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Working as a Registered Nurse or Midwife in Australia

If you are an Internationally Qualified Nurse or Midwife and want to work in Australia as a registered nurse or midwife, you may be eligible to get registered in Australia and apply for an Australian visa. The demand for skilled nurses remains high in Australia.

In the 189 Skilled Independent visa invitation rounds in 2023, nurses have been the biggest winners.

The following occupations received invitations at the minimum 65 points:

254111 Midwife

254412 Registered Nurse (Aged Care)

254413 Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health)

254414 Registered Nurse (Community Health)

254415 Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency)

254416 Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability)

254417 Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation)

254421 Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)

254418 Registered Nurse (Medical)

254422 Registered Nurse (Mental Health)

254425 Registered Nurse (Paediatrics)

254423 Registered Nurse (Perioperative)

254424 Registered Nurse (Surgical)

254499 Registered Nurses nec

The registration process includes 3 different steps

• Get registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (AHPRA)
• Skills assessment from Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
• Apply for the visa (Department of Home Affairs)

What are the requirements for registration?

• Successfully completed the nursing education
• Qualification is equivalent to Australian bachelor’s degree (AQF level 7)
• Have at least 800 hours of workplace experience in different health care settings
• Certification from educational institute that proves of completing an assessment in medication administration and management
• IELTS 7, PTE 65 & TOEFL 88 overall score and not less than that in any band
• Professional’s skills and knowledge are up-to-date by meeting the recency of practice registration standard
• Criminal history checked

If you meet the requirements, then here is your Guide to the Registration:

• Self-assessment with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – AHPRA
• On the basis of your self-assessment, you will be assigned to the stream A, B or C by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) after an initial assessment.

• Stream A: Candidates who hold a qualification that is relevant but not significantly equivalent to an Australian approved qualification and satisfy the compulsory registration standards. You'll need to pay the assessment fee and complete Orientation Part 1 before completing the Portfolio stage.

• Stream B:Applicants who hold a qualification that is not significantly equivalent to an Australian approved qualification and satisfy the compulsory registration standards. It's recommended that you end your participation in the assessment process and upgrade your qualification if you wish to continue.

• Stream C: Not fitting in A or B stream.

• Once you are assigned to the stream A, B OR C then proceed further according to the stream.
• Proceed for the Internationally Qualified Nurses and Midwives (IQNM) assessment process and pay the IQNM Assessment Fee.
• Attend the Orientation Part 1 – It is an online learning course providing an introduction to Australia and the Australian healthcare context.
• Portfolio (This is where you will be supplying the qualification and identification details and documentation.
• Attend Multiple Choices Question (MCQ) exam (MCQ Exam is a computer-based multiple-choice test, undertaken at a Pearson VUE testing centre).
• Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). It is a clinical exam to assess the candidate’s knowledge, skills and competence at the graduate-level nurse or midwife.

Candidates who have successfully completed the Orientation Part 1, Portfolio, MCQ exam and the OSCE exam are now eligible to apply for registration in Australia.

If you are ready you can commence the self-check here. 

How can I apply for registration once I am eligible?

Once you are eligible to apply for registration, the application form for the registration will be made available within your dashboard.

You can access the form and lodge the application.

What happens next?

APRAH will review and verify your qualifications, proof of Identity and other documentation.

The NMBA will decide whether to approve your registration, propose to register with conditions, or propose to refuse your application. You will be notified the outcome by email of registration if your residential address is in Australia, or via a letter of in principle approval of registration if you are currently living overseas.

What is in principle registration?

If you have met all registration requirements, but only provided the minimum proof of identity evidence with your application (because you were not living in Australia at that time), the NMBA will provide you with a letter providing in principle approval for registration, valid for three months, and detailing the outstanding proof of identity requirements. This does not mean that you are registered.

What is the propose to register with conditions?

If your registered nursing qualification is assessed at less than Australian Qualification Framework level 7, you will not meet the requirements for registration. However, if you hold a qualification that:

• is solely in mental health, paediatric or disability nursing
• meets all criteria under the current model for registration, except criterion 3 (that your qualification is at AQF level 7 or above)
• is at AQF level 6, and
• meet all registration standards
• the NMBA will grant registration with conditions, which will require a period of 12 months full time equivalent supervised practice. You will also have a notation on your registration.

What is the next step after registration?

You need to get you skills assessment done from Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).

When can I apply for the visa?

Once you have a positive skills assessment from ANMAC, you will be eligible to apply for an appropriate visa.

Summary:

STEP 1 - Check the requirements for the registration

STEP 2 - Check the requirements for the immigration

STEP 3 - Complete the Self-assessment

STEP 4 - Complete the orientation part 1 successfully (Stream A)

STEP 5 - Complete the orientation part 1, portfolio, MCQ and OSBE exam (Stream B)

STEP 6 - Lodge an application for registration and provide all documentations to AHPRA

STEP 7 - Apply to be registered with NMBA

STEP 8 - Receive registration

STEP 9 - Get the skills assessed at ANMAC

STEP 10 - Apply for a visa

STEP 11 - Move to AUSTRALIA, get a job and work and live here.

Do you need help with your Visa application?

Our team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Migration Agents is ready to assist you with your visa application.

Based in Adelaide, South Australia, we provide Australian immigration advice to people and businesses from all over the world.

You can book an appointment online or call us at (+61) 8 8351 9956.

Book an Appointment 

About the Author: Wendy Guan – Registered Migration Agent in Adelaide South Australia

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) has announced changes to the English language requirements for skills assessments of overseas qualified nurses and midwives.

The following requirements will apply from 1 July 2016:

PTE ACADEMIC Accepted – effective 1 July 2016

Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 65 AND a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking.

ANMAC only accepts test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:

a) a minimum overall score of 65 in each sitting, AND

b) no score in any of the four communicative skills is below 58

TOEFL iBT Accepted – effective 1 July 2016

Applicants must achieve a minimum total score of 94 AND the following minimum score in each section of the test:

- 24 listening

- 24 reading

- 27 writing

- 23 speaking

ANMAC only accepts test results from one test sitting, OR a maximum of two test sittings in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:

a) a minimum total score of 94 in each sitting, AND

b) no score in any of the sections is below:

- 20 listening

- 19 reading

- 24 writing

- 20 speaking

IELTS (Academic module)

Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 7 AND a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components - listening, reading, writing and speaking.

ANMAC only accepts test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:

a) a minimum overall score of 7 in each sitting, AND

b) no score in any component of the test is below 6.5

OET

Applicants must achieve a minimum score of B in each of the four components - listening, reading, writing and speaking.

ANMAC only accepts test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant:

a) is tested in all four components in each sitting, AND

b) no score in any component of the test is below C

Overseas nurses and midwives should note that Modified skills assessments do not require the submission of English language test results. To find out more about the Modified skills assessment and our recommended registration pathway for overseas qualified nurses and midwives, please refer to our earlier blog here.

Sources:

1. http://www.anmac.org.au/international-services
2. http://www.anmac.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/Communique_ELP_requirements_1_July_2016.pdf

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

ANMAC has now joined a list of skills assessment authorities which are accepting the PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT test results as part of the English requirements for a successful skills assessment outcome. This is a favourable movement for applicants who might have struggled with the format of the IELTS or OET exams.

You are reminded that English is only part of the skills assessment criteria and you need to make sure all criteria are met before you submit your skills assessment. If you are unsure whether you are able to meet the requirements, speak to a Registered Migration Agent to find out more.

This information is accurate on 30 June 2016

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 2018 UPDATE:

How to Increase Your Points for Employer Sponsored (RSMS 187, ENS 186), Independent (189, 489), and State Nomination (190) Skilled Visas

Australian SkillSelect Round Results September/August 2018 - Skilled Independent & Regional Visa Occupation Lists

Medical and health professionals are always in demand in Australia. To apply for an Australian visa via the General Skilled Migration programme (which includes the Skill – Independent Subclass 189 visa, the Skill – Nominated Subclass 190 visa and the Skill – Regional Sponsored Subclass 489), a positive skills assessment is required. Skills assessments for health professionals can be complicated and confusing as registration with the relevant health authority in Australia is required before a positive skills assessment result can be issued.

We constantly receive repeated queries about the migration skills assessment and registration requirements from overseas nurses and midwives, as well as from international students who are completing nursing studies in Australia. As such we hope to provide more helpful information in relation to the topic at hand.

In this article we will be looking at the registration process for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives, as part of the process of obtaining a positive skills assessment for migration purposes. The questions we will be answering include:

• What is the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)? How is it different from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)?
• So where do I start to have my skills assessed as a nurse or midwife?
• What are the English requirements for NMBA?
• I have the required English exam results. What else is required for the NMBA registration?

What is the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)? How is it different from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)?

ANMAC is responsible for making an assessment on an applicant’s work experience and qualifications to determine the applicant’s suitability for skilled migration. A health professional would obtain the migration skills assessment from ANMAC before lodging a visa application.

NMBA is the registration body in Australia which manages the registration of nurses and midwives in Australia. It is compulsory for nurses and midwives to be registered in Australia. You cannot work in Australia as a nurse or midwife unless you are registered with NMBA. NMBA also sets policies and standards for the nursing and midwifery profession. You can find out more about the NMBA from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website here.

In other words you will need to:

• apply for the skills assessment with ANMAC to apply for Australian work visas or the General Skilled Migration visas; and
• apply for registration with NMBA to work as a nurse or midwife in Australia.

So where do I start to have my skills assessed as a nurse or midwife?

The migration skills assessment is processed by ANMAC. The key point to note is that ANMAC offers different pathways for the migration skills assessment. The different pathways are:

• Full skills assessment
• Modified skills assessment

If you have registration with NMBA you can apply for a modified skills assessment. It is advisable to obtain registration with NMBA first and apply via the ANMAC modified skills assessment because of the following reasons:

1. You automatically meet the assessment standards for the modified skills assessment if you are registered with NMBA
2. You do not need to provide English test results if you are already registered with NMBA
3. ANMAC only accepts IELTS or OET for the full skills assessment whereas NMBA accepts IELTS, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT for registration
4. You can combine scores of TWO English exam sittings to meet the English requirements for registration with NMBA (ANMAC only accepts scores in a single sitting)
5. A modified skills assessment costs A$330 whereas a full skills assessment costs A$900

What are the English requirements for NMBA?

For initial registration with the NMBA you can use different English exams to demonstrate the meeting of English requirements for the registration. The scores required for the different English exams are listed below. You should note that as mentioned above, you can COMBINE scores from two sittings of the same exam, as long as they are within a six-month period.

You can meet the English requirements for registration with NMBA without taking an English exam but you will need to show education in English and work in one of the following recognised countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Republic of Ireland
• South Africa
• United Kingdom, or
• United States of America.

The following is a detailed description of what scores are required for the different English exams accepted by NMBA.

IELTS Academic Module

Minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking

If combining scores from two sittings, the following is required:

• The two exam sittings are within a 6-month period
• Both exams achieved a minimum overall score of 7
• There are no components in the two exams with a score lesser than 6.5
• By using the two exam results you will have a minimum score of 7.0 in all components

Examples:

OET

Minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking)

If combining scores from two sittings, the following is required:

• The two exam sittings are within a 6-month period
• All four components were tested for the two exams taken
• There are no components in the two exams with a score lower than C
• By using the two exam results you will have a minimum score of B in all components

Examples:

PTE Academic

Minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking)

If combining scores from two sittings, the following is required:

• The two exam sittings are within a 6-month period
• Both exams achieved a minimum overall score of 65
• There are no components in the two exams with a score lower than 58
• By using the two exam results you will have a minimum score of 65 in all communicative skills

Examples:

TOEFL iBT

Minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test:

• 24 for listening
• 24 for reading
• 27 for writing, and
• 23 for speaking

If combining scores from two sittings, the following is required:

• The two exam sittings are within a 6-month period
• Both exams achieved a minimum overall score of 94
• Minimum score of 24 for Listening, 24 for Reading, 27 for Writing, 23 for Speaking across the two sittings
• For the two sittings all sections are at the minimum score or above:
  • 20 for Listening
  • 19 for Reading
  • 24 for Writing
  • 20 for Speaking

Examples:

The additional choices for English exams and the ability to combine test scores from two different sittings are huge advantages for registering with NMBA when compared with the criteria for a standard migration skills assessment with ANMAC.

Therefore as a nurse or midwife, the first step you should take is to find out the registration process with NMBA. You can find out more here. Alternatively, contact Work Visa Lawyers to make an appointment and have your visa options assessed.

I have the required English exam results. What else is required for the NMBA registration?

Other than meeting the English requirements, applicants will also need to show the following:

• Your qualification makes you eligible to apply for registration to practise as a registered nurse in the country where you completed the program of study
• The education institute and study programme needs to externally accredited during the period of studies (If you are unable to meet this requirement, you may be referred to an NMBA-approved bridging program to facilitate the meeting of this requirement)
• Your nursing qualification is deemed to be equivalent to an Australian nursing bachelor’s degree
• Your overseas study programme included a minimum of 800 hours of supervised workplace experience in an actual practice setting
• Confirmation from your education institute that you have, as part of your study programme, completed an assessment in medication management for the following:
  • Administration of medication
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Pharmacodynamics

It is possible for Work Visa Lawyers to conduct a preliminary assessment as to whether you will be able to meet the requirements for registration with NMBA, before you begin the registration process. If you are keen to find out more about your options, please contact us to arrange an appointment.

Comments by Chris Johnston – Principal Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent at Work Visa Lawyers

Health professionals are always asked to obtain registration in Australia first before they can receive a suitable skills assessment for their Australian skilled visa application. While the assessment and registration process can be confusing with two different agencies managing the profession, this article is produced with the aim of simplifying and explaining the necessary steps.

The English requirements of registration with NMBA is more advantageous for potential migrants with more English exams being accepted as well as the option to combine scores from 2 separate sittings. Nurses and midwives are strongly encouraged to register with NMBA first before submitting a migration skills assessment with ANMAC.

Do note that a positive skills assessment is only part of the Australia visa application requirements. Applicants will need to meet other criteria such as age, qualifications, English, work experience, health and character. Depending on the points total and occupation a state nomination may be required as well.

As such always check and verify that you meet all requirements before submitting a visa application. Be in touch with Work Visa Lawyers if you require such professional services.

This information is accurate on 6 January 2016

Source:

1. http://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/English-language-skills.aspx
2. http://www.anmac.org.au/nurse-or-midwife-registered-australia-or-new-zealand
3. http://www.anmac.org.au/faqs
4. https://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Do you need help with an Australian visa application?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as Migration Review Tribunal, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention.

If you require further information regarding your Australia visa options you can contact us through:

(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956

or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is the body authorised to do skills assessments for Australian migration purposes.

On 17 September 2013 ANMAC has sent the following information regarding the skills assessment process:

“New process of returning applications for migration skills assessments when incorrect documents are submitted”

“New protocol to be implemented

To continue to process applications in a timely manner, ANMAC is introducing a new protocol to manage incomplete and incorrect applications. Applications that are received incomplete or without correct supporting documentation will be returned. This will allow the applicant and their nominated agent to review the requirements for each document before resubmitting the application.

This new process will reduce the unnecessary administrative burden on the ANMAC assessors allowing for faster assessment times while ensuring that responsibility for the submission of correct documents appropriately resides with the applicant and their nominated agent.

We appreciate your support and assistance with the new assessment strategy.”

The release by ANMAC provides the following description in the rise in the number of applications for assessment and the documents that are usually required. “

“ Situation analysis

As you would be aware from the information provided on our website, the ANMAC assessment process can take more than 14 weeks during busy periods. ANMAC has been experiencing unprecedented numbers of skills assessment applications since the introduction of SkillSelect by DIAC in January 2013.

Traditionally ANMAC has assessed approximately 2000 applications per year. Since 1 January 2013 this has increased significantly to an average of over 100 applications per week, putting us on course to assess over 5000 applications this calendar year. The increase in application numbers has created extended assessment times for skills assessments although we are working to mitigate this.

The following steps have already been taken by ANMAC to improve assessment times:

New database to improve information storing and reporting

• Increasing number of assessors and support staff
• Increasing attendance at Migration Institute of Australia continuing professional development sessions to inform agents of ways to minimise barriers to their clients’ assessment process
• Checklist for required documents to ensure only those required documents are provided

The increase in applications has created an additional administrative burden on ANMAC especially where the submission includes incorrect documents and incomplete applications.

Common errors include:

• Incorrect certification of documents including cover sheet and photograph
• Incorrect AHPRA registration certificates
• Missing education details (eg graduation certificates) for bridging/adaptation programs
• Submission of professional references that do not meet ANMAC requirements, despite a template being available on our website
• Submission of unsolicited documents such as pay slips, utility bills, drivers licence, police criminal history checks (not required)
• Submission of continuing professional development documents such as OH&S, mandatory training updates and other short course certificates
• Curriculum Vitae or resume (not required) “

Source: Information released by ANMAC on 17 September 2013

Do You Need Help in Relation to a Skills Assessment as a Enrolled Nurse or Registered Nurse?

At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting with skills assessment to enable applications for skillselect subclass 189, 190 and 489 visas and Employer Nomination Scheme applications.

We can help you with a skills assessment as an Enrolled Nurse or Registered Nurse.

For further information regarding skills assessments or your Australian visa options you contact our offices on (08) 7225 5091 or +61 8 7225 5091.

Or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

This information is accurate on the 20 September 2013.