Nurse looking for advice about where to start...

[Tessey]

Hi all, 

I’m brand new to this page so any advice would be great. I’m sure this has been asked before and apologies for the repeativeness  but I’m confused about where to start. We have recently made the decision to try and relocate. We plan to move to WA on a PR visa so are looking at both the 189 & 190 route. We are both in skilled employment and could apply independently, however it will be me as the main applicant. (Slightly higher point score). 

We are planning on completing the process without an agent and have done some research however I’m not sure about the first step. I’ve read that some nurses apply to ANMAC first to complete the skills assessment while others to APHRA for provisional registration. Is there a benifit to doing one before the other? I have booked to complete the ILETS test as it seems that this is a requirement either way for the visa (also helps with points). I’m also presuming that until you have the go ahead from the skills test you can’t apply for an EOI? 

Any help and support would be fantastic. At the moment it feels like an overwhelming task! 

[Marisawright]

There are two aspects to getting your skills recognised.  One is the skills assessment you need to apply for the visa.  That is ONLY to satisfy Immigration.   It doesn't mean anything once you get to Australia. 

The other is completing whatever registration or licenses you need to work in Australia.  You don't need to complete those before you apply for the visa, and most people wait till they arrive (in fact, for many occupations, they can't do anything about it until they're living in Australia anyway).  Nursing is different.

For one thing, it's possible to apply for registration while offshore, and you don't need a visa to do so.   That's a big advantage, because the process takes several months - so if you wait until you've arrived, you won't be able to work for a long time.   You will have to make a flying visit to APHRA at some point to hand over your documents in person - but the fact that you'll be able to earn an income as soon as you arrive, should more than offset the cost of that trip.

The other reason not to wait is that you don't know what APHRA might say.  I'm not a nurse, but from what I've seen on these forums, APHRA have some strange attitudes to British qualifications.  What if they reject your registration and say you need to do some extra training?   What if they accept your registration but say you're not qualified to work in your preferred field?   If you're not worried about your career progression, that might not worry you - but if you are, then it might be a deal-breaker for your decision to migrate, so you'd want to know before you spend all the money on a visa application.  

It's a real chicken-and-egg situation.

[Tessey]

21 hours ago, Marisawright said:

There are two aspects to getting your skills recognised.  One is the skills assessment you need to apply for the visa.  That is ONLY to satisfy Immigration.   It doesn't mean anything once you get to Australia. 

The other is completing whatever registration or licenses you need to work in Australia.  You don't need to complete those before you apply for the visa, and most people wait till they arrive (in fact, for many occupations, they can't do anything about it until they're living in Australia anyway).  Nursing is different.

For one thing, it's possible to apply for registration while offshore, and you don't need a visa to do so.   That's a big advantage, because the process takes several months - so if you wait until you've arrived, you won't be able to work for a long time.   You will have to make a flying visit to APHRA at some point to hand over your documents in person - but the fact that you'll be able to earn an income as soon as you arrive, should more than offset the cost of that trip.

The other reason not to wait is that you don't know what APHRA might say.  I'm not a nurse, but from what I've seen on these forums, APHRA have some strange attitudes to British qualifications.  What if they reject your registration and say you need to do some extra training?   What if they accept your registration but say you're not qualified to work in your preferred field?   If you're not worried about your career progression, that might not worry you - but if you are, then it might be a deal-breaker for your decision to migrate, so you'd want to know before you spend all the money on a visa application.  

It's a real chicken-and-egg situation.

Thanks for the info. I’ve been a registered nurse in Australia before but some time back when on a working holiday visa. I’ve contacted APHRA today and I can apply to ‘unfreeze’ my registration so I’m pretty confident that my qualifications will stand. I think I’ll apply for APHRA but maybe after an EOI. It seems that the only advantage of applying earlier at this stage is to reduce my ANMAC assessment from full skills to moderate plus. Although this will cost less the cost of a flight to Aus won’t make it cost effective at this point. Thanks again for the advice. It’s helped me research today. 

[Craig Colas]

My wife and I are just starting the same process. Although we are potentially using an agent. She is a registered nurse and the first point of call is the English Language test to secure you points. That is our first point of call and she has the exam this month fingers crossed.