Country Guide
Australia
Australian healthcare registration is unified nationally under AHPRA, working alongside profession-specific boards. Registration is a strict legal prerequisite for practice.
Doctors Track
AHPRA / Medical Board of Australia
Pathways to registration
- Competent Authority pathway: for IMGs trained in a broadly comparable system (UK, Ireland, Canada, US, New Zealand). Bypasses AMC exams but requires 12 months of supervised practice.
- Standard pathway: requires passing the AMC CAT (computer-adaptive MCQ) and AMC Clinical Exam (OSCE), plus 12 months of supervised practice.
- Specialist pathway: for specialists trained outside competent-authority countries; assessed by the relevant Australian specialist college.
IELTS (minimum 7.0 in each band) or OET (minimum B in each component); results valid for two years.
Indicative fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| AHPRA application and registration fees | Varies by registration type |
| AMC exam pathway (standard) | AUD 2,245–7,770 |
| Continuing Professional Development joining fee | Varies |
Competent Authority candidates: 6–12 months to provisional/limited registration. Standard Pathway candidates: 18 months to 3 years from starting AMC exam preparation.
Nurses & Midwives Track
AHPRA / Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
Two-stream model
Pathway steps
- 1Stream A (substantially equivalent): for qualifications from countries deemed equivalent to an Australian Bachelor of Nursing (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain). Proceeds directly to registration without exams.
- 2Stream B (relevant, not substantially equivalent): requires completing the Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA).
- 3OBA Stage 1 — MCQ: registered nurses sit the NCLEX-RN via Pearson VUE; midwives sit a separate NMBA-managed MCQ exam.
- 4OBA Stage 2 — OSCE: delivered at the Adelaide Health Simulation centre in South Australia.
IELTS (minimum 7.0 in each band) or OET (minimum B in each component).
Indicative fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| IQNM Self-check assessment fee | AUD 640 |
| NCLEX-RN registration + international scheduling fee | AUD 350 |
| OSCE (Adelaide Health Simulation) | AUD 4,000 |
| Registration application fee | AUD 300 |
| Registration fee | AUD 175 |
Stream A candidates proceed directly to registration. Stream B candidates typically need 6–18 months for the full OBA process.
Visa Route
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) / Skilled Independent (189)
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): employer-sponsored temporary visa, replaced the TSS visa on 7 December 2024. Offers a direct path to permanent residency (subclass 186) after 2 years.
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): a points-tested permanent visa requiring no employer sponsorship or state nomination. Applicants must be under 45 and meet a minimum 65-point threshold.
- Skilled Nominated (190) and Skilled Work Regional (491): require state/territory nomination; the 491 is provisional with a pathway to permanent residence after 3 years.
- ANMAC skills assessment is separate from AHPRA/NMBA registration — both need to be pursued, generally in parallel.
Quick Overview
Doctor regulator
AHPRA / Medical Board
Nurse regulator
AHPRA / NMBA
Core exams
AMC CAT & Clinical Exam / OBA (NCLEX-RN & OSCE)
Key visa route
Skills in Demand (482) / Skilled Independent (189)