Australian Visas for Nurses

Australia has long supported the immigration of healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses. Because of the Coronavirus pandemic that demand has increased. The Department of Home Affairs has announced that from October 1 Australia will give prioritized visa processing for seventeen occupations. Eleven of these occupations are in the healthcare industry, with six occupations being various types of nurses while three are for doctors. Following is the full list of these prioritized occupations from the Department of Home Affairs:

“The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List

The 17 occupations (ANZSCO code) are:

Chief Executive or Managing Director (111111)

Construction Project Manager (133111)

Mechanical Engineer (233512)

General Practitioner (253111)

Resident Medical Officer (253112)

Psychiatrist (253411)

Medical Practitioner nec (253999)

Midwife (254111)

Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412)

Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (254415)

Registered Nurse (Medical) (254418)

Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (254422)

Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (254423)

Registered Nurses nec (254499)

Developer Programmer (261312)

Software Engineer (261313)

Maintenance Planner (312911)”

Source: The Department of Home Affairs.

Read this news article about the processing prioritization for these 17 occupations.

Skills Assessment

Any overseas nursing, doctor or other healthcare professional wanting to work in Australia will need to have their qualifications and experience assessed by an Australian professional body.

Nurse Skills Assessing Authority

The assessing body for nurses is ANMAC, the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council Limited.

To become a nurse in Australia, you must be registered at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, which will also check your English skills.

Doctor Skills Assessing Authority

The assessing body for doctors is the Medical Board of Australia. 

The Full List of all Approved Australian Assessing Authorities

Read More About Skills Assessment in Australia

Specific Australian Visas for Nurses

Following is information about specific Australian visas that foreign nurses may be eligible to apply for:

Skilled Independent 189 Permanent Visa

Applicants for the Skilled Independent 189 visa DO NOT require sponsorship from an employer or nomination by any organization or state government. Learn more about the 189 Skilled Independent Permanent visa.

Skilled Nominated 190 Permanent Visa

The Skilled Nominated 190 visa is a permanent work visa for individuals who have the relevant qualifications and skills but cannot meet the pass mark required to obtain a Skilled Independent 189 visa. Learn more about the Skilled Nominated 190 Permanent visa.

The Employer Nomination Scheme 186 Permanent Visa

The Employer Nomination Scheme allows Australian employers to sponsor foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia. Many foreign workers move from the 482 Work visa to the 186 and unlike the Regional 491 and 494 visas, the 186 has no conditions of where you can live and work in Australia. Learn more about the Employer Nomination Scheme 186 Permanent visa.

The Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) 482 Work Visa

The 482 work visa has two streams:

The Short-Term Stream (up to 2 years)

And

The Medium-Term Stream (up to 4 years)

Learn more about the TSS 482 Work visa.

The Regional 491 and 494 Visas

Australia’s two Regional visas are the:

491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

and

494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa.

Learn more about the 491 and 494 Regional visas.

Depending on your personal circumstances, nurses may also be eligible to apply for:

The Temporary Graduate 485 Visa

If you recently completed your studies in Australia for a bachelor or master’s degree or a two-year diploma, then the Skilled Graduate 485 visa allows you to work in Australia for between 18 and 48 months. Learn more about the Temporary Graduate 485 visa.

The Training 407 Visa

The 407 Training visa allows successful applicants to:

“take part in workplace-based training to enhance your skills in your current occupation, area of tertiary study, field of expertise.

“participate in a professional development training programme in Australia.”

The 407 Training visa can last up to 24 months.

Learn more about the Training 407 visa.

Reviews of Migration Ways

A review of the work of Migration Ways by client Dr. Ali Eslaminia:

“…miraculously Alberta got the job done in record time. Even the hospital was shocked that she got my work visa approved in a 2-week period.

“I will never forget the kindness, professionalism, and grace that the team at Migration Ways shared with me.

“Thank you!”

Read all of Dr. Eslaminia’s review and other reviews of Migration Ways.

Book a Consultation with Migration Ways

To learn which of the above visas is best for you and your individual needs and context, book a consultation with a Migration Ways visa expert.