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Job pathway · United Kingdom

Registered nurse jobs in United Kingdom

Nursing is one of the few UK occupations where overseas recruitment is still open while domestic demand stays high. The hard part is rarely the CV — it is NMC registration and knowing which employers hold a sponsor licence.

Where to look Start a CV

Your resume stays on your device.

Which routes are open

Status reflects the official position at the time of writing. Rules change often — follow each link and confirm before you act on it.

  • Health & Care Worker visa — registered nurse

    Open

    Registered nursing occupations (SOC 2231–2237) remain eligible for new overseas applications, with a salary floor around £25,000 or the going rate for the code, whichever is higher.

    Check the official source

  • Health & Care Worker visa — care worker

    Closed

    Separate occupation, separate rules. SOC 6135/6136 closed to new overseas applicants on 22 July 2025. If you are outside the UK, this route is not available to you regardless of what a job advert claims.

    Check the official source

Watch out. One of the routes above is closed to new overseas applicants. Adverts still promising it are either out of date or are selling something that does not exist. Never pay for a job offer or a certificate of sponsorship.

What you need before applying

  • NMC registration — the CBT (computer-based test) is sat in your home country, the OSCE in the UK.
  • English evidence: IELTS, OET, or an accepted alternative.
  • A sponsor licence holder. Check the employer on the public register before paying anyone anything.

Where to find the jobs

Go to these directly. Applying at the source beats applying through a reposting aggregator, and the official registers let you verify an employer before you commit anything.

What your registered nurse CV must show

  • Lead with your NMC status — registered, CBT passed, or application submitted. Recruiters filter on this first.
  • Name your clinical specialty and setting (ICU, theatre, paediatrics, community) in the first line.
  • Quantify caseload: beds covered, patients per shift, team size supervised.
  • List revalidation, mandatory training and any UK-recognised certifications explicitly.

Write it now. Open the nurse example in the builder and replace the details with your own. It saves in your browser — no account, nothing uploaded.

Registered nurse in United Kingdom — FAQ

Can I apply for NHS jobs before I have NMC registration?

Yes. Many trusts recruit candidates who have passed the CBT and are working toward the OSCE, and some run OSCE preparation programmes. Say exactly where you are in the process on your CV rather than leaving it vague.

Is the care worker route really closed?

For new applicants from outside the UK, yes — it closed on 22 July 2025. People already in the UK on that route can still extend or switch within the sector. Adverts promising overseas care worker sponsorship should be treated with suspicion.

Do I need a UK-style CV or will mine do?

UK nursing CVs are typically two pages, in reverse-chronological order, with no photo, no date of birth and no marital status. If your current CV includes those, remove them.

How long does the whole process take?

Plan for six to twelve months from starting NMC registration to arriving. CBT booking, decision letters, the visa application and OSCE scheduling each add weeks, and they rarely overlap neatly. Start the registration before you start applying.

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