To work as a nurse or midwife in Australia, you need to (1) apply for and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA). (2) You may also need to apply for a visa issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs after (3) you must have gotten positive skill assessment from Australia Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). These THREE application processes are entirely separate and success in one does not automatically guarantee success in the other.
If you want to work as a nurse in Australia, you must complete your registration with the NMBA. Then you must have your skills and qualifications assessed by the ANMAC
Even nurses who apply under the General Skilled Immigration Program should meet the standards of the APHRA. You must be registered with APHRA/NMBA before you can practice as a nurse in Australia.
A foreign nurse can apply through the General Skilled Migration Program. This is for skilled individuals or families considering permanently migrate to Australia. Since Australia has a shortage of nurses, nurses can apply to live and work in Australia under the General Skilled Migration program.
The five criteria overseas nurses must meet to work and live in Australia:
Criterion 1 – Proof of Identity
You need to prepare your documents for Proof of Identity. The documents you can prepare are:
- Biostatistical page of your passport
- Documentation for change name (e.g., Marriage Certificate, Decree Nisi, Deed Poll)
- A passport-sized photo that was taken within the past six months
Criterion 2 – English Language Proficiency requirement
Since Australia is an English-speaking country, you need to prove that you can speak, listen, and comprehend the English language. You can choose to take either one of the tests stated below and meet the minimum score required:
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System): You need a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components reading, listening, writing and speaking.
- OET (Occupational English Test for Nurses) with a minimum score of B in each of the four components reading, listening, writing and speaking.
- PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) with a minimum overall score of 65 in each of the four components reading, listening, writing and speaking.
- TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language): You need to achieve a minimum score of 94, and the following minimum for each section — 24 reading, 24 listening, 27 writing and 23 speaking.
Criterion 3 – Educational Equivalence
A foreign nurse should meet the education requirements set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). All applicants should provide a transcript of records, diploma or a graduation certificate from their foreign nursing school.
The transcript should have a breakdown of the number of hours in theoretical and clinical practice. Please note that the ANMAC may request additional documents that are not stated above.
Foreign nurses with a bachelor’s degree in the following countries may meet the educational equivalence as a nurse in Australia:
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- Republic of Ireland
- United Kingdom
- New Zealand
- United States of America
Foreign nurses from countries not mentioned above will need further assessment of the education and clinical experience to determine if its deemed equivalent to the requirements set by the NMBA.
Criterion 4 – Professional Practice
As for your professional practice, you need to have at least 36 months of paid clinical experience in the past five years. You need to provide evidence of your professional practice plus professional references.
Reference should include:
- Official letterhead
- It should be written by the direct supervisor, who is a nurse
- Should be dated
- Must contain an official signature
You also need to include the contact information of each reference person; this should include:
- Official email address of the hospital (personal emails from Gmail or Yahoo are not accepted)
- The contact number of the organisation (personal numbers are not accepted)
- Make sure to follow the Professional Reference Template and provide it to your reference person. Make sure to meet the strict requirements of the ANMAC and follow the format.
Criterion 5 – Fitness to Practice
The fifth criterion is you need to prove your Fitness to Practice. What does this mean? You need to prove that:
- You have no past or pending disciplinary proceedings against you.
- There are no restrictions on your physical and mental capacity.
- You should have no criminal history.
Section E: Visa Type
If you meet the requirements of the APHRA, wait for your registration certification. The next step is you need to get a visa to live and work in Australia. If you can secure a sponsorship via an employer, you can apply for the following types of visas:
- Temporary Skill Shortage Visa
- Employer Nomination Scheme (Permanent Visa)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Permanent Visa)
- Occupational Trainee Visa
- Business Short Stay Visa (subclass 456’ to allow you to undertake a bridging program to improve your skills)
If you are unable to get a sponsorship by an employer, you can apply for a General Skilled Migration Visa under the provisions of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Section F: Examination
To practice in Australia, foreign nurses (Registered Nurse and Enrolled Nurse) should go through two examinations: NCLEX and OSCE.
- NCLEX: The National Council Licensure Examination is a standardised, computerised test that the AHPRA requires for foreign nurses to get a license.
- OSCE: Objective Structured Clinical Exam is a clinical exam to assess if the candidate can demonstrate a graduate-level nurse’s skills, knowledge, and competence.
Important Note: If you’re a foreign nurse, who have passed the NCLEX in Canada or the USA for the past ten years, you can apply for an NCLEX Score Transfer Process. You need to have your scores transferred before applying for registration in the APHRA. You can simply email your request of transfer to the Nursing Regulatory Body, where you have passed the NCLEX.
MASSIVE SHORTAGE OF NURSES IN AUSTRALIA
There is a high demand for Nurses in Australia. It is projected that there will be a shortage of 120,000 nurses by 2030. As the Australian population ages, more and more nurses will be in demand.
This is the link for current companies/agencies and visa sponsorships jobs for oversea nurses in Australia.
https://www.seek.com.au/registered-nurse-sponsorship-jobs
https://au.indeed.com/q-visa-sponsorship-for-nurses-in-australia-jobs.html?vjk=d561d5cf310a3748
