Nursing in australia

Question

I have recently qualified as a nurse in the UK and am considering applying to work in Australia. Preferably Sydney. I've just started looking into it and have completed a pre-application questionnaire which says I have 140 points and that I need 120 so it looks like I am eligible. It all seems really complicated though and wondered if anyone has done this and if they could give me a step by step breakdown of what I need to do. Also how long does it normally take from applying to actually going. Many thanks

Answer 1

As mentioned Nurses are on the Skilled shortage list for Australia.

As you are in the UK there is an EXPO on how to live and work in Australia coming up in October 08.

See http://expo-australia.com - Immigration are there to answer and help with questions/forms etc. Job offers are made to the skilled shortages if you qualify.  They can even fast track your visa application for Nurses.  Be well worth going!

For Information for overseas nurses and midwives wanting to work in Australia go to http://www.nurseinfo.com.au/nursing.aspx...

Other sites of interest are

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/medical-p...

http://www.workingin-australia.com

http://www.justlanded.com/english/Austra...

Good Luck with it all.

Answer 2

If you are a qualified nurse, a good option would be to consult a nursing agency in australia and link in with them, they can help you with everything you need to do to get registered and get a  job here.

Answer 3

Fortunately, it's not as complicated as it may seem at first glance. Once you apply, your case officer will advise what documentation etc is required and as yours is a MODL occupation, your application should receive priority processing. If your points are high enough, I'm sure you'll have no trouble with the procedure. The only potential problem I can see is that if you have only recently qualified, you may not yet have sufficient work experience to qualify for MODL points, however, in some cases, part time work during studies is sufficient. Read the the guidelines carefully on the attached info relating to the points test:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-s...

Follow the link on the following page for specific info for nursing staff.

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/medical-p...

http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/occupations/... (some info re skills recognition)

Hopefully, you can apply for a Skilled – Independent (Migrant) visa (subclass 175). To apply for any skilled migration visa, follow the links to apply online or on paper - the application includes a document checklist and links to further information which give you all of the initial requirements:

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/index.ht...

If you don't yet qualify for MODL points and processing, it will probably take about 12 months. If you do qualify, the time should be shorter by several months, but it's impossible to estimate any more accurately until your application had been lodged.

Answer 4

A nurse is almost guaranteed entry as there is a shortage at this point.

If you're under 30, you may want to try the working holiday visa first to see whether you will like living in Australia.  Approval takes 5 minutes and it is done online.  You then have 12 months here and if you like it, you can then look at your options.