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 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

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.