Filipino nurses are now moving more towards the United Kingdom instead of going to United States in last few years as the immigration policies in United Kingdom are more liberal than in United States.  The reason for this is the study and work program provided by the British health service since last four years for the foreign nurses which gives them a better and wider exposure of their field.

To work for the United States, Filipino nurses have to wait till they become eligible for H1-B working visa (which would take around five to seven years) and EB-3 immigrant visa before they enter US. However, in United Kingdom, one can easily get an entry via their study and work program scheme.

Recent survey conducted by UK Borders and Immigration Agency has revealed that annually, on an average Filipino nurses applied to work for United Kingdom has increased up to 7,000 from 2007 to 2009.

Saudi Arabia amongst all the countries has received the maximum number of Filipino nurses. The average number of nurses coming to Saudi Arabia in a year is around 8,000 or more. With the introduction of study and work program that includes practical training along with the study course (OJT), the number of nurses applying for UK visa has considerably grown in number.

There is a great demand of Filipino nurses and caregivers in Britain as their language proficiency is quite high and meets the language standards of European countries such as Romania and Poland. Many of these nurses even apply for the permanent residency status in Britain. The immigration laws of United States are quite strict for Filipino nurses making it difficult for them to settle there. Hence, many workers in the health industry are choosing countries like Saudi Arabia and UK over America as they are getting better opportunities and scope of residing permanently in these countries.