Filipino wants to work as a nurse in England. What steps does she need to take to achieve this?

[WhamBam]

This is for a female filipino nurse with a Masters Degree in nursing. Worked as a nurse in Philipines, Hong Kong and China. Currently teaching English in Thailand.

She wishes to go to England to be a nurse. What steps does she need to take to do this? (She would prefer not to use one of the agencies here in Thailand if possible - unless that would be her best option).

Secondary. If she does become a nurse in England, is there a route she can take to get residency, pay her taxes and contributions to be able to get a U.K. pension? How long would that be expected to take?

I know I am asking a lot from scratch, but would like to know from the beginning what she needs and needs to know.
Thanks.

Edited June 15, 2015 by WhamBam

[7by7]

To work in the she will need a Tier 2 (General) visa.

As you can see, her first step will be to obtain a definite job offer from an approved UK sponsor.

Once in the UK with this visa she may be able to extend it, but only up to a maximum of 6 years.

[Soutpeel]

and given recent events in the UK surrounding Philippine nurses, one would expect intense scrutiny by the authorities in the UK to compound the application

[WhamBam]

and given recent events in the UK surrounding Philippine nurses, one would expect intense scrutiny by the authorities in the UK to compound the application

Or the odd nurse from the many thousands working in the U.K. To tar many with the same brush?

But i cannot see how she would not withstand any scrutiny.

Edited June 15, 2015 by WhamBam

[WhamBam]

To work in the she will need a Tier 2 (General) visa.

As you can see, her first step will be to obtain a definite job offer from an approved UK sponsor.

Once in the UK with this visa she may be able to extend it, but only up to a maximum of 6 years.

Thanks, I will look through that :-)

[Jay Sata]

I believe her application will have to be lodged in the Philippines and not Thailand.

.

[Soutpeel]

and given recent events in the UK surrounding Philippine nurses, one would expect intense scrutiny by the authorities in the UK to compound the application

Or the odd nurse from the many thousands working in the U.K. To tar many with the same brush?

But i cannot see how she would not withstand any scrutiny.

Well knowing the UK, I would say yes, and of course with this one case, the whole thing is being looked at, and from what I have read they are finding people with fake paperwork etc, not suggesting this is the case with the lady concerned, but one would expect a higher level of scrutiny, which is all I was saying

[7by7]

I believe her application will have to be lodged in the Philippines and not Thailand.

.

If she is legally resident in Thailand then she can apply in Thailand.

Although as most, if not all, UK hospitals looking to recruit Filipino nurses do so through agencies in the Philippines, she may have more luck obtaining employment in the UK as a nurse were she to return home.

[Basil B]

Thousands of foreign nurses working in junior posts in the UK could be forced to return home under new immigration rules, union leaders have warned.

A new pay threshold for migrants means non-European workers will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least £35,000.

The Royal College of Nursing said the rules would "cause chaos" for the NHS and waste money spent on recruitment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33201189

So expect nurses pay to raise or the rules to change or NHS recruiting more heavily in two years time...

With the average pay of nurses less than £24K it will be difficult to achieve this even for a team leader (presume that is the equivalent to a ward sister) they fall short of £35K and it would be quite an achievement to get to that in 6 years.

IMHO, the rules for nurses should be that they should achieve a certain grade in 6 years, probably earning in excess of average pay to stay.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Basil B