General care nurse · Australia

Work in Australia
as a nurse.

Australia keeps three decisions apart: the nursing board decides whether you can register, a separate council decides whether your skills count for migration, and the Department of Home Affairs decides the visa. Read them in that order.

Recognition
Regulated
Work permits sourced
3
Official sources
29
Last checked
2026-08-03
  1. PhilippinesYour documents, prepared here
  2. RecognitionRequired to practise here
  3. Right to work3 permits compared
  4. AustraliaEvery source read since 2026‑08‑03
Build my roadmap →Compare the permits

The short answer

Two questions, and they are not the same question.

◎Licence decision required

Recognition

Regulated · assessed case by case

Who decides: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), with Ahpra assessing applications on its behalf — The NMBA states that to work as a nurse in Australia you need to be registered with it. Under section 113 of the National Law, knowingly or recklessly using the title registered nurse without being entitled to is an offence, with a penalty of up to $60,000 for an individual.

Australia separates two decisions that are easy to confuse. A skills assessment, which several visas ask for, is issued by the assessing authority the Department of Home Affairs assigns to your occupation: most occupations have their own, and the Department only accepts an assessment from the relevant one. In the Department's own words, a skills assessment is different to being registered with an appropriate regulatory body. Where an occupation is regulated, the evidence comes from the relevant Australian registration or licensing authority, in the state or territory where you will be working.

↗Always required

Work authorisation

Whatever the recognition branch says, you still need the legal right to work in Australia. We have sourced 3 routes for a qualification obtained outside the EU and EEA.

  • Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
  • Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream
  • Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Direct Entry stream

Qualified inside the EU or EEA? Free movement replaces this branch entirely — pick your country below and the answer changes accordingly.

Work authorisation

Every permit we can source,
side by side.

Open the full roadmap →

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

Department of Home Affairs

Checklist
Salary floor
AUD 79,423 a year (2026 figure)This is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), the floor for the Core Skills stream, in force for nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. It replaced the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold on this visa when the Skills in Demand visa itself replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa. A separate, higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold of AUD146,576 (same 2026–2027 cycle) applies instead to the Specialist Skills stream, open only to occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. Both figures are indexed every 1 July; check the figure in force on the date you lodge. In every case your pay must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role — whichever of the two is higher.
Qualification
At least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field, plus a skills assessment from the occupation's assessing authority where your occupation requires one.
Processing time
Not published as a single national figure — the Department publishes a visa processing time guide tool instead
Visa validity
Up to 4 years (up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders)
Visa application charge
From AUD4,015.00 — concessions apply in limited circumstances; use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for your own figure
Everything about Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) →
The procedure, step by step5 steps · 3 possible outcomes
  1. Secure sponsorship from an employer approved as a sponsor, nominated to an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (Core Skills stream) or, for the Specialist Skills stream, to an occupation in one of the eligible ANZSCO Major Groups paid at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.
  2. Confirm the nominated position is paid the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and no less than the applicable income threshold, and that you have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the occupation or a related field.
  3. Where your occupation requires it, obtain a skills assessment from the assessing authority the Department lists against that occupation before your nomination is decided.The Department states this is required "if this is required for your occupation" — not universally. Its directory of assessing authorities names ACS for ICT-related occupations and other bodies for the rest.
  4. Meet the minimum standard of English language proficiency the Department sets for this visa, unless you are exempt.
  5. Once the nomination is approved, lodge the visa application. You may work only for your sponsor or an associated entity unless you fall within a published exemption.

Possible outcomes

  • A Skills in Demand visa for up to 4 years (5 for Hong Kong passport holders), tied to work for the sponsoring employer or an associated entity unless exempt.
  • If eligible, a route to apply for permanent residence — most commonly through the Employer Nomination Scheme once the qualifying period with the sponsor is met.
  • Refusal, where the occupation, salary, experience, skills assessment or English conditions are not met.

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream

Department of Home Affairs

Points-based
Qualification
Your nominated occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list for this visa, and you need a suitable skills assessment for it from the occupation's own assessing authority.
Processing time
Not published as a single national figure — the Department publishes a visa processing time guide tool instead
Visa validity
Permanent
Visa application charge
From AUD6,135.00 — concessions apply in limited circumstances; use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for your own figure

Scored, not checked off. We explain the factors and link the official calculator — we never produce a score, because a score reads as a prediction.

Everything about Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream →
The procedure, step by step4 steps · 3 possible outcomes
  1. Confirm your nominated occupation is on the relevant skilled occupation list for this visa, and obtain a suitable skills assessment for it from the assessing authority the Department lists against that occupation.
  2. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Be aged under 45 when the Department invites you to apply — turning 45 after an invitation does not disqualify you, but turning 45 before one is issued does.
  3. This is a points-tested visa. The Department scores age, English language ability, skilled employment experience (in Australia and overseas), qualifications, and a handful of smaller factors such as a professional year, a credentialled community language, or a partner's own skills — set out in full on the Department's points table. You must reach at least 65 points to be invited; we do not calculate or estimate your score here.Use the Department's own points calculator to work out your indicative score before relying on any figure. If invited, the invitation states the score you must still meet when the visa itself is assessed, which can be higher than 65 depending on your claims.
  4. If invited, lodge the visa application within the invitation period and provide documentary evidence for every claim made in your EOI.

Possible outcomes

  • A permanent visa: work and study anywhere in Australia, sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence, and, if eligible, apply for citizenship.
  • No invitation, where your indicative score stays below 65 points or the occupation ceiling for the program year is already filled.
  • Refusal after invitation, where the score, age, occupation, skills assessment or other conditions are not met when the application itself is assessed.

Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Direct Entry stream

Department of Home Affairs

Checklist
Salary floor
AUD 79,423 a year (2026 figure)The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) applies to Employer Nomination Scheme nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024, at the same figure as the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream. AUD79,423 is the figure in force for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027; it is indexed every 1 July, so check the figure in force on the date of nomination. Your pay must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role if that figure is higher.
Qualification
At least 3 years of relevant work experience, unless you are exempt, and a positive skills assessment from the occupation's assessing authority before you lodge, unless you are exempt.
Processing time
Not published as a single national figure — the Department publishes a visa processing time guide tool instead
Visa validity
Permanent
Visa application charge
From AUD6,140.00 — concessions apply in limited circumstances; use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator for your own figure
Everything about Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Direct Entry stream →
The procedure, step by step6 steps · 2 possible outcomes
  1. Secure a nomination from an employer approved as a sponsor, for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List.
  2. Be under 45 years old on the date you lodge your application, unless you are exempt, and have at least 3 years of relevant work experience, unless you are exempt.
  3. Obtain a positive skills assessment before you lodge, unless you are exempt, from the assessing authority the Department lists against your occupation.For ICT-related occupations that authority is ACS; for most other occupations it is a different body — check the Department's own directory rather than assuming.
  4. Meet the Department's minimum standard of English language proficiency, plus its health and character requirements.
  5. Be licensed, registered or a member of a professional body if that is mandatory in the state or territory you intend to work in.
  6. Once the Department approves the nomination, lodge the visa application.

Possible outcomes

  • A permanent visa: live, work and study in Australia indefinitely, sponsor eligible family members, and, if eligible, apply for citizenship.
  • Refusal, where the age, experience, skills assessment, salary or other conditions are not met.

Recognition procedure

What the authority asks of you.

Ordered the way the procedure runs, from an origin outside the EU and EEA. Pick your own country of qualification below and the planner reorders it for you.

1

Prepare your documents

  1. Request certified copies of your diploma and transcript of records from the Philippine institution that issued them.
  2. The Apostille Convention has been in force for the Philippines since 14 May 2019, and the competent authority is the Department of Foreign Affairs. Higher-education documents reach it through the Commission on Higher Education, which issues the CAV — the Certification, Authentication and Verification that covers academic documents.
  3. Since 16 March 2026 a CHED eCAV is apostilled electronically and nothing else: the DFA no longer issues paper apostilles for this category. What you receive is an e-Apostille, and anyone you send it to can confirm it on the Philippine e-Register.If a fixer offers to put a physical apostille sticker on your eCAV, that is not the procedure in force. Check the e-Register instead.
  4. Under Article 5 of the Convention, an apostille certifies the signature, the capacity of the person who signed and the seal on the document. It certifies nothing about what the document says or what your qualification is worth.
  5. Find the assessing authority the Department lists against your occupation before you plan any visa, and check separately whether the occupation needs registration or a licence to practise. Passing one does not settle the other.
2

Get your qualification assessed

  1. Check first whether you qualify for the fast track. Since 23 April 2025 a registered nurse who qualified and practised in an approved comparable jurisdiction can register without the NMBA's exams. The approved list, as at April 2025, is the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, Singapore and Spain.The standard also covers some nurses who qualified elsewhere but passed a regulatory examination and practised in one of those jurisdictions. Read the conditions on hours of practice in the standard itself before relying on it.
  2. Otherwise, complete the NMBA's Self-check. It measures your qualification against three criteria and assigns you a stream: Stream A can register, Stream B must complete the outcomes-based assessment, and Stream C is advised to upgrade the qualification first.Streams A and B pay the non-refundable IQNM assessment fee and complete Orientation Part 1.
  3. In Stream B, sit the multiple-choice exam first. For registered nurses it is the NCLEX-RN, delivered by the NCSBN at Pearson VUE test centres in most countries.
3

Close any gaps

  1. Then sit the OSCE, an in-person clinical exam held in Australia only. The NMBA asks for a copy of an Australian visa before it invites you to a date.
  2. Meet the English language registration standard. For a test taken on or after 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic with 7 overall, 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or OET with 350 in listening, 360 in reading, 350 in writing and 360 in speaking. PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and the Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are also accepted at their own minimum scores.Tests are taken at a test centre, in one sitting or at most two. For TOEFL iBT you must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia'. A test taken before 23 April 2026 is judged against the previous scores.
4

Register and start working

  1. Apply for general registration. The NMBA charges an application fee and a separate registration fee.
  2. If you migrate on a skilled visa, you also need a skills assessment from ANMAC, and it is not the same thing: ANMAC does not assess nurses for registration to practise, and the NMBA says the two processes are entirely separate. ANMAC's full assessment asks for registration in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom or the United States; its modified assessment asks for current registration with the NMBA or in New Zealand.

What it costs

CHED Certification, Authentication and Verification
Set by the Commission on Higher Education — confirm the current fee on the eCAV portal before applying
DFA apostille
Set by the Department of Foreign Affairs and charged per document — confirm the current fee before applying
IQNM assessment, Streams A and B
$410, non-refundable
NCLEX-RN, Stream B
Set by the NCSBN, with an additional international scheduling fee
OSCE, Stream B
$4,000
Application for general registration
$332
Registration fee
$193 ($189 where your principal place of practice is New South Wales)
ANMAC skills assessment, for skilled migration
$595 full, or $395 modified

How long it takes

ANMAC skills assessment
6 to 8 weeks before the assessment starts; the outcome is valid for 2 years

Possible outcomes

  • General registration, through the fast track or after the assessment your stream requires.
  • In Stream C, advice to upgrade your qualification before you can register.

Possible, not predicted. Nobody here can tell you which one you will get.

Where you qualified

The answer changes
with your country.

Everything we cover →

Qualified outside the EU and EEA — permit required

Colombia → AustraliaOpen this roadmapArgentina → AustraliaOpen this roadmapIndia → AustraliaOpen this roadmapPhilippines → AustraliaOpen this roadmapNigeria → AustraliaOpen this roadmapBrazil → AustraliaOpen this roadmapMexico → AustraliaOpen this roadmap

Qualified inside the EU or EEA — free movement applies

Spain → AustraliaDifferent answerGermany → AustraliaDifferent answerNetherlands → AustraliaDifferent answer

People reach this page looking for

  • NMBA registration for overseas nurses
  • NCLEX and OSCE for Australia
  • ANMAC skills assessment for nurses
  • IELTS or OET score for AHPRA
  • Australia nursing registration from the Philippines

Questions

Answered from the same sources.

Is general care nurse a regulated profession in Australia?

Yes. Regulated · assessed case by case. The decision is made by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), with Ahpra assessing applications on its behalf.

Which authority recognises a foreign general care nurse qualification in Australia?

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), with Ahpra assessing applications on its behalf. The NMBA states that to work as a nurse in Australia you need to be registered with it. Under section 113 of the National Law, knowingly or recklessly using the title registered nurse without being entitled to is an offence, with a penalty of up to $60,000 for an individual.

Which work permits can a general care nurse apply for in Australia?

We have sourced 3: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream, Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Direct Entry stream. Each one has its own conditions, and this page compares them side by side rather than recommending one.

What salary do you need to work in Australia as a general care nurse?

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): AUD 79,423 a year (2026 figure, This is the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT), the floor for the Core Skills stream, in force for nomination applications lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. It replaced the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold on this visa when the Skills in Demand visa itself replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa. A separate, higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold of AUD146,576 (same 2026–2027 cycle) applies instead to the Specialist Skills stream, open only to occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. Both figures are indexed every 1 July; check the figure in force on the date you lodge. In every case your pay must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role — whichever of the two is higher.). Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) — Direct Entry stream: AUD 79,423 a year (2026 figure, The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) applies to Employer Nomination Scheme nominations lodged on or after 7 December 2024, at the same figure as the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream. AUD79,423 is the figure in force for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027; it is indexed every 1 July, so check the figure in force on the date of nomination. Your pay must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role if that figure is higher.).

Does QualiPath calculate my points score?

No. Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) — Points-tested stream is scored rather than checked against a list, and we explain the factors and link the official calculator instead of producing a number. Computing it here would be promising you an outcome we have no authority to promise.

How long does the process take?

ANMAC skills assessment: 6 to 8 weeks before the assessment starts; the outcome is valid for 2 years. These are the timeframes the authorities publish, not a prediction about your case.

Is this page up to date?

The oldest source behind it was checked on 2026-08-03. Every claim links to the official page it came from, with its own check date, so you can verify any of it yourself in one click.

Evidence

Every claim on this page, and where it came from.

29 official pages, each with the jurisdiction it speaks for and the date a human last opened it. The oldest of them is 2026-08-03, and that is the date this page is only as fresh as.

Two minutes, no account

Your qualification, your country, your roadmap.

This page answers the pairing in general. The planner answers it for the country you actually qualified in, and prints the result with its sources attached.

Build my roadmap →How we verify this