particularly interested in, or want to find out more about this research, please contact Sue.

Work Permits for new non-EU care workers or Senior Carers have not been issued for many years prompting employers to look to Eastern European countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, for staff they cannot recruit from within the UK.

Whilst there is no 'official' shortage of care workers on the Home Office Shortage Occupations list, care providers have struggled to recruit staff for years. Following large scale recruitment in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, some employers are recruiting Croatian care workers.

Unlike other EU members, Croatians need permission to work in the UK under the 7 year restriction imposed when Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013. However, the Home Office do not consider the job of a care worker to be sufficiently skilled enough to qualify for a Work Permit under Tier 2 of the Points Based System.

Croatians can apply for a 'yellow card' permit and work full time whilst studying a for a vocational qualification (e.g Health and Social Care). For information and UK jobs in care and nursing, see the Croatians in the UK Facebook page.




Thursday, July 30, 2015

Birmingham Nurse Recruitment Open Day Coundown Sat 1 Aug









Concept Care Solutions (Dolphin Care) are delighted to invite you to attend a Nurse Recruitment Day which is due to be held on Saturday 1st August 2015. The event will run all day from 9am-5pm. Our Recruitment Day is focused on undertaking an interview on the day and collecting/copying a number of documents (listed further down) in order to make you compliant to work with us as soon as possible. Food and drink will be available and activities will be provided for any children accompanying you to keep everyone occupied.
Concept Care Solutions (Dolphin Care) is one of the UK’s leading nursing agencies and has built a reputation for consistently exceeding expectations, by recruiting a large volume of high caliber, highly specialised healthcare staff and placing them in some of the country’s leading healthcare providers. 



We are currently working with a large number of NHS Trusts and private healthcare settings across the East Midlands, West Midlands and North West of the UK, whom we have strong, ongoing and professional relationships with. Maintaining these professional relationships means that a high number of shifts become available to Dolphin Care, thus our nurses get access to shifts where they want and choose to work when they want. 



We have nursing jobs and work all over the Midlands and North West so if you could make it to the open day in Birmingham as a one off, we can put you out to work elsewhere at a location that suits you.

http://conceptcaresolutions.com

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Immigration Matters: Recruiting International Nurses 'Frustrating And E...

Immigration Matters: Recruiting International Nurses 'Frustrating And E...: An NHS Chief has branded the recruitment of overseas nurses as "distracting, frustrating and expensive" despite employing 300 n...

Recruiting International Nurses 'Frustrating And Expensive' NHS Chief Claims

An NHS Chief has branded the recruitment of overseas nurses as "distracting, frustrating and expensive" despite employing 300 nurses from the Philippines and the EU in the last year, the BBC reports.

Dr Keith McNeil, the Chief Executive of Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, called for NHS officials to "figure out" what resources were needed to improve UK recruitment and train more home grown nurses.

Last year more than 7,500 international nurses were recruited and registered to work in the UK from countries such as Spain, Croatia and The Philippines.

The majority of overseas nurses coming to work in the UK are from the EU, while the number of nurses from outside of Europe has declined. EU nurses (apart from Croatian Citizens) do not need Tier 2 Work Permits and can generally gain NMC PIN numbers without the need to undergo addition ONP training.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) figures confirm that the recruitment of overseas staff to the UK is on the rise as severe shortages hit NHS hospitals and Nursing Home groups.

In the last year, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has taken on 303 foreign nurses - half from the Philippines and the rest largely from Italy, Spain and Portugal.



Candidates at recruitment event in Portugal

In an interview with the BBC Dr McNeil said: "Nurses are the backbone of the NHS. You can't run services effectively in an acute hospital like this without adequate numbers of trained nursing staff.

"It's distracting, frustrating and expensive to do international recruitment. It would be nice not to have to do it... [and] to have a more targeted approach."

He added: "We don't have enough home-grown nurses, but we know the demographics. The health service has to figure out what resources are needed for our activity. We need proper planning; I think the people at Health Education England are doing that now.

"At least doing it now means avoiding having to do this in the years to come."

Nursing experts fear that shortages could be fuelled in the coming years by retirement among the baby-boomer generation, and limits on the number of skilled workers from outside the EU who are allowed into the UK.

NHS Employers has issued guidance to hospitals Trusts who may be considering international nurse recruitment.

Addenbrooke's estimates that it costs £3,000 to recruit each nurse from the EU, plus new arrivals are awarded £400 their first month's accommodation, so long as they stay for 18 months.

EU nurses had to be sent on a language course if they need to boost their conversational skills in English, as well as being given 10 weeks of mentoring support in the hospital to help their technical and clinical language.

On the plus side, the hospital admits that the overseas recruitment drive is paying dividends, because it is now using fewer temporary staff from agencies and saving hundreds of thousands of pounds.

A number of large Trusts regularly spend several million pounds every year on agency staff to cover shifts they cannot fill from their own staff bank.

The head of nurse’s union, the Royal College of Nursing, Dr Peter Carter, said: "Last year there were 57,000 applicants for 20,000 nurse training posts.

"Isn't that a matter of huge regret that you've got people in the four countries of the UK who want to train as nurses. They're being turned away, while we're going off and raiding the often impoverished workforce of other countries."

He added: "It's hugely regrettable and the UK is not exactly covering itself in glory in this."

But the organisation now in charge of nurse training, Health Education England, says it has increased places by 14% in two years.

A spokesperson said: "The number of nurses in the NHS is a matter of public and political comment, and HEE has responded to those concerns.

"HEE increased adult nurse commissions significantly in its first year and increased them again the following year.

"And we launched the Return to Practice campaign which has already started 1,300 experienced nurses on their journey back into the NHS. [Some] 160 of these have successfully completed training and are now employed."

Nursing agencies, such as Dolphin Care and Concept care Solutions have been supplying both temporary and permanent nurses to the NHS and private sector for many years.

A spokesman said: “The staffing crisis is similar to the shortages experiences in 1999-2000 when we recruited international nurses in their thousands from The Philippines and India.

“Whilst the initial cost may be high, international recruitment is a more permanent solution than using expensive agency staff, which the government wants to reduce.

“Of course we need to train more UK nurses for UK nursing jobs, but this will take years and in the meantime thousands of nurses are retiring, gaining promotion or going abroad to take higher paid jobs in the Middle East, Australia or the USA and Canada.”

Concept Care Solutions is on the LPP Framework to supply International nurses to the NHS. They are currently supplying nurses from Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and The Philippines.


Friday, July 24, 2015

Immigration Matters: UK Universities need International students who co...

Immigration Matters: UK Universities need International students who co...: UK higher education brings billions of pounds into the economy with thousands of international students coming here to study and, for man...

International students needed by UK Universities and they contribute billions to the UK economy

UK higher education brings billions of pounds into the economy with thousands of international students coming here to study and, for many, to make a life in Britain.

Immigration Rules allow university students to work under a student visa while studying in the UK and apply for a Tier 2 work permit after they graduate with a UK degree. 

But under new proposals announced by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, graduates will be required to leave the country and re-apply for a UK visa to come back and work.

The government must balance the need to control immigration and keep the economy moving in the right direction. Figures show that thousands of students are remaining in the UK after their studies putting more pressure on Home Office net migration targets.

Putting it in simple terms, an international student from a less affluent country can make more money in the UK as a care worker than he can back home as a lawyer or accountant. 

The problem is, a low paid care worker on minimum wage is not contributing to the economy - many will pay hardly any tax and if they have children at schools will be a net drain on the system.

Employers want a more open UK visa system for foreign students and Tier 2 workers, as this gives them a wider choice of available talent.

On the other hand, the country is facing a huge shortage of housing which is forcing prices beyond the reach of young people trying to get on the property ladder.

UK universities argue that they are competing with countries, like Australia, which welcome the best students and allow them to stay on to find and obtain working visas.

International students are important to the UK’s economy, contributing billions of pounds every year and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Many UK universities appear in the top of world’s league tables year after year, and need the best national and international talent to stay ahead of the competition.

For overseas students and migrants, the UK remains a huge draw because of its strong economy, flexible business laws and money making opportunities. Frankly, Britain needs their energy and drive.


Immigration Matters: New National Living Wage Will Boost Care Worker Pa...

Immigration Matters: New National Living Wage Will Boost Care Worker Pa...: A new National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 or over will be introduced from April 2016, the UK Chancellor George Osbo...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...: The NMC   (Nursing and Midwifery Council), the body which regulates and registers nurses and midwives in the UK, has launched a consultati...

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...: The NMC   (Nursing and Midwifery Council), the body which regulates and registers nurses and midwives in the UK, has launched a consultati...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...: The NMC   (Nursing and Midwifery Council), the body which regulates and registers nurses and midwives in the UK, has launched a consultati...

Immigration Matters: Croatian Care Worker and Life in the UK

Immigration Matters: Croatian Care Worker and Life in the UK: Croatian Care Worker tells her story of life and work in the UK. Croatia is in the EU, however, there is a 7 year restriction on work...

Croatian Care Worker and Life in the UK




Croatian Care Worker tells her story of life and work in the UK.

Croatia is in the EU, however, there is a 7 year restriction on working, which means Croatians need a permit to work in the UK.  Croatians can also study (and obtain courses funded by government-backed student loans) or become self-employed by setting up a business.

One method for Croatians to come the UK is to study and work on a YELLOWCARD permit, which allows full-time work provided the course is vocational and the work relates to the course – e.g. care work with a diploma course in health and social care. 

If you are interested in a study course and paid work placement, provided you are willing to do care work, I can help with a job and the YELLOW CARD paperwork. See: http://how2cometotheuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/immigration-information-for-croatians.html 



Thursday, July 09, 2015

Immigration Matters: New National Living Wage Will Boost Care Worker Pa...

Immigration Matters: New National Living Wage Will Boost Care Worker Pa...: A new National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 or over will be introduced from April 2016, the UK Chancellor George Osbor...

New National Living Wage Will Boost Care Worker Pay From April 2016

A new National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour for workers aged 25 or over will be introduced from April 2016, the UK Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget Statement yesterday.

The National Living Wage will replace the National Minimum Wage pay rate (for over 25's) - currently £6.50 per hour and is set to rise to £6.70 per hour on 1 October 2015 - next April, and will rise to over £9 an hour by 2020.

Some workers will lose a benefit called 'tax credits', which means the pay rise is not as exciting for them, but for most the new living wage will be a welcome boost to their take home pay, especially with the reduction in tax for the lower paid.

The UK government wants to make it more attractive to work than live off benefits.

Colin Angel, Policy Director for the UKHCA (United Kingdom Care Home Association) said:

"UKHCA supports measures which improve the terms and conditions of low-paid workforces. We note that Government's announcement on a National Living Wage for workers aged 25 years and above is offset to some degree by changes to employers' National Insurance contributions. However, due to the age profile of the social care workforce this announcement will have a significant impact on the cost of homecare."

Most home care providers and nursing agencies already pay their staff above the minimum wage and is currently recruiting Care Support Workers to work in Hertfordshire, Northampton and Southend-on-Sea. The company has also recruited overseas Nurses, Doctors and Health Care Assistants (HCA's) from EU countries, such as Spain, Ireland, Greece and Croatia, to work in UK NHS hospitals and care homes.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...

Immigration Matters: NMC consultation on English language requirements ...: The NMC   (Nursing and Midwifery Council), the body which regulates and registers nurses and midwives in the UK, has launched a consultati...

NMC consultation on English language requirements for EU Nurse registration process

The NMC  (Nursing and Midwifery Council), the body which regulates and registers nurses and midwives in the UK, has launched a consultation on introducing English language controls for EU and EEA trained Nurses wishing to work in the UK.
Last year the UK government announced plans to give the NMC authority to introduce new language controls for European Economic Area (EEA) trained nurses and midwives, as part of revised European Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications.

The Department of Health has authorised the NMC to change the statutory rules setting out new processes in the way it deals with nurses from the EU and EEA.

Until now, EU/EEA nurses have been exempt from English language checks, unlike their non-EU counterparts who are required to pass an IELTS English test at level 7.00. This is why, in general, nurses from India or the Philippines have a greater command of the English language than European candidates.

New language controls should raise the standard of English language spoken by European nurses which can only help to improve the standard of care in hospitals and nursing homes recruiting overseas nurses.

The consultation seeking views on the processes that the NMC are putting in place for language controls for:

  •  EEA trained nurses and midwives who apply for registration
  • Nurses and midwives seeking readmission to our register following a lapse of registration, and
  • investigating concerns about the language competence of nurses and midwives on our register.



NMC consultation on English language requirements for EU/EEA nurses: Respond to this consultation by clicking here

The NMC consultation will run for 12 weeks from 1 June to midday on 21 August 2015.

The NHS (National Health Service) are recruiting thousands of overseas nurses from both EU and non-EU countries such as The Philippines, India, Australia and NZ.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Immigration Matters: Overseas Nurses Working in UK Hospitals Despite Vi...

Immigration Matters: Overseas Nurses Working in UK Hospitals Despite Vi...: UK visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act will have far reaching consequences for overstayers and illegal immigrant...

Overseas Nurses Working in UK Hospitals Despite Visa Restrictions


UK visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act will have far reaching consequences for overstayers and illegal immigrants. New Immigration Rules enable the Home Office to deport visa overstayers  - in some cases with no right of appeal - much faster forcing migrants and their families to leave the UK.
Legal migrants, such as students applying for visa extensions, can also be arrested by UK Border Officers and removed from the UK if their applications are refused by the Home Office and they no longer have valid leave to remain.
The UK has more job openings than in anywhere else in the EU, which has seen a sharp increase in EU immigration from countries such as Croatia, France, Italy, Spain and Romania.
In addition other former non-EU migrants, such as Filipinos living in Spain, are taking advantage of EU free movement rights and coming to the UK to work in care or nursing jobs in the NHS.
Migrants coming to the UK to work are taking thousands of shortage occupation jobs, such as care work or to fill the huge number of vacancies for nurses in the NHS or nursing homes.
NHS Recruiting Overseas Nurses and Doctors
NHS hospitals are recruiting doctors and nurses in EU countries such as Spain, and non-EU countries, for instance in the Philippines.

Overseas Nurse with Charles Kelly, Marketing Manager at Concept Care
Overseas Nurse with Charles Kelly, Marketing Manager at Concept Care

If you are a nurse and want to work in the UK, make sure you check the UK NMC website and register.

EU nurses in most cases obtain automatic NMC registration. Non-EU nurses will need to obtain an IELTS English language test overall band score of 7.00. You will also need a year’s clinical experience in a hospital (not as a private or company nurse) and pass the new competency tests.
Tier 2 work permits are available for nurses, doctors, higher managerial level jobs or in ‘shortage occupations’, but not for care givers.

Beware of fake job advertisements offering working visas for unskilled jobs in care or catering and stick to government approved agencies. In the UK, Concept Care Solutions are on the LPP framework list of agencies approved to recruit overseas nurses for NHS hospital jobs.

For more information on UK jobs, immigration advice, help with Sponsorship, Work Permits, Visa, ILR, Settlement, Citizenship, Dependant Visa, Leave to Remain or visa refusal email me.







Immigration Matters: Steve Jobs on Joseph Juran and Quality

Immigration Matters: Steve Jobs on Joseph Juran and Quality

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Friday, May 15, 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Immigration Matters: Land of opportunity for free training and student ...

Immigration Matters: Land of opportunity for free training and student ...: The UK is the land of opportunity for jobs, free education and government funded student loans - even for EU and EEA nationals or non-EU na...

Land of opportunity for free training and student loans

The UK is the land of opportunity for jobs, free education and government funded student loans - even for EU and EEA nationals or non-EU national residents.

Vocational or work related diploma courses - such as Health and Social Care (leading to a career in care or nursing) or Assessing - are available with no money to pay upfront, and where student loan fees are only repaid when you are working and earning over £21,000. In some cases the loans can be legally written off and never have to be repaid.





Universities and approved Colleges of Further Education (FE Colleges) all offer courses funded by the student loan scheme and this year hundreds of millions of pounds will be used by students who study in the UK.

Despite this, millions of pounds of funding and loans are not taken up, perhaps because students are confused or afraid of ending up with a debt at the end of their studies.

The reality is that the repayments are relatively painless and many student loans will be written off, for instance when a student takes a loan for a level 3 BTEC course and then goes on to higher education.

There are also fully funded or free courses such as government-backed Apprenticeships, like those offered by London Cactus College in North London.




 With around a million young people not in employment or education (NEATS), the UK government are pumping billions of pounds into apprenticeship courses (e.g. in health and social care, business admin, child care or hairdressing), which are combined with paid work arranged by your training provider.

London Cactus College specialises in vocational and management training and offers a huge range of courses in everything from Child Care to higher level diplomas in management. Many of their courses are totally free to the student (subject to qualification) and others offer a £500 bursary or grant!

College head, Jackie Aiyela feels that people of all ages are missing out on opportunities to further their education and enhance their career prospects:

"Many people are not aware that there are opportunities to further or get back into education - from basic maths and English, SIA Door Supervision, right up to diplomas and degree level qualifications - most either free or paid for via student loans.

"Our courses are all work related and lead to real employment opportunities, for instance apprenticeships with paid jobs, and transferable skills."

"Our trained career and course advisers are on hand every day to help students decide the on the best way forward for their needs."

Now you know about it, you have no excuse not to do something about it! If you need to gain further qualifications, the UK really is the 'land of opportunity'.

For further information on funded or free courses, contact London Cactus College Tel 0208 381 1838 or email admin@mycccollege.com. Middlesex House, 29-45 High Street, Edgware, HA8 7UU. . Website: www.mycccollege.com 

Monday, April 13, 2015

Immigration Matters: Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health C...

Immigration Matters: Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health C...: UK Home Office will impose in a new ‘health surcharge’ on non-EU migrants to gain access to the NHS treatment at UK hospitals. Staring on ...

Conservative Government Introduce New NHS Health Charge For UK Migrants

UK Home Office will impose in a new ‘health surcharge’ on non-EU migrants to gain access to the NHS treatment at UK hospitals. Staring on 6 April, all citizens from outside of Europe who want to to live in the UK for longer than six months will be required to pay a ‘health surcharge’ before being issue with a visa or leave to remain.

Until now, all non-EEA national migrants coming to work, study or join family members automatically received free medical treatment in the UK’s NHS hospital and had the same access a permanent resident or British Citizen.

This has now changed as the Government wants to ensure “that those coming to the UK make an appropriate financial contribution to the cost of their healthcare”.

The health surcharge charge will also apply to non-EEA nationals already in the UK who apply to extend their stay.

The cost of health surcharge will be £200 per year and £150 per year for students - payable at the you apply for your UK visa.

UK Visa applicants will have to pay up-front for the total period of their stay in the UK, regardless of whether or not you actually use the NHS system.

The surcharge levels were set by the Conservative-led coalition Government, now fighting an election to come back into power on 7 May 2015, after taking into account the wide range of free health services available to migrants coming to live in the UK, whilst balancing that the valuable contribution they make to the economy.

Immigration and Security Minister, James Brokenshire said:

“The health surcharge will play a vital role in ensuring Britain’s most cherished public service is provided on a basis that is fair to all who use it. For generations, the British public have paid their taxes to help make the NHS what it is today – the surcharge will mean temporary migrants will also pay their way.

“And by keeping the surcharge at a competitive level, we are also recognising the contribution temporary migrants make to the wider economy.”

The Conservatives have been critical of the previous Labour administration which allowed open access to the NHS under what became known as ‘health tourism’, where people flew into to the UK to deliver a baby or receive treatment for diabetes or HIV.

The visa changes do not affect UK visitors coming to the UK on a standard visit visa, and tourists will have to pay for any treatment they receive from the NHS at the point of receiving it. 

Administering this at the point of treatment, for instance following an accident or in an A & E ward, has proved difficult in the past.

Intra-company transfer (ICT Tier 2 visa) will be exempt from the charges but must still complete the process through the surcharge website.

The surcharge levels are set at a lower rate the cost of medical insurance required in some competitor nations, and is less than Croatian nationals pay in medical insurance in order to obtain a Yellow Card permit to work and study in the UK.

I you are an overseas student, the health charge amounts to only 1% of the total cost of studying in the UK for a three year undergraduate course, the Home Office said.

Those who have paid will enjoy the same access to the NHS as a UK permanent resident for the duration of their visa. The money generated by the health surcharge will go directly to funding the NHS.

Migrants and students already here will not be affected by the change unless they extend their leave to remain in the UK.

Other recent tighter immigration measure include a crackdown on sham marriages and a reduction in the right of appeal against deportation of visa overstayers.


Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Immigration Matters: Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will ...

Immigration Matters: Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will ...: UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act are already starting to bite, despite the fact...

Home Office Crackdown on Immigration Appeals Will See More Deportations

UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s visa restrictions contained in the new 2014 Immigration Act are already starting to bite over staying immigrants. New Immigration Rules empowering the Home Office to deport visa overstayers and illegal immigrants - in some cases with no right of appeal - much faster are forcing migrants and their families to leave the UK.
Legal migrants, such as students applying for visa extensions, can also be arrested by UK Border Officers and removed from the UK if their applications are refused by the Home Office and they no longer have valid leave to remain.
The booming UK economy, and more job openings than in anywhere else in the EU, has resulted in an increase in EU immigration from countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Romania. More and more Filipinos with EU passports are coming to the UK to work in care or nursing jobs in the NHS.

David Cameron has promised an in-out European Union referendum if the Conservatives are voted back into power on 7 May, the only mainstream party to give British people the option of leaving the EU. 
Election surveys all show that immigration is high on the list of British voter concerns, coming only second to the NHS and ahead of the economy! Around 40% of those polled want to see further restrictions particularly on immigrants claiming benefits, despite the fact that migrants are less likely to claim benefits.
On the whole, the British public do not mind migrants who come to the UK to work in jobs where there are shortages, such as care work or to fill the huge number of vacancies for nurses in the NHS or nursing homes.



Many NHS hospitals are again recruiting nurses and doctors in the EU and the Philippines, so if you are a nurse make sure you check the UK NMC website and obtain an IELTS English language test overall band score of 7.00. You will need a year’s clinical experience in a hospital – obviously not in a call centre or as a private or company nurse.

Tier 2 work permits are available for nurses, higher managerial level jobs or in ‘shortage occupations’, but not for care givers. Beware of fake job advertisements offering working visas for unskilled jobs in care or catering and stick to POEA approved agencies.

Concept Care Solutions are on the LPP framework list of agencies approved to recruit overseas nurses for NHS hospital jobs.

For more information on UK jobs, immigration advice, help with Sponsorship, Work Permits, Visa, ILR, Settlement, Citizenship, Dependant Visa, Leave to Remain or visa refusal, email Immigration@londonccs.com. 

Thursday, February 05, 2015

Immigration Matters: Irish Nurses Wanted By London NHS Hospital To Fill...

Immigration Matters: Irish Nurses Wanted By London NHS Hospital To Fill...: Edgware based medical recruitment agency, Concept Care Solutions, were in Sligo, Galway, Cork and Dublin this weekend looking for Irish nu...

Irish Nurses Wanted By London NHS Hospital To Fill Nursing Job Vacancies

Edgware based medical recruitment agency, Concept Care Solutions, were in Sligo, Galway, Cork and Dublin this weekend looking for Irish nurses who want to work in the UK at leading London hospitals.




New graduates will be considered, however, the team are especially looking for Adult and Paediatric Emergency nurses who will start at a Band 5 pay scale, as well as receiving a generous £1000 relocation allowance plus a free flight home after 12 months.

Concept Care has previously recruited nurses from Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, and will be talking an NHS recruitment team from a top London hospital to interview nurses in Dublin at the Ballsbridge Hotel on 13 February 2015.

If you are an EU/EEA passport holder living in Ireland and would like to be interviewed to work in a London NHS hospital, email Charles Kelly at Concept Care Solutions - ckelly@londonccs.com  - with your CV.

Diary of an Immigration Adviser: Nurses, Doctors, OT’s In Ireland, Spain And Portug...

Diary of an Immigration Adviser: Nurses, Doctors, OT’s In Ireland, Spain And Portug...: Cynthia Barker writes...Concept Care Solutions, the London based medical recruitment specialists, has been to Madrid, Lisbon, Porto, Zagreb...

Immigration Matters: NMC Test of Competence for International Nurses wh...

Immigration Matters: NMC Test of Competence for International Nurses wh...: Good news for international nurses who want to work in the UK as a nurse or midwife. The University of Northampton's School of Health ...

Immigration Matters: UK International Nurse Recruitment Set To Take Off...

Immigration Matters: UK International Nurse Recruitment Set To Take Off...: Concept Care Solutions appointed to LPP Lot 5 Collaborative Framework for NHS International Nurse Recruitment (via PRWeb ) Concept Care...

Monday, January 12, 2015

Thursday, January 08, 2015

Friday, January 02, 2015

Immigration Matters: Happy New Year!

Immigration Matters: Happy New Year!: Wishing all our readers and followers who have supported our immigration blog a very happy and prosperous new year! 2015 should be a good...

Thursday, January 01, 2015

Happy New Year!

Wishing all our readers and followers who have supported our immigration blog a very happy and prosperous new year!

2015 should be a good year for international nurses who want to work in the UK. The NHS are recruiting 1000's of nurses from the EU and outside the EU for job vacancies in the UK.

Good luck and all the best!

For more information on registering as a nurse in the UK and the new NMC test of competence, see:

http://how2cometotheuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/nmc-test-of-competence-for.html