There are two levels of nurse in Australia: registered and enrolled nurses. Registered nurses are educated in degree level courses at universities. Enrolled nurses are primarily educated through advanced certificate or diploma level courses in colleges of technical and further education.
There are six states and two territories in Australia. Each have a nurse regulatory authority which maintains its own register of qualified nurses. Each nurse must be registered or enrolled in the state or territory in which they intend to practice.
There are mutual recognition laws in Australia which provide recognition of registration across state boundaries. Therefore a nurse registered in one state may apply for registration in another state under mutual recognition. There is a similar system in operation between Australia and New Zealand.
How to register as a nurse in Australia
Nurses are required to register with the regulatory authority in the state or territory in which they intend to practice. Nurses can be registered as a midwife after appropriate education, but most states and territories require they must first be registered as a nurse. Addresses of the regulatory authorities can be found on the next page.
Nurses intending to migrate to Australia
Nurses who wish to migrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration category need to have their qualifications assessed before applying to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) for migration. This assessment is undertaken by the Australian Nursing Council Incorporated (ANCI). If a nurse is eligible to apply for registration in Australia, this will count towards points that can be gained for immigration purposes.
The Australian Nursing Council Incorporated (ANCI)
The ANCI sets national standards of nursing competency and assesses the qualifications of nurses resident overseas for migration purposes. If you are found to be eligible for registration by the ANCI, it does not mean that you will automatically be accepted by every registration board, and a further period of supervised practice may be necessary. Information should be obtained from the regulatory authorities in individual states or territory (see next page).
Nurses who qualified overseas can apply for an assessment of their qualifications provided they have completed pre-registration (or pre-enrollment) training, hold a current registration (or enrollment) as a nurse in the country in which they trained, and have practised in the branch of nursing they are wishing to register in within the previous 5 years.
To obtain an application form for assessment of nursing qualifications by the ANCI, contact:
ANCI, PO Box 873, Dickson ACT 2602
Tel: 00 61 2 6257 7960
Fax: 00 61 2 6257 7955
email: overseas@anci.org.au
There is a processing fee of Aus$500.00, payable to ANCI prior to assessment of qualifications.
Overseas nurses who are resident in Australia
Overseas nurses who are already resident in Australia do not need to have their qualification assessed by the ANCI. They should apply to the nurse regulatory authority in the state in which they wish to practice.
Nurses on working holidays
Nurses who are applying for a working holiday visa do not need to be assessed by ANCI. Those holding a working holiday visa should apply directly to the nurse regulatory authority of the appropriate state or territory.
Demonstration of Competency Standards
Nurses registered in Australia must possess and demonstrate the National Nursing Competency Standards. Overseas nurses must also be able to demonstrate these in order to practice in Australia. However, the need to complete a competency based assessment programme / migrant bidding programme is generally waived for nurses from a number of countries, including the UK.
Language requirements
Overseas educated nurses must be able to speak English for working in Australia. Nurses from countries where English is not the first language are required to complete and pass either the Occupational English Test (OET) for Nurses or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Further information regarding these tests should be obtained from:
Language Australia, Level 2, 255 William Street, Melbourne
Tel: 00 61 3 9926 4779
Fax: 00 61 3 9926 4780
email: annl@la.ames.vic.edu.au
http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/language-australia
IELTS Australia, GPO Box 2006, Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: 00 61 2 6285 8222
Fax: 00 61 2 6285 3233
email: ielts@idp.edu.au
www.idp.edu.au
