Best Countries for Nigerian and Filipino Nurses to Migrate to in 2026

Imagine you are a nurse in Manila, or Lagos, finishing your third night shift this week. Your ward has one nurse for far too many patients. You know your skills are good. You also know that a nurse with the same training, in another country, earns far more than you for the same work.

Then a friend from nursing school texts. She just passed her OSCE in the UK. Could that be you?

The short answer: It can be you. The world is short of roughly 5.9 million nurses, according to the World Health Organization. Its 2025 State of the World's Nursing report says about one in seven nurses in rich countries now trained abroad. Four countries offer the clearest routes in 2026. The UK is the fastest supported start. Canada is best for permanent residency. Australia is strong on conditions but strict on English. The UAE is the fastest licence and pays tax-free, but offers no normal path to settle.

Figures are from early 2026. Check the official regulator or immigration site before you pay anything.

First, protect yourself from bad agents

Some agents are honest. Some are not. Never pay a "guaranteed placement" fee. Never give original documents to an unlicensed recruiter. Never pay an employer for a job. Read our guide on avoiding migration scams before you sign anything.

United Kingdom: the most supported start

Registered nursing is on the UK's Immigration Salary List (which replaced the Shortage Occupation List).

The licence: NMC registration

You register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). There are three gates:

• CBT (Computer-Based Test): a two-part multiple-choice exam on theory and clinical knowledge. You can sit it at Pearson VUE centres in Lagos, Abuja and Manila.
• OSCE: a practical exam of ten simulated stations at a UK test centre (usually Northampton, Oxford Brookes or Ulster).
• English: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall (at least 6.5 in writing, 7.0 in the rest), or OET grade B in all four skills. Nigerian and Filipino applicants are usually asked for a test result.

The NMC process usually takes 3 to 6 months. Think of it like a relay race where the NHS trust carries the baton for part of the way. Many trusts cover the CBT, flights, first housing and paid OSCE preparation after you arrive. The OSCE fee is often taken back from your salary over time. Budget for the NMC application fee (around GBP 153) and registration fee (around GBP 153) on top of exams.

What you will earn

NHS pay follows Agenda for Change bands. For the 2025/26 pay year, roughly:

• Band 5 (newly arrived): GBP 31,000 - 38,000
• Band 6 (experienced or specialist): GBP 38,700 - 46,150
• Band 7 (senior or advanced): GBP 47,800 - 54,700

Inner London adds a High Cost Area Supplement of up to about GBP 2,300 a year. Nights, weekends and bank holidays pay 30 to 60 per cent more under Section 2 of Agenda for Change. Bank or agency shifts add more.

The visa

Nurses use the Health and Care Worker visa, a friendlier branch of the Skilled Worker route:

• Lower visa fees than the main Skilled Worker visa
• No Immigration Health Surcharge, which would cost over GBP 5,000 per person on a five-year visa
• Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after five years, then British citizenship a year later
• Family: your spouse or partner and children under 18 can join you

One warning. From 2025 the UK cut overseas recruitment of care workers, a separate and lower-paid job. Registered nurses are not affected in the same way, but rules move. See our UK migration guide and the UK arrival guide for your first weeks.

Canada: the best route to permanent residency

Picture yourself landing in Toronto with permanent residency already granted. No employer can take your status away. Demand is strongest in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and the Atlantic provinces.

The licence

Each province regulates nursing, but the steps are similar:

• NNAS (National Nursing Assessment Service): checks your education, registration and practice against Canadian standards. This is the slowest step. Allow several months and about USD 650, plus courier and verification costs.
• Provincial regulator: you then apply to the college in your province, such as CNO in Ontario or BCCNM in British Columbia.
• NCLEX-RN: the North American licensing exam, now standard in most provinces. You can sit it at Pearson VUE centres outside Canada.
• Language test: IELTS General or Academic, or CELBAN (a healthcare test) for English provinces. TEF or TCF for Quebec, which uses its own system through the OIIQ.

The whole process often takes 6 to 12 months. Nigerian and Filipino schools can be slow to verify documents, so start early.

What you will earn

Typical 2026 ranges:

• Registered Nurse (entry): CAD 68,000 - 85,000
• Experienced RN: CAD 85,000 - 105,000
• Nurse Practitioner: CAD 105,000 - 130,000+

Overtime and rural or northern premiums push this higher. Alberta and British Columbia tend to start highest.

The visa

• Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker): since 2024, Canada has run draws just for healthcare jobs. These can invite people with lower CRS scores than general draws. For many nurses, this is the biggest advantage.
• Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): most provinces have healthcare streams. A nomination adds 600 CRS points, which in practice means an invitation.
• Atlantic Immigration Program: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador offer employer-led routes for healthcare workers.

Most routes give permanent residency on arrival or within one to two years. You can then change employer or province freely. See our Canada migration guide.

Australia: strong pay, strict English

Conditions are good, weekend pay is generous, and the path to permanent residency is clear. The catch is English.

The licence

You register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through AHPRA. Since 2020, AHPRA uses an Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA):

• Eligibility check of your qualification and registration history.
• OBA multiple-choice exam (MCQ), which you can sit in your home country.
• OBA OSCE, a practical exam in Adelaide.
• English: IELTS Academic 7.0 in each band, the strictest of the four. OET, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT also count. You may combine scores from two sittings within six months, under set conditions.
• National Police Check, and a Working with Children Check for some roles.

English is where most people get stuck. Train for it like a marathon, not a sprint.

What you will earn

Indicative 2026 ranges:

• Registered Nurse (Level 1): AUD 72,000 - 88,000
• Experienced RN (Level 2): AUD 88,000 - 105,000
• Clinical Nurse Specialist: AUD 105,000 - 120,000
• Nurse Practitioner: AUD 125,000+

Weekend, holiday and night shifts often add 25 to 75 per cent. Your employer also pays superannuation (pension), which rose to 12 per cent in 2025, on top of your salary.

The visa

• Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand): employer-sponsored. It replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa in late 2024. Nurses can work up to four years and move to permanent residency.
• Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme): direct employer-sponsored permanent residency, often after time on a 482.
• Subclass 189 / 190: points-tested permanent visas. Registered nurses are on the Core Skills Occupation List.
• Regional visas (491 / 494): extra points and often faster processing if you work outside big cities.

Being open to regional areas often turns a slow queue into a quick invitation. See our Australia migration guide.

United Arab Emirates: fast, tax-free, temporary

Imagine you have family debts at home and want to clear them fast. The UAE is built for that: tax-free pay, modern hospitals, quick licensing. But your residency depends on your job.

The licence

Each emirate has its own authority:

• DHA (Dubai Health Authority): Dubai
• DOH (Department of Health): Abu Dhabi
• MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention): the northern emirates

You will usually need:

• At least two years' experience after qualifying (more for some specialties)
• DataFlow verification of your degree, licence and experience: 4 to 8 weeks, about USD 250 to 350
• A Prometric or licensing exam for your authority
• English: often no formal test if you trained in English, though some employers ask

Licensing often takes 2 to 4 months, the fastest of the four.

What you will earn

Pay is monthly and tax-free:

• Staff Nurse: AED 8,000 - 15,000 a month (roughly USD 2,200 - 4,100)
• Senior / Specialist Nurse: AED 15,000 - 25,000 a month
• Nurse Manager: AED 25,000 - 35,000+ a month

Most employers add free housing or a housing allowance, a yearly flight home, health insurance for your family, and an end-of-service gratuity paid as a lump sum.

The visa

The UAE has no normal permanent residency. Your employer sponsors your visa while you work there. The Golden Visa (5 or 10 years, renewable) is open to some healthcare professionals. It lets you sponsor family and stay between jobs.

Many nurses use the UAE like a savings jar: a few tax-free years to clear debt, then a move to a country where they can settle.

Comparison at a glance

What it will cost you

Rough per-person costs, before relocation:

• UK: CBT (around GBP 83), OSCE (around GBP 794 if you pay yourself), IELTS/OET (GBP 150-350), NMC fees (around GBP 300), plus the visa. A sponsoring trust often covers or repays many of these.
• Canada: NNAS (around USD 650), NCLEX-RN (USD 200 plus a regulator fee), IELTS/CELBAN, provincial fees, and Express Entry fees of around CAD 1,590 per adult at the PR stage.
• Australia: AHPRA and OBA fees (the MCQ and OSCE together cost several thousand Australian dollars), IELTS, skills assessment, plus the visa. For the 189 that is AUD 6,135 from 1 July 2026.
• UAE: DataFlow (around USD 300), the exam fee, and medical and Emirates ID costs. Good employers pay most of these.

Slow verification from Nigerian and Filipino schools is the most common delay. Request transcripts and licence checks the day you decide.

Which country fits you?

Ask yourself one honest question. What do I need most in the next five years?

• Security and a permanent home: Canada. Healthcare draws and PR often on arrival.
• Savings, fast: the UAE. Tax-free pay and free housing.
• Balance and long-term stability: Australia, if you can clear the English bar.
• A quick, supported start: the UK. Trust-sponsored NMC pipelines and lower visa fees.

Many nurses do two in a row. They license and save in the UAE for two or three years. Then they move to Canada or Australia with money in the bank and, for Canada, experience points that lift their CRS score.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need work experience before I can migrate?

For the UK, Canada and Australia, you can often qualify as a newly registered nurse. Most employers prefer at least a year of practice. The UAE is different: two years of experience is a firm minimum in most emirates.

Is NCLEX-RN harder than the UK's CBT and OSCE?

They test in different ways. NCLEX-RN is one adaptive exam. The UK splits theory (CBT) from practical skills (OSCE). Australia's OBA is closest to the UK model. Choose by where you want to live, not by which exam looks easier.

Can my spouse and children come with me?

Yes, in all four countries. In the UK, Canada and Australia, spouses can usually work. In the UAE, you sponsor your family once your salary meets the threshold.

How long until I can get citizenship?

Canada is fastest to secure status, with citizenship possible after around three years of residence. The UK gives settlement after five years and citizenship a year later. Australia typically takes about four years to PR-linked citizenship. The UAE does not offer citizenship in the ordinary sense.

Which country pays the most in real terms?

Australia and Canada have the highest headline salaries. But UAE pay is tax-free and often comes with free housing, so you may keep more each month. Compare take-home pay after tax, rent and living costs in your city, not the gross figure.

Should I use a recruitment agency?

A good agency or NHS trust pipeline can save you time and cover costs. A bad one can cost you thousands and your documents. Check the recruiter's registration, never pay for a "guaranteed" job, and read how to avoid migration scams first.

Your next step

The demand is real and the routes are well known. What decides your outcome is starting document checks early, being honest about your English, and avoiding bad agents. Next time, you could be the one sending the good news.