Pinoy nurses warned vs job offers in Norway

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine embassy in Oslo has warned Filipino nurses and health care workers to be wary of misleading information circulating online that more jobs are available in Norway.

The misinformation peddled by “consultancy” firms make unsuspecting Filipinos believe that getting a nursing or healthcare job in Norway is easy and that no International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required.

“While it is true that IELTS is not required by most health care employers in Norway, this is only because English is not the primary language used in the country,” the embassy said.

The embassy said that foreign nurses and health care practitioners wishing to work in Norway have to pass a much harder Norwegian language exam.

While a Professional Regulation Commission license may not be needed for the processing of a visa application, Norwegian authorities still require such license in order for a foreign health care worker to be properly recognized in Norway.

According to embassy officials, these consultancy firms charge applicants large fees for information and services that they can actually obtain for free.

The embassy has reported the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The Norwegian embassy in Manila has reiterated its warning about the proliferation of unlicensed Norwegian language schools in the Philippines that entice Filipino nurses. It also urged visa applicants to go directly to the Norwegian embassy.