Important Update on Nursing Job Vacancies in UK and Ireland

UK and Ireland are recruiting nurses NOW and offering work permits and working visas which can lead to permanent residence and an EU passport.

Earlier this week I informed you that UK Tier 2 Work Permits and Irish work permits are available now for non-EU trained nurses living in the UK or overseas. This could include qualified nurses from any country as long as they meet the UK NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) requirements - experience, English language.

Hospitals and Nursing Homes are paying generous salaries and allowances to Nurses, as they desperately need staff. UK hospital salaries start at around £25,000 pa and Nursing Homes pay up to £30,000 pa.

Irish Nursing Homes are offering up to 18 Euros per hour once you are fully qualified to work as a nurse in Ireland, which is a member of the European Union and not to be confused with Northern Ireland which is part of the UK.

In order for a non-EU trained nurse to work as a nurse in the UK, you must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 7.00 in all bands and pass the NMC Part 1 online test. Whilst this is proving difficult for some candidates, the system is actually more straightforward than the old 0NP adaptation programme it replaced. 

My tip is to prepare for the test like you would for any other exam. Read IELTS study guides or attend classes, as this is not an easy English test. There is no point in applying or sending a CV to me for a UK nursing job unless you have scored 7.00 in ALL bands.

However, the Irish NMBI system is less stringent and whilst you need an overall IELTS band score of 7, you can still qualify with a lower score in some areas.

Full details of IELTS Academic - minimum scores for working as a nurse trained outside the EU/EEA in Ireland.

Listening  6.5
Reading   6.5
Writing    7.0
Speaking 7.0

Overall   7.0 

Unlike the UK, which changed its rules on 19 January 2016, Ireland has NO English language requirement for EU/EEA nurses or nurses who trained and qualified in the EU/EEA. 

The UK now requires IELTS 7.00 for EU nurses, which appears to conflict with European free movement treaties.

See more at: http://www.nmbi.ie/Registration/Trained-outside-Ireland/English-Language-Requirements#sthash.TqQtb3qM.dpuf

The Republic of Ireland does not have the same restrictions on working for Croatian citizens, as imposed in the UK.

This is a window of opportunity for nurses who want to work in the UK or Ireland - and it will not stay open for long.

I have received hundreds of emails from nurses all over the world asking about the process for working in the UK.  

In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what to do if you are a non-EU nurses and want to work in the UK as a qualified registered nurse without the need to study here for a nursing degree:

1. You must be a registered nurse in your own country (surprising how many enquiries I receive from non-nurses or care workers who cannot qualify for a UK work permit).
2. You must have 3 years plus of pre-registration training and practice.
3. You must obtain an overall band score of 7.00 or more - in all subjects - on an IELTS English exam (no exceptions). 
4. You should register online with the NMC
5. Pass the first stage online test (CBT).
6. Assuming you pass the test, you will need to get through a UK-based assessment - Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) before you can be licensed by the NMC to practice as a nurse.
7. You need to find an employer to sponsor your work permit and UK visa.

NMC fees for the 4 stage application process:

Application for nursing/midwifery £140
Part 1 test of competence (CBT) £130
Part 2 test of competence (OSCE) £992
Admission onto our register £153
Total £1415

Some employers may pay for or advance a loan to cover part or all of the above costs.

For full details, check the NMC website http://www.nmc.org.uk/ and see if you will qualify for UK registration. 

I can find a SPONSORING EMPLOYER AND JOB for you in the UK - and help you get a work permit - if you have IELTS 7.00 and preferrably have started the NMC process. If you are a nurse and want to work in the UK. email your CV and IELTS results.

Ireland are also recruiting nurses and offering work permits and unlike the UK there are NO English language test for EU trained nurses.

Do you really a need to migrate?

It has long been assumed that people in poorer countries must emigrate to richer countries to succeed and earn a living for their family.  However, this is no longer be the first choice for everyone. There has been a substantial economic shift during the past decade helped on by the technological and information revolutions. 

Millions of people are now choosing to work from home and avoid the pain of leaving their families behind for employment thousands of miles away. Major outsourcing platforms like Upwork.com and Fivver offer anyone with a laptop and an internet connection the chance to earn a living working from the comfort of their own home anywhere in the world. 

We can also trade stocks and shares or foreign exchange (FOREX) using inexpensive real-time technology that would have previously only been available to large institutions.

Students can also earn legitimate degrees from major universities online at a fraction of the cost of travelling abroad.

Making money with home-based businesses like Affiliate Marketing - selling other people's products for a commission - now offers huge opportunities in the home-based business economy and I believe it is only just getting started. 

Companies like Amazon and Ebay offer affiliate marketing programs, albeit for small commissions meaning you have to sell a lot of products to make serious money. With some schemes, you will need quite a bit of technical knowledge to set up your own websites, systems and marketing campaigns.

More and more people are looking to ditch the daily grind of long commute, doing a job they hate and spending half their lives trading their time for money and working to make someone else rich.

Replacing your salary from a job is easier said than done, right? Well, maybe. I recently came across a company which offers stay-at-home workers who want to escape the rat race the opportunity to earn affiliate commission without the need to set up websites or possess any technical knowledge. The company trains their students online through a structured series of modules and webinars as well as live support and mentoring.

The initial training, reports and information on how to escape the 9-5 life, join the new rich and live the laptop lifestyle is downloadable and totally free. Check it out, click here.

EU Immigration to UK Tops 2 Million but Care and Nursing Vacancies Unfilled

The number of EU migrants living and working in Britain now exceeds two million, official figures reveal today.

According to the figures, more than a million migrant workers are from eastern European countries, such as Poland, Romania and Bulgaria who migrated to the UK since the EU expanded in 2004.

Combined with non-EU migrants, there are over 3.2 million foreign nationals working in the UK, up by over a quarter of a million in the last year alone.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the total number of foreign nationals working in the UK has increased by 257,000 or 15% over the past year.

One in ten workers are now non-British, compared with one in twenty seven in 1997 when Tony Blair came to power.

There are now 189,000 employees from Bulgaria and Romania, an increase of 19% on a year ago, which coincides with the lifting of restrictions on working in the UK on 1 January last year.

Newest EU entrants from Croatia are also being deterred from coming here by a similar 7 year restrictions on working in the UK.

Croatian citizens need permission to work in Britain, which can take the form of a Tier 2 Work Permit, for instance for a Nurse or Doctor, or a yellow card permit to work whilst studying.

Britain’s growing economy is clearly attracting immigrants according to experts.

Carlos Vargas-Silva, of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said the reason migrants were moving to Britain was because they can easily find jobs.

He said: 'As long as the EU economy remains weak and the UK economy is strong, you are going to see more people come in.'

You don’t need to be an Oxford Professor to work that one out, but Carlos has a point.

Britain’s economy is growing whilst the economies of most EU countries, burdened by the Euro and EU regulations, have been going downhill for years.

This week in Brussels, Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping to come away with a renegotiated deal and prevent an EU exit vote by British voters in a forthcoming referendum vote.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said there were still two million more people in jobs than in 2010.

'On top of that, today's figures show job vacancies at a near record high - evidence of the continued confidence of British businesses, and potential for further growth in the UK economy.

'Our one nation government is helping millions across the country to succeed and achieve their full potential. I was particularly pleased to see that wages are continuing to rise - meaning that hard-working people will see a real difference in their pay packets.'

Unemployment has fallen by 221,000 in the last year, and long-term unemployment has been reduced by 210,000 since 2010.

Despite unemployment figures exceeding 1.8 million, there are 735,000 UK job vacancies, an increase of nearly 70,000 since last year. 

There is an acute shortage of nurses and care workers in the UK, with NHS hospitals and private care homes crying out for staff. 

Currently, my own clients have have hundreds of job vacancies for nursing and care staff all over England and Wales.

Migrant workers are needed to fill the vacancies, as many British workers do not want the jobs. In the last few weeks I have witnessed local workers not even bothering to turn up for interviews.

If you are an overseas nurse or care worker (EU citizens only) and would like to work in the UK, email your CV.

Croatian Carer working in the UK on a Yellow Card Permit

Croatian Care Worker talks about working in the UK and how she got her yellow card permit and NIN with the help of Concept Care Solutions.

For more information on Croatians working in the UK see: http://how2cometotheuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/immigration-information-for-croatians.html

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 

Dario from Croatia talks about working in the UK

If you would like more information about how Croatian EU Citizens can legally work in the UK visit my blog - Immigration Information for Croatians Coming to the UK to Work, Study or Visit.

Immigration Rules for Croatians Coming to the UK to Work, Study or Visit

Under the EU Accession of Croatia Immigration and Worker Authorisiation Rules, the UK Home Office has imposed a 7 year work or full free movement of labour restriction on Croatian nationals coming to live in the UK.

Croatian nationals may stay in the UK for up to 90 days before exercise their 'free movement' rights to stay under a number of immigration categories, for instance, as a worker, student or self sufficient person.

Croatians (like Romanians and Bulgarians before them) require Accession Worker Authorisation to work in the UK. Permission to work is can come in various forms such as Work Permits (Purple Registration Cards), Highly Skilled worker cards, Au Pairs and student "Yellow Card", which allow work and study when taking a vocational (work based) training course in the UK.

Purple Cards are a type of work permit issued by the Home Office to workers in jobs at NQF (National Qualifications Framework) level 4 and above. For example, you will get a Purple Card for a qualified nursing job in an NHS hospital, but not as a care worker or HCA. 

The job must also be on the National Shortage Occupations list or meet the Resident Labour Market test - in other words, the employer cannot find a suitable resident worker or EU/EEA national to fill the job vacancy.  

The employer should be licensed under Tier 2 of the points based system and must apply for your Purple Registration Certificate before you come to the UK.

You should be able to demonstrate a level of English language at B1 or above on the Council of Europe's Common European Framework for Language Learning (CEFL), although this requirement would appear to run against EU regulations?

Croatian nationals can come to the UK to set up a business and work on a self-employed basis. You do not need a yellow card to set up a business under the free movement regulations, but you should register the business with the UK tax authority (HMRC) and demonstrate that you are running a genuine business.

Once a Croatian has been living in the UK legally for 12 months they can normally apply for a Blue Registration Card, which gives them rights to remain and work in the UK.

Like Romanians and Bulgarians, many Croatians are choosing to migrate here as a student to study and work in the UK. 

Before applying for a student yellow card, students must register on an approved course (which will normally be chargeable by monthly installments) and take out comprehensive sickness insurance. A European insurance health card 'EHIC' if the stay in temporary.

London based Concept Care Solutions and training provider London Cactus College have combined to offer paid work placements in care and approved vocational courses to Croatian nationals who want to work and study in the UK.

Assistance is also offered with Yellow and Blue Card immigration paperwork, as well as finding accommodation and getting settled in London. 

Further information on the immigration process can be found on the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration website or email me if you would like to work in the UK.