Emigrate to Australia as a Nurse

Emigrate to Australia as a Nurse in 2020 and 2021

This article has recently been updated to ensure that it has the most up to date information on how to emigrate to Australia as a nurse.

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re thinking about moving to Australia as a nurse. Luckily, you’ve stumbled upon the right place, as this article is all about how to do exactly that.

A staggering 20,000 nurses have made the exciting journey down under over the past fifteen years, forging a well-trodden path across the globe. This is great news for UK nurses emigrating to Australia, because the process has been well tried and tested.

Something to be conscious of is the fact that we do not have an absolute right to move to another country and it is no secret that Australia, especially, has strict immigration policies. Migrants must be skilled and adapt to the Australian lifestyle relatively quickly upon arrival and since Australia already has its fair share of highly skilled nursing professionals – just like you – you should expect some strong competition.

Take our free visa assessment to check your eligibility

Emigrate to Australia as a Nurse – FAQs

The idea of upping sticks and moving to the other side of the world is daunting and we bet you have plenty of burning questions. Maybe you’re wondering if you’re even eligible, or how you emigrate to Australia as a nurse and get registered. Perhaps you want to know if you have to use ANMAC? Fear not, we have you covered.

Am I eligible to emigrate to Australia as a nurse?

First things first, we need to make sure that you are eligible to emigrate to Australia as a nurse. Migrant eligibility is calculated using a points system called the Australian Immigration Points Matrix and to be accepted, you must score at least 65 points. There are a number of contributing factors that will affect your score and the best way to see how you measure up is to visit our dedicated page on immigration points.

How do I get points to emigrate to Australia as a Nurse?

English Language ability Assessment

If you hate exams, we’re sorry to say that an English test is mandatory for nurses immigrating to Australia, as stipulated by ANMAC, the Skills Assessment authority for nurses. There is little wriggle room here, but on a positive note, most qualified nurses are successful. There are twenty points on offer for good performance, which can be game changing, so make sure you get studying!

If you really are struggling with the idea of taking an English test your other option is to secure an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) letter of determination first and then apply for a modified skills assessment. However, the AHPRA application is just as detailed as the full Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council skills assessment (ANMAC). Additionally, once your letter of determination has been issued and presuming you want to finalize your AHPRA Nursing registration, there are only three months in which to present at an AHPRA office in person, in Australia.

As this second process can be a little awkward, we recommend taking the English test.

Nursing Degree

A degree in nursing, which is now a compulsory qualification for the profession, will entitle you to claim fifteen points. If your highest nursing qualification is still a Diploma, you will need to get your degree before you can begin the migration process.

Visa Class

Most nurses will be awarded the 189 Permanent Residency Visa. If you fall a little short however, there is hope in the 190 Visa, which will top-up your total score with an additional five points.

Take our free visa assessment to check your eligibility

Will I get a Visa to emigrate to Australia as a Nurse?

Your age plays an important factor in whether you will be granted a visa. Initially, you must submit an expression of interest (EOI), which is a method of showing your interest in applying for a skilled visa for immigrating to Australia as a nurse. You must be under 45 years old when your EOI is accepted and you are invited to apply for a visa, otherwise you will not be accepted. You do not need to submit your EOI until you have passed your skills assessment (coming up!).

For peace of mind for the time being, take our free visa assessment to check your eligibility.

Will a Migration Agent help me Emigrate to Australia as a Nurse?

Some will to varying degrees. Australia Made Simple are the only mobility consultants to have a dedicated Medical Migration expert.

Our team will work with you closely through the process and all they require is the right information from you. If you’re looking to move to Australia as a nurse, you will be in safe hands.

If you feel like you would benefit from our expert assistance or simply want to check your eligibility please take our free visa assessment and somebody will get back to you.

Hopefully now you have worked out your eligibility and have some idea of where you stand with the points system. Are you ready to talk moving down under? Let’s walk you through the process.

Emigrate to Australia as a Nurse – Skills Assessment

ANMAC will assess your nursing skills before you are able to migrate. Contrary to popular belief ANMAC is not AHPRA and just to make things clear, we have provided a brief explanation of each below.

AHPRA Explained when looking to emigrate to Australia as a Nurse

AHPRA stands for The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This is the national body for all Medical Professionals. There are ten Health Boards of which nursing is just one, and AHPRA controls them all.

NMBA Explained for Migrating to Australia as a Nurse

You may well have heard of the NMBA, The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. This is the specific nursing and midwifery board that sits under AHPRA (one of the ten that AHPRA controls) and deals with nursing registrations, standards, complaints and importantly they assess the overseas qualifications of nurses – this will be you, providing you pass your skills Assessment, which is administered by ANMAC.

ANMAC Skills Assessment

ANMAC is responsible for your Migration Skills Assessment. You must pass, otherwise you will be unable to emigrate to Australia as a nurse.

A Guide to the Nursing Skills Assessment

The amount of misleading information online about how to pass your skills assessment alarmed us so much that we decided to compile our own accurate list of what is expected of you and in what order.

Remember, skilled migration is a formal, legal process which means that there are several steps to follow. Bear with it though, as it will all be worth it when you are on that plane to Australia.

There are five assessment standards required by ANMAC:

1. Proof of Identity
2. Proof of Language ability
3. Educational Equivalence
4. Professional Practice
5. Fitness to practice

1.Proof of Identity
All evidence which you submit must be certified. To do this, take your original documents to a solicitors or notary office, where the solicitor will confirm that they have seen the originals prior to certifying copies. We suggest you have two copies made and a seal or stamp should be used by the certifier if possible.

2. Proof of language ability
The best way to provide proof of your language ability is by using IELTS (International English Language Testing System). To pass your skills assessment, you must take the Academic version of the test and achieve a score of at least seven in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Your results must be then sent directly to the skills assessment body from the test centre.

3. Educational Equivalence
To help the skills assessor get a greater picture of your nursing course and training, you must ask your training or education institution to send you a transcript, which outlines the subjects you have studied on your journey to nursing. This needs to include detailed information on the number of theory and practice hours completed during your course – although in the UK, this information is not included by default, so you will have to specify exactly what you need when speaking to your institution.

Trouble shooting
If you cannot obtain a full transcript, the assessment body will accept a syllabus covering the details of your course from the period you were trained. This syllabus must come directly from the educational body.

If your training institution has closed since you studied, you can contact the nursing regulatory authority in your home country and ask them to send the syllabus information relating to your period of training to the skills assessment body.

4. Professional Practice
This involves getting a reference from the person who directly manages or supervises you at work. This person must be a nurse or midwife and you need to make sure they include:

· Dates of employment

· Areas of expertise

· A competence statement with examples of day to day activities

· An outline of CPD to date

Your referee then needs to date their original letter and include their name, position and contact details. The reference must be signed by the referee and should include their current PIN number from their country of registration.

5. Fitness to Practice

This involves two things. Firstly you need verification, provided by the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) which confirms your registration, good standing and fitness to practice. You will need to contact the NMC by telephone and request a pack for verification purposes, which they will send out to you to sign. Secondly, you will need to provide a copy of your initial registration certificate – your A4 certificate, not your card.

Never provide the Assessment body with original documents as they will not be returned.

After you pass your Nursing Skills Assessment, it is time to apply directly to the NMBA/ AHPRA for your nursing registration and submit your EOI. Most importantly of all, it’s time to start planning your new life as a nurse in Australia!