Hiring of foreign nurses in UK will be greatly reduced with the implementation of a new policy that takes the nursing profession out of the shortage occupation list. The new policy was announced by the United Kingdom Home Office and will take effect on August 14, 2006.
This means that UK employers (National Health Service (NHS) and independent health providers) would prioritize local residents before offering it to foreign applicants. However, the new policy only applies to general nurses. Nurses that specialize in the following categories are still in-demand in UK: audiology, sleep/respiratory physiology, neurophysiology, operating theater nursing, clinical radiology, pathology, and critical care.
Employers who wish to recruit general nurses from other countries can only do so by proving to the Work Permit UK that they cannot find a suitable applicant among local UK residents. They will not be allowed to post job vacancies for general nurses without the said permit.
Under the present policy, employers recruiting international nurses of whatever categories can apply directly to the Home Office for a work permit without the need to advertise the vacancies.
