Work Permits

In order to be allowed entry into the UK for employment as a nurse you should already have a 'Statement of Entry on the (NMC) Register', an offer of a job, and in some cases a valid work permit.

Do I need a Work Permit?

The following people do not need work permits:

* European Economic Area (EEA) nationals (member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).

* People born in Gibraltar.

* Commonwealth citizens who were allowed to enter or to remain in the UK on the basis that a grandparent was born here.

* Commonwealth citizens who were allowed to enter or to remain in the UK on the basis that a grandparent was born here.

• Husbands, wives and dependent children under 18 of people who hold work permits, or who qualify under any of the above categories or those listed in paragraph 133 as long as the endorsement in their passport places no restriction on their employment here.

• Those who do not have any conditions attached to their stay in the UK.

A person who is subject to immigration control and is not in one of the groups described above will probably need a work permit.

If you are in any doubt about whether you will need a permit, you should ask the Home Office, Immigration and Nationality Directorate for advice:

Phone: 0870 606 7766

Fax: 020 8760 3017

or write to:

Home Office
Immigration & Nationality Enquiry Bureau
Block C
Whitgift Centre
Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 1AT

W: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/hpg.htm

People abroad can get advice from a UK Government representative overseas (for example at the British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in the country where they live).

You can download leaflets on immigration matters from the Home Office website or you can phone their Information Leaflets line: Phone: +44 (0)807 241 0645

How do I apply for a work permit?

It is the responsibility of your prospective employer to apply for a work permit for you from the Overseas Labour Service. There is currently an acute shortage of nurses in the UK and employers are therefore actively looking to recruit from abroad. In these cases they will be happy to arrange a work permit for you, if they decide to employ you. Nursing is classed as a "shortage occupation" and as such it is normally easier to get a work permit than for some other occupations. It is an offence to enter the service of an employer without having a valid work permit.

In general work permits are issued where the employer has established that it has not been possible, in spite of reasonable efforts being made, to fill a vacancy with a UK person with suitable qualifications and/or experience.

The Overseas Labour Service do not issue work permits for jobs at manual, craft, clerical, secretarial or similar levels, or for domestic work, such as nannies or housekeepers. Therefore if the job you have found is unskilled (eg Nursing Auxiliary, Health Care Assistant etc) it is unlikely that you will be successful in getting a work permit.

You should not enter the UK with the intention of looking for work without a work permit. If you found a job in the UK whilst on holiday here you would have to leave and apply for a work permit before re-entering the country.

How long does the process take?

A simple application can be dealt with in as little as a month. A contested or complicated application can take several months. As you would be applying for a work permit to take up a position in a "shortage occupation" you would normally anticipate a speedy decision.

Can I change jobs/employer once I am in the country?

Your employer can only make a work permit application for a named person to do a specific job for them, normally on a full-time basis. You should note that you cannot normally transfer a work permit to a different job or to work for a different employer.