For some, it’s a life-long dream to work in the UK as a nurse – but they hit a roadblock when they start looking into UK working visas, particularly when you’re a nurse. You may have everything else planned out perfectly, but without the correct visas, you may not even make it into the UK, let alone work as a nurse.
The good news is, nurses from Australia are usually considered with high regard, so you stand a great chance of fulfilling your dream (provided you do all the right things). Nurses from other countries are still held in high regard so no matter where you’re from the UK may be the kick your career needs. Here’s everything you need to know about working visa’s in the UK:
Once you’re registered through the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Overseas Nursing Programme, you can apply for a work permit (either your employer can do this, or you can apply for a Tier 1 – General skilled visa if you don’t already have a job lined up).
If you have a position organised and your employer is willing to sponsor you, you can obtain a Tier 2 (General) visa, if the employer holds a Tier 2 sponsorship licence and it is valid.
If you’re going to be earning less than £150,000, the number of positions under this visa scheme is capped at 20,700. As not many people coming to work in the UK actually earn this much, many fall into the capped scheme.
If you’re applying for a Tier 2 visa, you need to have at least 70 ‘points’; a letter of sponsorship is worth 30 points. Conditions apply to the obtaining of the letter, so it’s best to be aware of these. 20 points will be allocated if you will be ‘earning the appropriate salary and allowances’; you must earn at least £20,000 (including allowances). If you don’t fall into this category there are other ways you can earn these 20 points. Your English abilities will score more points towards your UK working visa.
Of course you can enter the UK with a working holiday visa, and it’s best to look into the criteria for these kinds of visas before you make plans to live and work in the UK.
However because these visas often have restrictions on how much work, and the type of work, you can do it’s best to speak with an expert before you apply.
HealthStaff Recruitment know all the ins and outs when it comes to UK working visas for nurses. We are registered migration agents offering a range of specialist migration services to medical professional. So speak with us today before applying for your visa to ensure you’re on track to achieving your dreams.