NURSES & MIDWIVES
To practice as a nurse or midwife in Australia, you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). As an internationally qualified nurse or midwife, your qualifications and skills must be assessed by the NMBA before you gain general registration.
If you are registered to practice in New Zealand, please click here.
If you are applying for a Visa, please click here.
Key Terms:
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA); internationally qualified nurse or midwife (IQNM)
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Accreditation of your qualifications and skills assessment
You must complete the self-check prior to applying for registration with the NMBA. This will assess the accreditation and comparability of your qualification and skills against Australian standards, and determine your stream to registration. If your qualification is not listed in the self-check, the NMBA will need to assess it and determine which stream best suits your circumstances. Overseas qualifications are assessed based on three criteria;
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qualification is recognised and accepted for registration in the country it was awarded,
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quality assurance and accreditation of the qualification is up to standards required for registration, and
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the academic level of your qualfication is comparable to at minium, an Australian Bachelor Degree at level 7 (registered nurses and midwives) or an Australian Diploma at level 5 (enrolled nurses) according to the Australian Qualifications Framework.
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Once your qualfications and skills have been assessed, you will be palced in one of 3 streams:
Stream A: your qualification is "considered substantially equivalent, or based on similar competencies, to an approved qualification."
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Stream B: your qualifcation is "relevant to the profession, but is not substantially equivalent, nor based on similar competencies to an approved qualification."
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Stream C: your qualificaiton "is not substantially equivalent or relevant to an approved qualification."
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02
Steps to Registration/ membership
After allocation into a stream, you are required to compelete an IQNM assesment and orientation. The assessment type is according to the stream you are in.
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Stream A: You must pay an assessment and orientation fee to proceed with the IQNM assessment and orientation. Your assessment includes;
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Orientation Part 1: an introduction to the Australian healthcare system.
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Stream B: You must pay an assessment and orientation fee to proceed with the IQNM assessment and orientation. You must also complete an outcomes-based assessment. Your assessment includes;
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Orientation Part 1: an introduction to the Australian healthcare system.
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Portfolio: provision of qualification and identification details and documentation
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Outcomes-based assessment (OBA): including a multiple-choice question exam and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
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Stream C: As your qualifications are not comparable to the minimum standards in Australia, you will be advised to upgrade your qualification. Please visit the NMBA's website for approved programs of study that lead to registration.
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Next steps
Once you have completed the required assessments successfully, you may apply for registration by invitation of the NMBA. The registration application will require the following;
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Criminal history check
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English Language Skills
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Recency of Practice
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Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements
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New Zealand registered professionals
New Zealand Nurses and Midwives can apply for general registration with ANMB under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act. Apply for general registration.
Visa Applicants
If you are applying for a visa as a skilled migrant and require a Skills Assessment, the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (anmac) will complete the assessment for visa purposes (this does not include assessment for registration with the NMBA).
Need-to-know
Estimated Costs
(AUD) esitmated costs only
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IQNM Assessment: $410
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Stream B Assessments: at minimum $4200
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ANMB Registration (for general or provisional registration): at minimum $525 including application and annual registration fee
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anmac Skills Assessment (for Visa applicants): between $395 and $800
Estimated Time Commitment
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It is unclear how long the IQNM assessment process takes. Please contact the ANMB for more information.
English Language Requirements
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You must meet English Language Standards in order to gain registration with the ANMB. ANMB accepts the following tests; Cambrdige C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT. See the link below for detailed information and specific requirements.
Required Documents
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Copies of your qualification including certificate, transcripts and in some cases, unit outlines.
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Personal identification.
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You will need to provide both original copies and English translations of the documents. Please see the link below for the translation of documents standards.
Other Career Options:
If you are unable to gain recognition for your full qualifications, here are some other options for careers you may pursue in Australia;
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pathology
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disability or aged care support
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There are Tafe courses to gain a minimum level 5 AQF to beginning as an enrolled nurse if your qualifications are not comparable to Australian standards. Alternatively, there are Tafe courses to gain requried training for disability or aged care support. These have varying fees according to your visa or permanent residency circumstances. Please click here for more information.