Nurses and midwives who have trained outside the EEA (European Economic Area) and want to work in the UK as a nurse or midwife must gain professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Applicants are tested for competence through a two-part process to gain registration.
Part one - computer-based multiple-choice examination which is accessible around the world for applicants to access in their home countries.
Part two - practical objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) which will always be held in the UK.
The immigration rules changed in March 2015 to allow for an individual nurse to come to the UK to prepare for the OSCE.