Nursing Jobs in Australia

Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia

Originally written in 2017 this post is getting more traffic than ever from nurses moving to Australia so we’ve dusted it down and made it super relevant for 2023.

Lets Go Global are ideally placed to assist clients find nursing jobs in Australia after they’ve made a valid visa application because we have access to many role that are often unadvertised at either the local, State or Federal Level.

Because Australia is currently experiencing a significant and growing demand for nurses and midwives visas for nursing jobs in Australia are getting increasing levels of priority, especially in areas currently experiencing critical nursing shortages.

More Nursing Jobs in Australia than Even Before

With industry professionals predicting an exponential 26.5% employment increase in the Health Care sector by 2023 there really has never been a better time to seriously consider migrating to Australia as a Nurse or Midwife.

Let’s Go Global have a 100% success rate securing visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia, often in record time.

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Midwife and Nursing occupation codes feature highly on the Australian Skilled Occupation List (Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and Short‑term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)), which allows eligible applicants to apply for various Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia.

What specific nursing and midwife roles are eligible for visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia?

The current Australian Skilled List include the following nursing and midwifery occupations:

Nursing Clinical Director
Midwife
Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse (Aged Care)
Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health)
Registered Nurse (Community Health)
Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency)
Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability)
Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation)
Registered Nurse (Medical)
Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)
Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
Registered Nurse (Perioperative)
Registered Nurse (Surgical)
Registered Nurse (Paediatrics)
Registered Nurses (General)
Nurse Educator (*STSO List)
Nurse Researcher (*STSO List)
Nurse Manager (*STSOL List)

You must check your visa eligibility and specific Australian visa criteria before you apply or take our free 30 seconds visa assessment for the full facts.

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What type of Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia are available?

Obviously this depends on a number of factors such as age, experience and qualifications yet the most popular visas for nursing jobs in Australia remain those granting permanent residency status such as the 189 visa and 190 subclass.

Maybe you’re thinking of moving to Australia for a few years or permanently you’ll need to arrange your visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia before you leave and ensure the visa comes with the appropriate and relevant working rights.

Depending then, on your individual and family circumstances you may be eligible for the following visas for nursing jobs in Australia.

Employer Sponsored Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia

Employer Sponsored Visas enable Healthcare employers (among others) to nominate overseas skilled individuals for positions that cannot be filled locally, nationally or through their own extensive training and development programs.

Any position must relate directly to the relevant occupation list, be full time, have the correct salary and be available for at least three years.

To be lucky enough to be considered for Employer Nomination Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia you’ll need to be under 45 years old and demonstrate three years of training and at least three years of direct work experience.

Employer Nomination Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia are a scheme designed to assist employers who have unsuccessfully been able to fill a position from the labor market or internal training. They’re also often referred to as Labour Agreement Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia because they allow the nursing employer to fill roles on a permanent basis as and when they arise.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia assist those employers based in regional low population areas in the recruitment of skilled overseas nurses on a permanent basis when they are unable to fill vacancies from the local nursing skilled labour market.

Australian Skilled Migration Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia

These visas are also known as the 189 and 190 visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia and give permanent residency status from day one.

They are not tied to any employer and holders of these visas are free to change jobs and locations (190 after a period of time) as much as they choose. The 189 and 190 Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia are among the most sought after Australian visa subclasses and give the following benefits:

Live and work permanently in Australia
Permanent can be for as little, or as long as you decide
Enter and leave Australia without restriction
Bring your immediate family with you. Your partner of spouse can work in whatever occupation they choose
Access education for your children without financial contribution
Access to Medicare services for your family
Access to full financial services as if you were a citizen
The right to apply for full citizenship and dual nationality after four years for you and your family (minimum residency requirements apply)
After two years you’ll be able to sponsor any other eligible family members to Australia and access social security and extra benefits if required.

What’s the difference between the 189 and 190 Australian Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia?

The 189 visa allows holders to live and work anywhere in Australia from the moment its officially granted by the Department of Immigration whilst the 190 visa class has an element of State Nomination, which means you’ll be expected to live and work in your sponsoring State for a period of two years. After these two years you’re free to live and work anywhere in Australia like the 189.

Working Holiday Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia

Lots of qualified nurses chose to live and work in Australia for a year (sometimes two) on Working Holiday Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia. If you are aged between 18 and 35, you may be able to live and work in Australia on a working holiday. The working holiday visa for jobs in Australia allows holders to stay for 12 months and work as a nurse with any single healthcare employer for a maximum period of three months each.

In order to successfully find nursing jobs in Australia you’ll be expected to have your AHPRA registration organised before you arrive. Because AHPRA registration can take a while it’s important to arrange this prior to landing in Australia.

Which Australian Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia are the best?

This depends on your own personal circumstances. When looking at Australian Immigration it’s important to find the right visa immigration pathway. Often it’s not about what visa is best, more what visa you’re eligible for.

The following graph gives an idea as to where each visa type sits on the visa pyramid of rights and privileges, with 189 Australian Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia being at the very top of the pyramid

All Australian Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia have distinctly different eligibility criteria and requirements. Contact us to discuss which visa is best for you and how we can help with your application.

Take our quick Australian Visa Assessment for Nursing Jobs now

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Apply Now for Nursing jobs in Australia

Australia has some wonderful opportunities for qualified nurses and midwives with the right skills, experience, qualifications and training.

These opportunities are often better than can be expected in our nurse’s home countries and range right across the spectrum of nursing specialisations. Let’s Go Global predicts the rage and scope of these roles to increase through 2023 and beyond partly due to the vastness of the continent, its climate and geographically diverse population.

Average salaries for nursing jobs in Australia remain consistently high and with over 350.000 nurses employed in Australia it’s a well-paid and well respected public profession.

Nursing jobs in Australia – what to expect

The shift systems employed by the Australian Healthcare sector are relatively similar to those in the Europe and the US and are usually between eight and twelve hours with holidays of between 25 and 35 days per year. The patient- nurse rations will come as a surprise to many and can be as low as 3:1 in many areas although in central metropolitan areas it’s going to be closer to 7:1

Visa and registration for Nursing Jobs in Australia

In order to practice as a nurse or midwife in Australia you’re going to first need to be registered with AHPRA, the Australia Nursing and Midwifery Board. This application can be long, tedious and test the patience of even the most resilient nurses and midwives. Let’s Go Global have a 100% success rate with AHPRA registrations and can either arrange your AHPRA as part of a Permanent Residency application or on a standalone case by case basis.

AHPRA runs one central Australia Nursing Register meaning that a successful accreditation means you’ll be covered in any State or Territory right across the Country so it makes sense to do this as soon as you’ve decided to make the move.

However, it’s important to note that AHPRA does not assist the visa process in any way. AHPRA is for your nursing registration only and for immigration purposes you may need to secure a positive skills assessment form ANMAC, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.

How can I secure a Positive Skills Assessment from ANMAC so I can apply for Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia?

ANMAC is a skills assessment authority. Every occupation code for Australian immigration has their own skills assessment authority, regulated and licensed to the Australian Department of Immigration. It’s the job of the skills assessment authority to verify that you are who you say you are, that you have the right skills, experience and qualifications.

The Lets Go Global medical emigration team have a 99.9% success rate with ANMAC and will work with you to secure the correct positive outcome. We take the stress and hassle out of your various applications and all you need to do is provide your case manager with the right information at the right time.

ANMAC Document Requirements
Official identification
University Certificates
Transcripts
References
NMC validation
IELTS English Test

When applying for registration you have to meet the right educational criteria and whilst there used to be some wiggle room with diploma qualified nurses this has been closed in favour of requiring all applicants to hold a degree (or have at the very least topped up their diploma to degree status) and have at least three months of post qualification experience.

In addition to these minimum educational requirements, qualifications obtained from the following countries are also unlikely to be recognised.

Albania
Jordan
Austria
Kenya
Barbados
Lithuania
Belgium
Malaysia
Bosnia
Mauritius
Brazil
Namibia
Bulgaria
Nepal
Cambodia
Netherlands
Chile
Nigeria
China
Norway
Colombia
Palestinian Territory
Denmark
Philippines
Estonia
Poland
Fiji
Portugal
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Romania
France
Saudi Arabia
Germany
Serbia
Ghana
Slovenia
Greece
South Africa
India
South Korea
Iran
Spain
Iraq
Sri Lanka
Israel
Swaziland
Italy
Switzerland
Japan
Sweden

If you hold qualifications other than at Degree level or from one of the above countries potential applicants may consider upgrading their current nursing qualifications or completing an AHPRA approved bridging program in Australia.

Let’s Go Global Nursing provides assistance to eligible Nurses and Midwifes through the entire visa process and the Australian nursing registration.

With many collective years of experience delivering successful nursing and Midwifery applications from start to finish we pride ourselves on the very best assistance through the entire visa application process.

If you are interested in finding out more about Visas for Nursing Jobs in Australia take our quick 30 second visa assessment to check your eligibility today.

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