03 May Are you an Internationally qualified Nurse or Midwife?
To work in Australia as a Nurse or Midwife, you will need to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and apply for a visa issued by the Australian government.
Successful registration does not guarantee that you will be granted a visa. the process
What are the qualification assessment criteria and registration requirements?
The NMBA moved to a new assessment model from March 2020. It includes:
- An online Self-check
- An orientation program for all who are advised to continue with the assessment process, and
- An outcome-based assessment for those who have obtained a qualification that is relevant but not completely equivalent or based on similar competencies to an Australian approved qualification
Self-check – meeting the registration requirements
The assessment of qualifications is against three criteria.
Where you need to provide evidence that you meet each of the criteria as below:
Criterion 1: Qualification recognised for registration
Criterion 2: Quality assurance and accreditation
Criterion 3: Academic level of qualification
Submit your qualification information at Self-check to be assigned to one of three streams – A, B, C or will be advised if AHPRA needs to assess your qualification and assign you to a stream.
Stream -A –
Candidates who hold a qualification that is significantly equivalent to an Australian Approved Qualification Framework (AQF) and satisfy the compulsory registration Standard and will be eligible to apply for registration following completion of Orientation Part 1.
| RN/MWAQF 7 qualification and meets criteria 1 & 2 | ENAQF 5 qualification and meets criteria 1 & 2 | S |
| RNAQF 6 qualification solely in mental health/paediatric/disability nursing and meets criteria 1 & 2 | Stream A (Register with conditions for supervised practice) |
Stream-B-
Candidates who hold a qualification that is relevant but not significantly equivalent to an Australian Approved Qualification Framework (AQF) and satisfy the compulsory registration standards. And will need to pay the assessment fee and complete Orientation Part 1 before completing the portfolio stage
| RN/MWAQF 6 qualification and meets all criteria except criterion 3 | ENAQF 4 qualification and meets all criteria except criterion 3 | |
| RN/MWAQF 7 qualification and meets criteria 1 & 3 | ENAQF 5 qualification and meets criteria 1 & 3 |
Stream- C –
Applicants who hold a qualification that is not significantly equivalent to an Australian Approved Qualification Framework (AQF) and satisfy the compulsory registration standards. It is highly recommended to undertake studies in Australia to meet the standard.
| RN/MWAQF 5 qualification or lower | ENLess than AQF 4 qualification or unassessable |
RN: Registered Nurse; MW: Midwife; EN: Enrolled Nurse; AOF: Australian Qualifications Framework
The orientation program is designed in two parts:
- Introduction of Australian Healthcare, this is online learning.
- In-depth learning of Australian healthcare, which must be completed within 12 months of being registered.
In Portfolio Stage the information provided during the Self-check is counter checked by the APHRA.
What is the outcomes-based assessment (OBA)?
OBA is the second stage of the assessment process. The OBA is a two-stage process.
Stage -1 Computer-based Multiple Choice Question Exam to assess the professional Knowledge. This exam is called the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)
Stage -2 The second is the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).
Who can take up the OBA?
If you have received a referral to the OBA, then you can start immediately otherwise you could be also asked to take up a bridging program.
After OBA you can apply for the registration by providing the following:
- Police check
- English Language test score
- CPD Certificates
- Proof of Recency of practice
- Professional Indemnity Insurance arrangements.
Once you receive your registration you can apply for the visa and move to Australia.
If you are looking to complete the Assessment process in Australia then contact us for more options.