Ireland’s Nursing and Midwifery Board announced a “one-off” extension to the validity of English tests for nurses seeking to practice in the country, which will last for a three-month period.
The extension was prompted by a substantial visa backlog, which put nearly 1,000 nurses from abroad at risk of their completed English tests expiring before they could secure their visas to practice in Ireland.
The recent delays have been caused by system challenges with the issuance of visas to come to Ireland. On recognition of the delays caused beyond the control of the applicants, NMBI decided to offer a once-off extension to nurses and midwives impacted by visa delays. – Nursing and Midwifery of Ireland spokesperson
Nurses coming from foreign countries to work within Ireland’s healthcare system are required to include a completed English test as part of their visa application in accordance with the standard practice in the country.
The same issue previously emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the travel restrictions imposed.
The spokesperson for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) explained that the problem arose from applicants’ inability to travel to Ireland and renew their tests or take necessary actions, resulting in issues with tests expiring.
During that period, an extension was announced tpp, but the one currently being offered, as emphasised by the NMBI, will be a single, one-time occurrence.
Despite having awaiting jobs in Ireland, the affected nurses still faced numerous visa rejections from the Department of Justice at the time.
It was compounded by the fact that English language tests such as the OET and IELTS remain valid for up to two years after nurses register in the country.
The situation posed a particular risk to nurses who had already secured employment, as there was a potential for their test validity to expire.
One of the nurses impacted by the visa delay and subsequently left without work due to it shared with The Journal, an Irish newspaper, that the situation had taken a toll on her mental well-being, causing her to experience depression.
The NMBI stated that it is currently trying to handle and process the existing backlog of applications that arose due to visa delays attributed to problems within the Department of Justice, as explained by its spokesperson.
The NMBI spokesperson also emphasised that they are aware the visa system delays have been resolved, and they do not expect any future complications.
