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Nurses and Midwives Moving to Australia: Registration and Visas

Information current as at October 2026. Rules, fees and lists change often, so check your own circumstances with us before you act.

Australia recruits internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) in large numbers, and registered nurses are among the most consistently listed occupations for skilled and employer sponsored visas. To work here you need two things that are handled by different bodies: registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra, which lets you practise, and a visa from Home Affairs, which lets you live and work here. If you will apply for a skilled visa, you will usually also need a migration skills assessment from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC).

This page is the Australian detail for our nurses visas overview, which also covers Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

Step 1: choose your registration route

Every IQNM starts with the NMBA online Self-check, which places you in a stream. Registered nurses from comparable countries may be able to use the newer streamlined pathway.

  • Introduced on 23 April 2025 for registered nurses (not enrolled nurses or midwives).
  • The NMBA-approved comparable jurisdictions are the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario), Singapore and Spain. New Zealand nurses use Trans-Tasman mutual recognition instead.
  • You generally need to have registered as an RN in a comparable jurisdiction and practised at least 1,800 hours as an RN there since 2017.
  • If eligible, you may be able to obtain general registration without the outcomes-based assessment exams. Some qualifications (for example where the only qualification is in a single specialty field) are excluded.
  • You still need to meet the NMBA English, criminal history, recency of practice and other registration standards.

Step 2: the ANMAC skills assessment (for skilled visas)

ANMAC assesses nurses and midwives for migration. It is a separate process from NMBA registration and does not replace it. Fees are those listed at the time of writing.

Assessment Who it is for Fee
Modified skills assessment Nurses and midwives already registered in Australia (or with the Nursing Council of New Zealand or the Midwifery Council of New Zealand) $395
Full skills assessment Overseas qualified nurses and midwives without Australian registration $595

A modified assessment outcome is valid for two years. ANMAC assesses registered nurse occupations by specialty (for example Registered Nurse (Medical) or Registered Nurse (Aged Care)), as well as Midwife, Nurse Practitioner and Enrolled Nurse. For most specialty RN codes you need paid work in that specialty.

Step 3: choose your visa

Visa Suits Key points for nurses and midwives
Skills in Demand (482) Nurses with a job offer RNs, midwives and enrolled nurses are on the Core Skills Occupation List. Salary at least $79,423 (from 1 July 2026). Registration usually satisfies the English requirement.
Employer Nomination (186) Permanent residence through an employer After two years on a 482 (TRT), or directly with three years of experience (Direct Entry).
Skilled Independent (189) RNs with high points Registered nurse occupations are on the long-term list; enrolled nurses are not eligible for the 189.
State nominated (190 / 491) Nurses who want residence without one employer Most states list nurses; enrolled nurses rely on state lists for a points-tested visa.
Regional (494) Nurses with a regional employer Five year provisional visa leading to the 191.

Healthcare applications, including nursing, are in the highest processing priority group under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122 from 19 September 2026.

Your path from overseas nurse to working in Australia

  • Do the NMBA Self-check

    Find out your stream or whether the streamlined pathway applies.

  • Meet the English standard

    Most IQNMs need an accepted English test (for example IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT) at the NMBA scores, unless exempt.

  • Complete the assessment stages

    Orientation, portfolio and, for Stream B, the NCLEX-RN or midwifery MCQ and the OSCE.

  • Apply for registration

    Apply to Ahpra once you have completed your stage. Registration is granted when you meet all standards.

  • Secure a job and visa

    Your employer nominates you for a 482 or 494, or you pursue a skilled visa with an ANMAC assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Possibly not. If you meet the streamlined registration standard (registered as an RN in the UK and at least 1,800 hours of RN practice in a comparable jurisdiction since 2017), you may obtain general registration without the OBA exams.

No. However, if you qualified in the Philippines and then registered and practised as an RN in a comparable jurisdiction such as the USA or the UK, you may be eligible through the second streamlined pathway.

For the 482, Ahpra registration is usually what matters. For points-tested visas (189, 190, 491), and generally for the 186 Direct Entry stream and the 494, you need an ANMAC skills assessment as well.

Yes, through employer sponsorship (482 then 186, or 494) or state nomination where the state lists enrolled nurses. Enrolled nurses are not eligible for the 189.

Yes. Partners and dependent children can be included in the 482, 186, 189, 190, 491 and 494 visas. Your partner can generally work.

Streamlined applications can be quicker. If you need the OBA exams, preparation and exam bookings commonly add many months. Start early and plan your job start date around registration.

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