So you want to be a nurse in Australia and you have no clue where to start?

It’s not as hard as many think. When I first decided to come to Australia, I was really concerned about the registration process. I surfed the web and was left quite confused.

Eventually I found my way to AHPRA.gov.au.

Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is where you should start.

This is how you “get registered” as a nurse in Australia. This really only means you are being licensed as a Registered Nurse in Australia. If you review the Registration and Endorsement tab, you can find information for Internationally Qualified Nurses.

If you meet the qualifications, you can apply for registration.

I found the application for wasn’t too difficult to fill out, but it can be time consuming.

You will need letters from every employer from the past five years. The letter must be on company letter head and it must specifically speak to Full Time status and the length of time you have worked for the company. I was a travel RN at the time of my registration and was required to get a letter from the manager of my current assignment. Although I had a letter from my travel company, I still needed the letter from my manager. If you have been with the same travel company for the five years, you’ll need only two letters.

You will also need letters of recommendation, transcripts from your nursing program, and a letter from your nursing program detailing your clinical hours.

The most important thing to remember is to be very specific.

I sent my application to the Sydney office in early August and my application wasn’t reviewed until late October. When it was reviewed, I received an email stating what was required.

Each requirement was listed as a bullet point and had the specifics that AHPRA wanted included. Even though I ticked every point, I received another email stating additional information was required. This is very typical. It takes about 6 months to become registered.

Once you have registration, there are several nursing/healthcare recruitment agencies. Currently, there are no travel positions being offered in Australia due to changes in immigration laws.

If you are 18-30 years old, you can come to Australia on a Work/Holiday visa and stay for up to 1 year. If you are older, you have to apply for a work visa. Nurses can get a skilled visa (457 visa) and can stay for up to 4 years. However, the age limit is 50 years old.

Many hospitals will sponsor work visas.

If you want to come to Australia, take the chance. It is so worth it.