Nurse

Nursing Skills Assessment

Nurses migrating to Australia are required to complete a nursing skills assessment. This is completed with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) before lodging a visa application.

Requirements

If you are a Registered Nurse or Midwife in the United Kingdom or Ireland and have a minimum Bachelor of Nursing or Midwifery qualification, then you may qualify for a Full Skills Assessment.

You will be required to confirm your English language competency.

If you are a Nurse or Midwife Registered in Australia, then you will require a Modified Skills Assessment.

You will not be required to confirm your English language competency.

If you do not hold current registration in Australia but have a ‘Notice of in principle approval of registration subject to proof of identity’ letter from AHPRA, then you may qualify for a Modified PLUS Skills Assessment.

You will not be required to confirm your English language competency.

Nursing Occupations

Occupations that are assessed are:

• Nurse Practitioner (ANZSCO code 254411)
• Midwife (254111)
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412)
• Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) (254413)
• Registered Nurse (Community Health) (254414)
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (254415)
• Registered Nurse (Development Disability) (254416)
• Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) (254417)
• Registered Nurse (Medical) (254418)
• Registered Nurse (Medical Pratice) (254421)
• Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (254422)
• Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (254423)
• Registered Nurse (Surgical) (254424)
• Registered Nurse not elsewhere classified (254499)
• Enrolled Nurse (411411)
• Nursing Clinical Director (134212)

Visa Go will advise you about what exactly is required and prepare these in readiness for assessment.

Which assessment do I need?

If you hold registration as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse or midwife in Australia and/or New Zealand and your name appears on AHPRA’s online public Register of practitioners you may qualify for a Modified Skills Assessment.

If you do not hold current registration in Australia and/or New Zealand but have a ‘Notice of in principle approval of registration subject to proof of identity’ letter from AHPRA you may qualify for a Modified PLUS Skills Assessment.

If you are a registered nurse in the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong, Canada or Ireland and also have a minimum Bachelor of Nursing qualification from that country then you may qualify for a Full Skills Assessment.

If you are a registered midwife from Canada, the United Kingdom or Ireland and have a minimum Bachelor of Midwifery qualification from that country then you may qualify for a full skills assessment.

Do I need to take an English language test as part of my migration skills assessment?

MODIFIED SKILLS ASSESSMENT APPLICANTS

If you are applying for a modified skills assessment you do not need to provide English language test results. This means you are registered with:

• AHPRA
• Nursing Council of New Zealand
• Midwifery Council of New Zealand.

MODIFIED PLUS SKILLS ASSESSMENT

If you are applying for a Modified PLUS Skills Assessment you do not need to provide English language test results. This means you have a ‘Notice of in principle approval of registration subject to proof of identity’ letter from:

• AHPRA

FULL SKILLS ASSESSMENT APPLICATIONS

All internationally-qualified nurses and midwives without Australian or New Zealand registration (regardless of country of birth) have to provide English language test results.

Australia’s official language is English and it is important that healthcare professionals working here are proficient in English (reading, speaking, writing and listening). This enables nurses and midwives to communicate competently and safely with patients and their families, colleagues and other health professionals.

What English language test does ANMAC accept?

ANMAC accept successful completion of:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test.
   Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the 4 components – listening, reading, writing and speaking.
   ANMAC only accept test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:
   a) a minimum overall score of 7 in each sitting
   AND
   b) no score in any component of the test is below 6.5
2. Occupational English Test (OET) for nurses.
   Applicants must achieve a minimum score of B in each of the 4 components – listening, reading, writing and speaking.
   ANMAC only accept test results from 1 test sitting OR a maximum of 2 test sittings, in a 6 month period only if the applicant:
   a) is tested in all 4 components in each sitting
   AND
   b) no score in any component of the test is below C
3. Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic.
   Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 65 AND a minimum score of 65 in each of the 4 communicative skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking.
   ANMAC only accept test results from 1 test sitting OR a maximum of 2 test sittings, in a 6 month period only if the applicant achieves:
   a) a minimum overall score of 65 in each sitting
   AND
   b) no score in any of the four communicative skills is below 58
4. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT.
   Applicants must achieve a minimum total score of 94 AND the following minimum score in each section of the test – 24 listening, 24 reading, 27 writing, 23 speaking
   ANMAC only accept test results from 1 test sitting, OR a maximum of 2 test sittings in a 6 month period only if the applicant achieves:
   a) a minimum total score of 94 in each sitting
   AND
   b) no score in any of the sections is below – 20 listening, 19 reading, 24 writing, 20 speaking

ANMAC accepts test results that are up to 2 years old. You only have to pass 1 of these tests, not all of them. Scores from 2 different tests cannot be combined.

• Do You Qualify for the Skilled Visa?