Nursing registration for Australia: What you need to know

If you are dreaming of working in a hospital where you’re not doing insane hours, and where the ratio of nurses to patients is manageable, generous even, then nursing in Australia is for you. Here’s what you need to know about nursing registration 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).

Before you apply

Internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) who apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) are assessed against the NMBA registration standards. IQNMs’ qualifications are assessed against the three qualification criteria of the assessment model.

• Registration standards define the requirements that applicants must meet to be considered fit to practise as nurses and midwives.
• Qualification criteria define the minimum acceptable education and training that IQNMs must have completed.
• Registration applicants must meet all registration standards and qualification criteria in order to be eligible for registration without conditions or limitations.

Registration Standards

The NMBA has approved the following registration standards for those seeking initial registration:

• Criminal History
• English Language Skills
• Recency of Practice
• Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements

More information relating to registration standards is available in FAQ and fact sheets on the NMBA website.

Qualification Criteria

Before you can be registered to practice in Australia as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse and/or midwife your qualification will be assessed against the criteria listed below. You need to provide evidence that you meet each of the three criteria.

For more information about the documentation required, have a look at the Supporting Documentation section on the NMBA website.

1. Qualification recognised for registration:
Your qualification was recognised by a statutory registration/licensing body for registration as a registered nurseor midwife or enrolled nurse in the country your qualification was received and you have met any pre- registration examination requirements. Where there is only one level of nurse in your country your qualification will be assessed at the registered nurse level.

2. Quality assurance and accreditation:
At the time you received your qualification as a registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse the qualification was subject to quality assurance and recognised or accredited by a body external to the education institution and based on published accreditation standards. The accreditation standards for registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse education must include all of the following:

• Contemporary approaches to education
• Institutional resources (staffing and facilities)
• Evidenced-based and contemporary nursing and/or midwifery practice
• Workplace experience across a variety of healthcare settings and
• Medication management that addresses safe and effective use of medicines.

The published processes for reviewing programs/providers against the accreditation standards must include all of the following:

• An assessment conducted by an individual or team with appropriate expertise in education and in the registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse practice, and
• Institutional resources (staffing and facilities)
• Regular review of the program of study such as annual reporting or cyclic re-accreditation.

The NMBA has found that nursing and midwifery qualifications issued by education institutions in the countries listed below are likely to meet the requirements for criterion 2 (Quality Assurance and Accreditation).

• Ireland – nursing and midwifery
• Canada – nursing
• USA – nursing and midwifery
• United Kingdom – nursing and midwifery
• Hong Kong – nursing

3. Academic level of qualification: 

The academic level of your qualification is comparable to, at a minimum, an Australian Bachelor Degree at level 7 (registered nurse or midwife) or Australian Diploma level 5 (enrolled nurse) of the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Completing the Self Check

Many qualifications have previously been assessed by Ahpra and will be available to select from a picklist in the Self Check. If your qualification is listed in the Self Check, as soon as you complete the Self-check you will be advised of the steps (assessment stages) you need to complete before applying for registration.

If your qualification has not yet been assessed by Ahpra, it will not be available to select from the Self Check. You can still proceed by indicating on the Self Check that you cannot find your qualification. Ahpra will advise you of the steps you need to complete for you to have your qualification assessed.

See Completing the Self Check for more information.

Self Check and Portfolio

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.

Completing the Self Check

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. 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.

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 $640 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:

• IQNMs in Stream A
• IQNMs in Stream B
• IQNMs who require their qualification(s) to be assessed

Click here to begin your Self Check

Steps after the Self Check (Assessment Stages)

When an internationally qualified nurse or midwife (IQNM) completes the Self-Check they will be advised if they are in Stream A, B, or C, or if Ahpra needs to assess their qualifications before assigning a stream. IQNMs in each stream must complete a different number of steps (assessment stages) before they are eligible to apply for registration. Stream A and Stream B IQNMs who choose to proceed in the IQNM assessment process are considered to be ‘candidates’.

Assessment Stages for Each Stream:
Stream A candidates must first pay the IQNM assessment fee in order to proceed in the IQNM assessment process. Following payment, Stream A candidates must successfully complete the following assessment stage to be eligible to apply for registration:

• Orientation Part 1 – an online learning course providing an introduction to Australia and the Australian healthcare context.

Stream B candidates must first pay the IQNM assessment fee in order to proceed in the IQNM assessment process. Following payment, Stream B candidates must successfully complete the following assessment stages in the order shown to be eligible to apply for registration:

• Orientation Part 1 – an online learning course providing an introduction to Australia and the Australian healthcare context.
• Portfolio – provision of qualification and identification details and documentation
• Outcomes-based assessment (OBA) comprising:

1. A multiple-choice question (MCQ) exam related to the profession/division in which they intend to register in Australia, and
2. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) related to the profession/division in which they intend to register in Australia.

Stream C assigned IQNMs will be advised that the only way to proceed in the assessment process to upgrade their qualification. This may be done by enrolling in a qualification leading to registration, such as:

• a midwifery or nursing Bachelor degree (AQF level 7 or comparable)
• an enrolled nursing Diploma (AQF level 5 or comparable)
• IQNMs can upgrade their qualification in Australia or any other country of choice. If their qualification is upgraded outside Australia the IQNM must make sure that the qualification meets the accreditation requirements of criterion 2.

The qualification must be in nursing or midwifery and must lead to registration in the country of study. Post graduate qualifications in related fields will not meet the requirements. If the qualification is upgraded in Australia, the education provider can provide further information on the program of study approved for registration and any opportunity for recognition of prior learning.

Details of Approved Programs of Study can be found on the NMBA website.

The following figure shows the required assessment stages up to application for registration for each stream following completion of the Self Check.

Orientation Part 1

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).

See Fact sheet: Orientation Part 1 and Part 2 for further information.

Portfolio

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 –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.

• 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.

Examination

Multiple choice question exam (MCQ)
The Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam 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 exam (OSCE)
The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) 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

Once internationally qualified nurses or midwives (IQNMs) successfully complete the Self-check and any required assessment stages, they are eligible to apply for registration. Once an IQNM is eligible to apply for registration, the registration application form will be made available within the IQNM candidate dashboard.

How to Apply:
You can lodge your application for registration, and supporting documentation by post at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) office in Victoria:

Ahpra
GPO Box 9958
Melbourne
VIC 3001

Alternatively, you can lodge your application for registration, and supporting documentation in person at any Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) office in the state or territory in which you plan to live and work.

All international applications are subject to the same national assessment standards regardless of where the application is lodged. Aphra does not accept applications by email because we need your original signature (not a scanned signature, for example) on the application documents.

Applying for registration does not guarantee that you meet the standards for registration. Granting registration is a decision of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

Supporting documents required:
The NMBA and Ahpra rely on the supporting documentation submitted with your application form to accurately assess your application for registration. Please ensure that all supporting documentation meets the Ahpra certification and translation guidelines.

The NMBA views fraud very seriously and will carefully review the evidence you provide to support your application. If you provide false or misleading documents with your application, the NMBA will refuse you registration because you are not a fit and proper person for general registration. If the NMBA becomes aware of fraud in your application after you have been registered, you may have your registration cancelled.

For Ahpra to assess your application, applicants must provide ALL the following evidence. Your application cannot be assessed until all of this documentation has been received.

Supplied by you:

• Official documentation for all qualifications:
• Copy of course certificate awarded (e.g. degree)
• Copy of the academic transcript
• Evidence of any change of name
• Proof of identity
• A Statement of Service from your employer(s) covering the past five years
• A signed and dated curriculum vitae that describes your full practice history and any training undertaken
• Proof that you meet the NMBA’s English language skills registration standard:
• Evidence that you have completed sufficient education taught and assessed in English according to the requirements set out in the English language skills registration standard, OR
• A copy of your NMBA-approved English language test result. Please see the English language skills registration standard for more information.
• Fees for international applications:
• Application fee
• Registration fee

Note: the application fee is non-refundable.

Click here to begin your Self Check

Download this handy PDF of Nurse Registration for Australia containing all the above information compiled by NexVentur and Visa First.

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