RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Commission IX of the Indonesian Parliament is urging the Indonesian government to provide facilities for international certification exams for migrant caregivers and nurses within the country. The availability of certifications such as Prometric and the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is considered crucial.

Certification is essential so that Indonesian healthcare workers can go abroad to work with recognition of their competencies, secure better job positions, and earn more decent wages. This issue was one of the main focuses during a Working Meeting between Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives and the Minister of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI/BP2MI) in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

A member of Commission IX of the Indonesian Parliament, Edy Wuryanto, revealed that Indonesia has great potential with tens of thousands of healthcare graduates each year, consisting of approximately 20,000 caregiver graduates and 35,000 nurses. However, this potential is hindered by the lack of internationally recognized certification exams available domestically.

“So far, they’ve been entering the Middle East without Prometric certification. They usually start out there as assistants, and after a year, they take the Prometric exam there. In the end, their salary is halved, and they’re only recognized as assistants. The problem is that in Indonesia, Prometric and NCLEX aren’t available yet. This creates difficulties. So, LSP-BNSP professional certification must be promoted so that things like this can be done in Indonesia,” Edy said.

In response, P2MI Minister, Mukhtarudin, acknowledged that the lack of facilities for international certification exams, such as the NCLEX, within the country is a burden. Migrant healthcare workers also have to travel to neighboring countries just to take the exam.

He explained, “That’s indeed our challenge there, sir. For the NCLEX, for example, we have to go to the Philippines, sir. So, for instance, in Canada, nurses there earn high salaries, up to 150 million, but the process requires taking the NCLEX in the Philippines, and they have to cover the costs themselves. So, it’s a hassle. So, for now, we’re not ready for that. As for Prometric, some have already met the requirements, but the NCLEX is indeed a major hurdle.”

In response to these limitations, the Minister of P2MI stated that his office has been collaborating with Professional Certification Bodies (LSP) and the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP). Moving forward, his ministry will strengthen the role of these certification bodies within the country.