Healthcare Worker Shortages 2026: Where Nurses and Carers Can Go

If you're a nurse, midwife or carer, you've probably seen adverts promising fast visas and big salaries abroad. Some of the demand is real. Some of the promises are not, and rules have tightened in several countries since 2025.

This guide shows where the shortages actually are, which routes are open at the time of writing (September 2026), what registration involves, and what it costs. Rules change often, so check every official link before you spend money.

How big is the healthcare worker shortage?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a projected shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

For nursing specifically, WHO's State of the World's Nursing 2025 report found:

• 29.8 million nurses worldwide in 2023, up from 27.9 million in 2018
• a shortage of 5.8 million in 2023, projected to fall to 4.1 million by 2030
• about 19% of nurses expected to retire within 10 years
• 23% of the nursing workforce in high-income countries is foreign-born or foreign-trained

That last number explains why rich countries recruit abroad. It also explains why WHO urges ethical recruitment. The WHO Global Code of Practice on international recruitment was amended by the World Health Assembly in 2026, and some countries restrict active recruitment from places with severe shortages of their own.

Which roles are most in demand?

Across the countries in this guide, three groups come up again and again.

Registered nurses are the clearest case. They appear on Canada's healthcare Express Entry category, Australia's skilled occupation lists and Tier 1 of New Zealand's Green List. In the US, professional nurses are on Schedule A, which is explained below.

Midwives, doctors and allied health staff such as physiotherapists, radiographers and pharmacists also feature on many lists. They face the same pattern: qualification check, exams, registration, then a job and a visa.

Carers and support workers are in huge demand, but immigration routes for them have narrowed. The UK and Canada both closed or paused key routes for new overseas applicants in 2025.

Visa routes by country at a glance

United Kingdom

The Health and Care Worker visa is for doctors, nurses, health professionals and adult social care staff working for approved employers.

GOV.UK lists all registered nursing codes (2231 to 2237) as eligible. The general minimum salary is £25,000 or the "going rate" for the job, whichever is higher.

Care worker (6135) and senior care worker (6136) roles are only available for extending, updating or switching from inside the UK. You can't use them to apply from overseas.

For pay context, NHS Employers publishes Agenda for Change pay scales. From 1 April 2026 in England, Band 5, the usual starting band for newly registered nurses, runs from £32,073 to £39,043. Read our full guide to UK healthcare jobs and sponsorship.

Canada

Canada uses Express Entry, an online system that ranks skilled workers for permanent residence. Its healthcare and social services category lets the government invite people in listed jobs, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners and nurse aides.

You need at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or the part-time equivalent) in an eligible job within the last 3 years. Being eligible for a category doesn't guarantee an invitation.

Provinces also run their own nominee programmes, and several have health-focused streams. Criteria change often, so check each province's official site.

For carers, the picture is tougher. IRCC paused intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots and said it would not reopen in March 2026. It is processing applications already received.

Australia

Registered nurse occupations appear on Australia's skilled occupation list for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the points-tested visas. The skills assessment authority for migration is the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).

Registration to practise is separate. It goes through Ahpra, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, for the Nursing and Midwifery Board. Some nurses may need an outcomes-based assessment (OBA) if their qualification isn't substantially equivalent. Some nurses registered in certain countries may qualify for a faster route if they meet practice-hour and other standards.

Our Australia skilled migration guide explains the points test and state nomination.

New Zealand

Registered nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives are on Tier 1 of the Green List. Tier 1 leads to the Straight to Residence visa if you have a job or offer with an accredited employer and meet the pay, qualification and registration requirements.

The key requirement is registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand (or the Midwifery Council for midwives). See our guide to New Zealand Green List jobs.

Germany

Nursing (Pflegefachperson) is a regulated profession in Germany, so you need recognition before you can work as a qualified nurse.

The official recognition portal says you need German at B2 level plus a specialist language exam. The authority compares your training with the German qualification. If there are major differences, you may do a compensation measure, either an adaptation course or a knowledge test.

Germany's Federal Employment Agency lists nursing among its shortage occupations in its 2025 skills shortage analysis. Germany also offers residence options for people who still need to complete a compensation measure, but conditions apply, so check with the German mission in your country.

United States

Most foreign nurses aim for the EB-3 green card, which is permanent residence based on employment. USCIS says professional nurses and physical therapists are on Schedule A. This means the Department of Labor has already decided there aren't enough US workers, so the employer doesn't need the usual labour market test.

Nurses still need a US employer, must pass the NCLEX-RN (the US licensing exam) and need a health care worker certification such as VisaScreen. The wait depends on the monthly Visa Bulletin and your country of birth.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts the median pay for registered nurses at $97,550 a year in 2025. Pay varies widely by state. Our EB-3 guide covers the process in more detail.

Registration and licensing: what's involved

Registration is usually the slowest and most expensive part. Here's what the main regulators ask for.

UK (NMC). You apply online, prove your English, then take the test of competence. Part 1 is a computer-based test (CBT) taken abroad. Part 2 is a practical exam called an OSCE (objective structured clinical examination), taken in the UK.

US (NCLEX). Each state board of nursing sets its own rules. Most internationally educated nurses need a credentials evaluation, then register for the NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE.

Canada. Most internationally educated nurses start with the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), which sends an advisory report to the provincial regulator. The regulator may then ask for more assessment, bridging courses or the NCLEX-RN.

Australia (Ahpra and NMBA). You complete a self-check, then apply. If your qualification is relevant but not equivalent, you may need the OBA before registration.

New Zealand. You apply to the Nursing Council of New Zealand, which decides what extra assessment, if any, you need before registration.

Germany. You apply to the recognition authority in the state where you'll work, and prove B2 German.

Credential costs you should budget for

These are the official fees we could verify in September 2026. They don't include English tests, translations, document checks, travel or course fees.

NCSBN says the NCLEX registration fee rises to US$350 (and CAD $570 in Canada) from 1 February 2027. German recognition fees vary by state and profession; the official portal says they are often several hundred euros.

Costs and money once you move

Registration is only the start. Build a realistic budget before you accept an offer.

• Health cover. UK Health and Care Worker visa holders and their families don't pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. In other countries, check whether you're covered by public health insurance straight away or need private cover at first.
• Proof of funds. The UK route asks for at least £1,270 in savings unless you're exempt or your employer certifies your maintenance.
• Opening a bank account. Take your passport, visa and proof of address. Some banks offer accounts to new arrivals before you have a local credit history.
• Taxes. Your pay slip will show tax and social contributions. Germany, for example, deducts health and pension contributions, so net pay can be much lower than gross.
• Sending money home. Compare exchange rates and fees across licensed providers. Small differences add up over a year.
• Repayment clauses. Some employers pay relocation costs but ask you to repay part if you leave early. Read these clauses carefully before signing.

Step-by-step: moving abroad as a healthcare worker

1. Pick one or two countries. Base the choice on language, recognition prospects and family plans, not just headline pay.
2. Check your occupation on the official list for that country's visa.
3. Start registration early. Gather your transcripts, licence verification and employment references.
4. Take the right language test for the regulator and for the visa. They sometimes accept different tests.
5. Pass the licensing exams the regulator asks for.
6. Find a genuine employer. Use official job boards and the public health system's own careers pages.
7. Apply for the visa once you have the documents the route requires.
8. Plan your first three months. Budget for housing deposits, transport and time before your first full pay.

Your checklist and next steps

• Read WHO's recruitment guidance if you trained in a country with severe shortages.
• Confirm your occupation code and visa route on the official government site.
• Contact the regulator (NMC, NNAS, Ahpra, Nursing Council or German recognition authority) before paying for exams.
• Keep a spreadsheet of every fee, receipt and deadline.
• Verify every employer and never pay for sponsorship.
• Recheck settlement rules, especially in the UK, before you commit to a long-term plan.

If you're weighing the US, start with our explainer on employment-based green cards.