DataFlow verification for Nigerian nurses: how it works, what the outcomes mean, and appeals
Gulf regulators want your documents verified at source, and DataFlow is one of the companies they approve to do it. This guide sets out what DataFlow checks, how an application runs, what its outcome labels mean, what you can appeal, and what the regulators do with the result.
What DataFlow does
DataFlow carries out primary source verification (PSV) by approaching the issuing authorities directly to confirm that a document is authentic. It also confirms that the issuing authority is accredited. For a nurse the documents can include degrees, professional qualifications, academic transcripts, employment certificates, health licences and good standing certificates. Which ones apply depends on the regulator and the package.
What is checked for a nurse, by regulator
The package differs by regulator:
- SCFHS (Saudi Arabia): the nurse package covers verification of one educational qualification and one professional licence. If you hold no licence from your last country of work, you submit an endorsement letter and your experience certificate instead.
- DHP (Qatar): the nurses and pharmacists package covers one educational qualification, one professional licence, and your last three years of experience with up to three employers.
- NHRA (Bahrain): NHRA accepts a DataFlow or QuadraBay report, and it must cover all qualifications, full experience, the good standing certificate and the licence.
For SCFHS, review your classification on Mumaris Plus before you start, because you submit documents for verification according to the classification SCFHS gives you.
How an application runs
For SCFHS, the sequence is: register with a valid email and mobile number, confirm the one-time code, choose Saudi Arabia and then SCFHS, enter your details and documents, digitally sign the Letter of Authorisation, review, and pay. You then receive a receipt and verification begins, and your confirmation email carries your DataFlow case number.
- Documents: your passport, the documents to be verified, and a name change certificate if a name on any document differs from your passport.
- DataFlow does not require attestation, apostille or translated or physical copies for PSV. Your recruiter or regulator might require some originals or attestations.
- Send everything at submission. Anything submitted later costs extra and delays the final report.
- If something is missing, your case shows as Cases in insufficiency. Providing the missing documents or information is mandatory for the verification to proceed.
Nigerian issuing authorities
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) is one of DataFlow's most critical high-volume issuing authorities for nurses travelling from Africa to the Middle East, and DataFlow signed a memorandum of understanding with NMCN in June 2022.
ELAB does not quote response times or fees for individual Nigerian schools of nursing or universities, and we follow up with the school on your file.
What the outcomes mean
A DataFlow report comes back with one of three outcomes: positive, Unable to Verify or Discrepancy. Regulators call a Discrepancy result negative: DHA defines it as negative feedback on the submitted credentials.
- Discrepancy: the issuing authority says it did not issue the document or that it was tampered with, or the issuing authority is not accredited or is operating illegally.
- Unable to Verify: results could not be obtained because of non-disclosure policies or non-cooperative authorities, or because the issuing authority could not be contacted, for example through political unrest, natural disasters or strikes.
Appeals
You can request a one-time re-verification of the same document free of charge by raising an Appeal, within 180 days of the completion of your Unable to Verify or Discrepancy report. It is not free when the Unable to Verify came from missing documents or details you did not supply. An Appeal is for when you disagree with the outcome. A new or different document is not an Appeal: you add it as an additional document and pay the associated fee.
Verification fees are not refunded when a case closes as Unable to Verify or Discrepancy. DHA lets an applicant seek re-verification (an appeal) of the same document twice after an Unable to Verify result and once after a Discrepancy result. Which rule applies depends on the regulator, and ELAB confirms it, including whether the re-verification is free, before you appeal. You raise an Appeal at dataflowstatus.com with your case number and passport number.
What regulators do with the result
The consequences come from the regulator, not from DataFlow:
- DHA (Dubai): a positive PSV result is required for a licence. A name can be added to the DHA blacklist for a negative PSV report, and a pending or negative PSV result is among the reasons you cannot apply for registration.
- DHP (Qatar): the report is reviewed and misleading information can lead to investigation and disciplinary action. An Unable to Verify or negative result goes to an interview, with options to re-verify within 14 days, proceed, or be rejected or blacklisted.
- SCFHS: ELAB confirms how a negative or Unable to Verify outcome is treated for your file.
A document that cannot be verified can cost you the fee and put your application at risk.
Sharing and reusing a report
DataFlow shares the final report with your regulator and you can download a copy. For SCFHS, a detailed copy of the report is shared with SCFHS once verification is complete.
DataFlow can re-issue or transfer an earlier report to another regulator, when the documents it verified before meet the new regulator's requirements. You must sign a new Letter of Authorisation, DataFlow may verify extra details such as mode of study if that wasn't verified earlier, and the fee differs by regulator. DHA accepts PSV reports transferred from DOH, SHA and MOHAP. ELAB confirms the report's validity period and whether a QuadraBay report transfers to DataFlow for your file. DataFlow deletes your data 12 months after verification is completed, so ELAB checks with DataFlow whether an older case can still be transferred. Regulators set their own document ages: for a new application, DHA requires a good standing certificate no older than 6 months, and so does NHRA.
How long it takes
Plan on 15 to 25 working days from payment and a complete set of documents. The SCFHS and DHP averages are 25 and 20 working days. Verification handled through TrueProfile.io licensing can take up to 3 months. Incomplete submissions, late responses from issuing authorities and conflicts, strikes or natural disasters cause delays. An optional paid express service for SCFHS and DHP averages 14 working days. These are processing averages, and ELAB doesn't promise a total.
What it costs
DataFlow's fees vary with the package you choose and the number of additional documents, and some issuing authorities add a fee to release a verification. Those are shown in your application. The regulator charges its own fees and ELAB's service fee is separate, so your quote at consultation lists each one.
How ELAB handles it
If you use ELAB for DataFlow, we take the application end to end:
- Check your documents against the regulator's package and the issuer's details before submission.
- Set up the account and the case in DataFlow's portal, submit it and pay.
- Follow the case until the report is issued, and follow up when it shows missing information.
- Tell you where each report is needed next.
DataFlow requires a Letter of Authorisation for each application, and we take care of that with you. The issuing authorities and the regulator decide the outcome, not us.
Common questions
What does DataFlow verify for a nurse?
It contacts the issuing authorities to confirm documents such as your degree, transcript, employment certificate, licence and good standing certificate. Which ones depend on the regulator and the package, for example one qualification and one licence for SCFHS.
What is a negative DataFlow report?
DataFlow reports come back as positive, Unable to Verify or Discrepancy. Negative is the regulators' word for a discrepancy: DHA defines a discrepancy result as negative feedback on the submitted credentials.
Can I appeal a DataFlow result?
You can request one free re-verification of the same document within 180 days of an Unable to Verify or Discrepancy report, unless the Unable to Verify came from missing information. A different document is added as an additional document, with its fee, not appealed.
Can I reuse my DataFlow report for another country?
DataFlow can transfer a report to another regulator when the documents it verified meet that regulator's requirements. You must sign a new Letter of Authorisation, it may need extra verification, and the fee differs by regulator.
Do I need to attest my documents for DataFlow?
DataFlow doesn't require attestation, apostille or translated copies for PSV, but your recruiter or regulator might require some originals or attestations.
How long does DataFlow verification take?
Plan on 15 to 25 working days once payment and a complete set of documents are in. Verification handled through TrueProfile.io licensing can take up to 3 months. ELAB doesn't promise a timeline of its own.
Your next step
Send us your qualification, your licence and where you are applying, and we'll tell you which documents to line up first.