In a recent development, nurses from Zimbabwe have been barred from taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the United States due to trade restrictions imposed by the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Zimbabwe is one of the sanctioned countries whose residents are not allowed to participate in the NCLEX, a federal requirement for obtaining a nursing license in the US.
A statement shared on social media reads;
U.S Sanctioned (Embargoed) Country ID
Due to U.S. trade restrictions, candidates living in a sanctioned country aren’t allowed to take the NCLEX. This is a federal requirement by The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury.”
The updated Section 1.2 of the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) Client Reference explicitly states that IDs from Zimbabwe, along with other sanctioned countries such as Afghanistan, Balkans, Belarus, Burma, Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, Syria, are not allowed to write NCLEX exams. Candidates from these countries are required to provide additional government-issued documentation as proof of residence in a non-sanctioned country in order to be eligible to take the exam.
“Candidates using a passport from a sanctioned country as identification must also present proof of residency (government-issued identification) from a non-sanctioned country to take the NCLEX
“Section 1.2 of the NCSBN Client Reference has been updated. NCSBN does not allow IDs from the following sanctioned countries: Afghanistan, Balkans, Belarus, Burma, Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, Syria, and Zimbabwe. If a candidate presents a primary or secondary ID from a sanctioned country, ask the candidate to provide additional government-issued documentation as proof of residence in another country,” reads part of the statement.
Zimbabwe Added to UK’s Red List for Recruitment of Health Care Workers
Recently, Zimbabwe was placed on the red list of countries where the United Kingdom cannot actively recruit health and social care workers.
The World Health Organization imposed a ban on the UK, preventing it from actively recruiting health and social care workers from Zimbabwe.
This measure has been put in place to safeguard Zimbabwe’s fragile health care system, which has been adversely affected by the significant loss of health workers to recruitment efforts by the UK.
