Guide · Canada
How to work as a Registered Nurse in Australia from Canada
What you need to know about registration or skills assessment, English, the police certificate from Canada and the employer sponsorship list, taken from official Australian sources. Each section links its source and the date it was checked.
General information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent (MARA) for advice on your situation.
Overview
In Australia this role is listed as Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (ANZSCO 254415), which also covers job titles such as Registered Nurse, ICU Nurse, Critical Care Nurse.
To work as a registered nurse in Australia you need registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra. ANMAC separately assesses overseas nursing qualifications for skilled migration purposes.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) generally asks for:
- Proof of identity
- Your nursing qualification and transcripts
- Registration or licence in your home country
- English language test results that meet the NMBA standard
- Evidence of recent nursing practice
Sources
- NMBA: internationally qualified nurses and midwives(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
- ANMAC skilled migration services(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
- NMBA / Ahpra(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
Registration and skills assessment
More than one route can apply to Registered Nurse candidates from Canada. Which one applies depends on your situation, and a registered migration agent can confirm which applies to you.
In Canada, only British Columbia (Canada) and Ontario (Canada) are on NMBA’s list of comparable international regulatory jurisdictions. NMBA standard(opens in a new tab)
NMBA registration via the internationally qualified RN standard (Pathway 1)
NMBA / Ahpra
For nurses who qualified and registered in an NMBA comparable jurisdiction and have practised there. No NMBA exams or qualification upgrade.
- You qualified in Canada.
Applies if:
- you hold nursing registration in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, British Columbia (Canada), Ontario (Canada), Singapore or Spain
- you have at least 1,800 hours of practice there
- Registration
Apply for general registration under the IQRN standard (Pathway 1)
NMBA / Ahpra
Evidence needed: a qualification from the comparable jurisdiction that led to registration there; at least 1,800 hours of practice as a registered nurse in comparable jurisdictions since 1 January 2017, with a statement from each employer; current or previous general registration there and a Certificate of Good Standing; plus the NMBA mandatory registration standards (criminal history, CPD, English, recency of practice, professional indemnity insurance).
- Typical time:
- 1–6 months (NMBA estimate)
- English
Meet the NMBA English language skills registration standard
NMBA / Ahpra
Some applicants need an accepted English test (IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, taken at a test centre). For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic overall 7 (listening, reading, speaking 7; writing 6.5); OET listening 350, reading 360, writing 350, speaking 360; PTE Academic overall 63 (listening 58, reading 59, writing 60, speaking 76); TOEFL iBT 91 (listening 22, reading 22, writing 23, speaking 24). Older results are checked against the earlier table.
- Skills assessmentIf it applies to you
ANMAC migration skills assessment (separate from registration)
ANMAC
ANMAC assesses nurses for migration purposes; this is separate from NMBA / Ahpra registration. Registered nurses already on the Ahpra register may qualify for a modified skills assessment, and nurses registered in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom or the United States may be eligible for a full skills assessment. Check with Home Affairs whether you need one.
Source
- NMBA / Ahpra(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
NMBA registration via the outcomes-based assessment (OBA)
NMBA / Ahpra
Internationally qualified nurses complete the Self-check first; Stream B candidates then sit the outcomes-based assessment: an MCQ exam followed by an OSCE.
Otherwise, this is the usual route.
- Step
Complete the NMBA Self-check
NMBA / Ahpra
All internationally qualified nurses complete the Self-check. It assigns Stream A (straight to registration), Stream B (outcomes-based assessment, below) or Stream C (upgrade your qualification first).
Official page(opens in a new tab)Qualification criteria (NMBA)(opens in a new tab)
- Step
Pay the IQNM assessment fee, then Orientation Part 1 and Portfolio
NMBA / Ahpra
Stream B candidates pay the (non-refundable) IQNM assessment fee, complete Orientation Part 1 and establish their Portfolio. The fee amount is set by Ahpra.
- Exam
MCQ exam: NCLEX-RN
NMBA / Ahpra (delivered by NCSBN / Pearson VUE)
For registered nurses the MCQ exam is the NCLEX-RN, delivered through Pearson VUE test centres. If you passed the NCLEX-RN within 10 years of establishing your portfolio, upload it at the Portfolio stage instead. You have 180 days after your portfolio is established to complete it.
- Practical
OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)
NMBA / Ahpra
After passing the MCQ exam, Stream B candidates sit the OSCE, a practical clinical exam.
- English
Meet the NMBA English language skills registration standard
NMBA / Ahpra
Some applicants need an accepted English test (IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, taken at a test centre). For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic overall 7 (listening, reading, speaking 7; writing 6.5); OET listening 350, reading 360, writing 350, speaking 360; PTE Academic overall 63 (listening 58, reading 59, writing 60, speaking 76); TOEFL iBT 91 (listening 22, reading 22, writing 23, speaking 24). Older results are checked against the earlier table.
- Registration
Apply for registration with NMBA / Ahpra
NMBA / Ahpra
Once the assessment stages are complete you can apply for general registration, meeting the NMBA mandatory registration standards.
- Skills assessmentIf it applies to you
ANMAC migration skills assessment (separate from registration)
ANMAC
ANMAC assesses nurses for migration purposes; this is separate from NMBA / Ahpra registration. Registered nurses already on the Ahpra register may qualify for a modified skills assessment, and nurses registered in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom or the United States may be eligible for a full skills assessment. Check with Home Affairs whether you need one.
Source
- NMBA / Ahpra(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
English
English test result (IELTS, OET, PTE or TOEFL). IELTS Academic 7 (writing 6.5), OET, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT at the NMBA standard.
| Test | overall | listening | reading | writing | speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 7 |
| OET | — | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
| PTE Academic | 63 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 76 |
| TOEFL iBT | 91 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
Results from tests taken before 23 April 2026 are checked against the earlier table on the official page.
Canada is on NMBA’s list of recognised countries for English. If you studied there you may not need an English test for registration, but it depends on how and where you studied: confirm with NMBA.
Home Affairs accepts a Canada passport as evidence of some English levels (functional, vocational or competent, not proficient or superior). Confirm on the Home Affairs English language page.
Sources
- Accepted English tests (Ahpra)(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
- NMBA: English language skills standard(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
- Home Affairs: English language(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
Police certificate from Canada
For Canada, the Home Affairs police check page names the Certified Criminal Record Check (based on name and fingerprints).
- Issued by
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS)
- Applying from outside Canada
- Yes, you can apply from outside the country.Get paper fingerprints from an authorised agency, then an RCMP-accredited fingerprinting company in Canada converts them and submits your application.
- Processing time
- For electronic fingerprint submissions: 3 business days or less with no record match; up to 120 business days if manual processing is needed or there is a possible match.
- How long it’s accepted
- Home Affairs treats police certificates as valid for 12 months from the issue date. A certificate covers from age 16 (or the whole time you were in the country) up to the issue date.
- Home Affairs accepts only the RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check, not provincial, regional or municipal checks.
- A fee is payable.
Issuer’s website: rcmp.ca(opens in a new tab)
Sources
- Home Affairs: police check for Canada(opens in a new tab)checked 19 October 2026
- rcmp.ca(opens in a new tab)checked 19 October 2026
- Home Affairs: character requirements(opens in a new tab)checked 19 October 2026
Employer sponsorship list
Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (ANZSCO 254415) is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), so Australian employers can sponsor overseas workers for this occupation when the job meets the other published settings.
The guaranteed salary must also meet the Core Skills income threshold: AUD 79,423 a year from 1 July 2026 (check current figure).
Whether a particular job can be sponsored depends on the employer and the job. General information based on the official list as of 18 October 2026 (LIN 24/089 (F2024L01620), compilation No. 3 (F2025C01064), compiled 7 November 2025). Not visa advice: a registered migration agent can advise.
Source
- Federal Register of Legislation: LIN 24/089(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
Typical timeline
Only the times an official source states. Your own timeline depends on your documents and the authority’s workload.
Apply for general registration under the IQRN standard (Pathway 1)
NMBA registration via the internationally qualified RN standard (Pathway 1)
1–6 months (NMBA estimate)
Police certificate from Canada
For electronic fingerprint submissions: 3 business days or less with no record match; up to 120 business days if manual processing is needed or there is a possible match.
Sources
- nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au(opens in a new tab)checked 18 October 2026
- rcmp.ca(opens in a new tab)checked 19 October 2026
How GoingAbroad helps
- Free vetting. Create your profile, get help to strengthen your CV and do one AI interview. Vetting costs nothing.
- We submit ready candidates. When you’re ready, GoingAbroad submits your profile to Australian employers hiring Registered Nurse roles. Employers make every hiring decision.
- Clear about what we are. GoingAbroad is a hiring platform, not a migration agent. We never charge a placement fee and never promise a job or a visa outcome.
General information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent (MARA) for advice on your situation.
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