Nurse needing advice.

[sjmilly]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is our first post and we are looking for the best way (and visa) to get us to Australia as we have a complicated situation and had given up hope of being able to get permanent residency.

 

We have had some advice today from a migration agency that has given us hope but we don’t want to spend time and money if this is not a feasible option.

 

Our complicating factors are my age:- I am 45 in December and the fact that I do not yet have a degree in nursing.

 

The agency has advised that we do an application to ANMAC now with the hope that it will get accepted on my current qualifications and experience. They said they would check prior doing application how likely it is that my qualifications and experience would be enough with ANMAC.

 

I have been qualified as an RGN for 22 years and have worked as a nurse since then, I have worked in Neonatal Intensive Care, Practice Nursing and School Nursing. I am just doing the last module I need to have enough level 5 credits for a diploma and then intend to start a top up degree in nursing as soon as I can (distance learning and self funded)

 

The advice that was given was in the hope that we could get an expression of interest before I am 45 and then the timescales would fit that I would have my degree by the time I need to apply for registration with APHRA.

 

Please can anyone advise if this seems remotely feasible as we don’t want to get our hopes up.

 

My husband works in ICT but does not have a degree

 

Plan B is to wait until my degree is finished and apply for a temporary visa

Plan C is to go to New Zealand

 

Thanks for reading and I look forward to replies and joining in.

 

Milly

[Bungo]

Well it was my understanding that you can pass a skills assessment with ANMAC without a degree and it is the APHRA registration that requires the degree in order to be bale to work. This results in the weird situation where a nurse without a degree can get a visa to Australia as a nurse but won't be able to work as a nurse once there. Good news for you of course, as indeed it means you could get the visa now, then finish off the degree and move over afterwards.

 

I am just not sure if the ANMAC and APHRA requirements have been aligned, you would think they would be eventually wouldn't you? If it is still the case though, then my recommendation is to get a wiggle on and get that skills assessment done ASAP.

 

Good luck.

[jac2011]

If this is a dream of yours, I would pursue the ANMAC application asap before you make any decisions. You would need to sit IELTS and pay the cost of ANMAC which currently is around £640 I would guess. As far as I was aware ANMAC did not yet require a degree, however I head one person on a FB group state that they did require a degree. A word of warning though is not always to believe the word of one individual on a chat group! If this is your dream I would personally go for it. £640 is a small price to pay for a 'dream'.

[sjmilly]

Thank you for your replies. I well get my certificates scanned and emailed to the agency ASAP then.

 

It is a minefield but will be worth it if we ever get there.

 

Jac2011, congrats on your job, do you mind me asking what the job is?

[Chortlepuss]

Do what you can to get in as quickly as you can - good advice here. I came out aged 44 on a 457, my employer sponsored me for PR (special circumstances) aged 46 (I work in IT) and got citizenship a couple of years after that. My employer had a good migration agent to make my case so got in just in time!

[ali]

I have heard that ANMAC will be changing their criteria to be the same as AHPRA - so please do check that they haven't already done this before submitting an application. If they haven't - then get your application in ASAP

[snaik]

Hi, I am a nurse and only have a diploma. I applied first to anmac and had a positive assessment. I the nk it cost $840 but that was last year. I don't know if they have changed there criteria since but if not get your papers in ASAP as it took 16 weeks to process. As for the degree I decided to apply to aphra knowing they would refuse my registration so that I could be referred to do the bridging course. I know its expensive but much quicker. It is taking me just 9 weeks total to complete. I have 1 week left and have been offered a job where I am doing my placement. So its been quite good even though the course is liking being taught to suck eggs!!!