Thinking about a move to Australia from New Zealand to work as an enrolled or registered nurse or midwife?
In this blog, we share our expert perspective as a leading Australian private hospital group to help you find your dream clinical job in Australia. Understand how AHPRA registration works and the immigration requirements for your trans-Tasman move.
Your endless possibilities are just a short flight away. Follow these steps to find them!
1. Apply for mutual recognition of nursing registration with AHPRA
As a nurse or midwife working in Aotearoa New Zealand, you have entitlements under the Trans-Tasman Act. This makes it simple to convert your NZ nursing registration to also register in Australia.
If you have a current practising certificate with the Nursing Council of New Zealand or Midwifery Council, you are eligible for mutual recognition in Australia.
You’ll need to login or create an account and start your registration through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) online portal.
Overview of your checklist to apply:
- certified copy of a valid passport.
- certified copy of name change evidence, if relevant.
- evidence you hold current registration in New Zealand. Accepted evidence includes an annual practising or registration certificate, or valid registration number.
- payment fee and declaration.
AHPRA will assess your application within 30 days and let you know of the outcome.
You need APHRA registration before you can start work as a nurse in Australia. At Epworth HealthCare, we are happy to speak with you about roles earlier and answer any questions you have about working in Victoria, Australia. Express your interest today.
2. Check your immigration requirements
The process to move from New Zealand to Australia to work as a nurse depends on your personal situation. Read the section below that is most relevant to you.
For nurses or midwives with New Zealand citizenship
As a NZ citizen, you are generally granted an automatic visa when you fly into Australia. This allows you to work full-time, stay in Australia indefinitely and apply for Medicare (Australian publicly-funded health system).
The Special Category Subclass 444 visa (SCV) is issued on arrival and there is no need to apply, prior to entering Australia. To obtain the SCV, you must present a valid New Zealand passport and an incoming passenger card to immigration officials upon arrival in Australia.
For nurses or midwives who are not New Zealand citizens
Your occupation is on Australia’s skilled occupation visa list, so there are several working visas you may be eligible for. These often require an employer to sponsor you.
It is best to apply directly to your desired employer to start the sponsorship process.
At Epworth, we offer visa sponsorship for the right candidate and tailored support to help you through the relocation process.
3. Choose where you want to live and work in Australia
Consider what matters most to you when it comes to a life in Australia. Residents would say each city has a different personality – they also vary in climate, population, cost of living and career opportunities.
Melbourne was ranked as Australia’s most liveable city in 2023, and is consistently considered one of the best in the Global Liveability Index. It is the capital of Victoria, a southern state, with amazing culture, quality of living and opportunities for people from all walks of life.
Live by the beach, close to the Central Business District (CBD), or in the quieter suburbs offering good childcare facilities, high-performing schools and beautiful parklands.
As Victoria’s largest not-for-profit private hospital group, we have multiple locations in inner-city and suburban Melbourne or our coastal location near Geelong, about 80km from Melbourne. We are renowned for excellence in diagnosis, treatment, care and rehabilitation, and considered an innovator in Australia’s health system.
You could work in your choice of specialty, including cardiac, orthopaedics, oncology, maternity, rehabilitation and mental health. You’ll be valued at work and encouraged to keep growing and learning with scholarships and leadership opportunities.
Register your interest in a career at Epworth HealthCare
Fill in your contact details today.20 July 2023