If you are an internationally qualified nurse or midwife (IQNM) and are interested in working in Australia, it is important you review the following important information about immigration to Australia, and registration and employment as a nurse or midwife in Australia. To work as a nurse or midwife in Australia, you need to apply for and be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). You may also need to apply for a visa issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. These two application processes are entirely separate and success in one does not automatically guarantee success in the other.
Self-check stage:
If you are an internationally qualified nurse or midwife (IQNM) who wishes to register in Australia, you will need to complete the Self-check before applying for registration. Upon completion of the Self-check, each IQNM applicant will be assigned to a ‘Stream’ which is dependent on which qualification assessment criteria an IQNM’s qualification(s) meet. All internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) who wish to register and work in Australia as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse, or midwife must complete an orientation to the Australian healthcare setting. There are two parts to the orientation. Orientation Part 1 must be completed before registration and Part 2 must be completed after registration. The information provided by candidates during the Self-check is checked by Ahpra at the Portfolio stage. At this stage, candidates must provide additional personal and contact information as well as identification and qualification documentation.
You will need to enter your qualification information into the Self-check. If your qualification is available to select from the list, once you complete the Self-check you will be assigned to one of three streams. If your qualification is not available to select from the list, once you complete Self-check you will be advised of the steps you need to complete in order for Ahpra to assess your qualification and assign you to a stream. The stream assigned is dependent on which qualification assessment criteria your qualification(s) meet (see Meeting the registration requirements for information on the criteria). IQNMs in each stream have different steps (assessment stages) to complete before being eligible to apply for registration.
The three streams are:
Stream A – IQNMs who hold a qualification considered to be substantially equivalent, or based on similar competencies, to an approved qualification
Stream B – IQNMs who hold a qualification that is relevant to the profession, but is not substantially equivalent, nor based on similar competencies to an approved qualification
Stream C – IQNMs who hold a qualification that is not substantially equivalent or relevant to an approved qualification
The Self-check only identifies the required assessment stages for IQNMs seeking registration. It does not assess whether an individual can meet the eligibility requirements for registration. In other words, completing the assessment stages following Self-check does not guarantee that your application for registration will be successful. A non-refundable IQNM assessment fee (assessment and orientation) of $410 must be paid and Orientation Part 1 must be completed by all IQNMs in the following cohorts in order to proceed in the IQNM assessment process:
Orientation stage:
All internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) who wish to register and work in Australia as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse, or midwife must complete an orientation to the Australian healthcare setting. There are two parts to the orientation. Orientation Part 1 must be completed before registration and Part 2 must be completed after registration. Orientation Part 1 is an online learning course that can be completed from a candidate’s personal device, such as a computer or tablet. The course is an introduction to Australia and the Australian healthcare context, covering topics such as the roles and functions of nurses and midwives within the Australian healthcare setting. Candidates must complete Orientation Part 1 within 90 days from creating their account after completing Self-check in order to progress to:
- apply for registration (for Stream A candidates), or
- the Portfolio stage (for Stream B candidates and IQNMs whose qualification(s) need to be assessed).
Portfolio stage:
The information provided by candidates during the Self-check is checked by Ahpra at the Portfolio stage. At this stage, candidates must provide additional personal and contact information as well as identification and qualification documentation.
Who needs to complete the portfolio stage:
Stream B candidates – Internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) who complete the Self-check and are advised to continue as Stream B candidates will need to pay the IQNM assessment fee and complete Orientation Part 1 before completing the Portfolio stage.
IQNMs with qualifications requiring assessment – IQNMs whose qualification(s) are not available to select from the drop-down options in Self-check will be advised that Ahpra needs to assess their qualification. These IQNMs will need to pay the IQNM assessment fee and complete Orientation Part 1 before completing the Portfolio stage. Ahpra will then assess their qualification. Once Ahpra has assessed the qualification(s), the candidate will be advised of their next steps to either:
- continue in the IQNM assessment process as a Stream A candidate or a Stream B candidate, or
- end their participation in the IQNM assessment process and upgrade their qualification if they wish to continue (as per advice provided to IQNMs assigned to Stream C).
The following documentation must be uploaded at Portfolio:
- official documentation for all qualifications relevant to the candidate’s portfolio
- copy of course certificate awarded (e.g. degree)
- copy of the academic transcript
- evidence of any change of name, and
- proof of identity
If the qualification(s) requires assessment, the IQNM must also provide a copy of the original certificate of registration from the original regulatory authority.
The above documents must be certified. For all documents in a language other than English, translated copies must be provided.
If a candidate seeking registration in Australia as a registered nurse has successfully completed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) within 10 years from establishing their portfolio, evidence of passing the exam must be uploaded.
If Ahpra determines that the information and documentation provided at the Portfolio stage matches the information provided by the candidate at Self-check, the Stream B candidates will be advised to continue to the next assessment stage – the multiple-choice question (MCQ) exam. For IQNMs with qualification(s) requiring assessment, Ahpra will assess the qualification(s) and advise the candidate of their next steps. If Ahpra determines that the qualification information and documentation provided at the Portfolio stage does not match the information provided by the candidate at Self-check, Ahpra will investigate and advise the candidate of the next steps.
Examinations
Multiple choice examination which assesses the candidate’s professional knowledge. There are separate exams for internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) intending to register in Australia as a registered nurse (RN), enrolled nurse (EN), or midwife.
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) which is a clinical exam to assess whether candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competence of a graduate-level nurse or midwife from an Australian NMBA-approved program of study.
Registration stage:
Once you successfully complete the Self-check and any other required assessment stages, you are eligible to apply for registration. Those who have completed an NMBA-approved bridging program should refer to the Fact sheet: Bridging programs for IQNMs which includes information about applying for registration. The applicant can lodge your application for registration and supporting documentation online. Only those that are eligible will be invited to apply for registration by the NMBA. The registration application form will be made available within your IQNM candidate dashboard. There are separate online application forms for those in Stream A and Stream B. Once you have completed the required assessment in your stream, the respective online application form will be made available to you for completion. All international applications are subject to the same national assessment standards regardless of where the application is lodged. It is important that you fill out your online application form carefully. Pay attention to the instructions and the symbols listed on the front page of the form, as these will help guide you in completing the form accurately.