Australia needs registered nurses, and many nurses from the Philippines have built careers in Australian hospitals, aged care and community services. To work as a nurse you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), which is part of the national regulator, Ahpra.
This guide follows the steps in order. Each fact comes from the official NMBA, Ahpra or Department of Home Affairs page named next to it. Most pages we checked were last reviewed in 2023 to 2025, so check each fee on the official site before you pay anything. Our check date is 31 Oct 2026.
Kratak pregled
| Faza | Ko je vodi | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Self-check | NMBA | Free. It sorts you into a stream, A, B or C (NMBA transition FAQ) |
| English test | Ahpra | IELTS Academic or OET, with minimum scores, valid for two years (Ahpra English standard) |
| Assessment (Stream B) | NMBA | A portfolio stage, a multiple-choice exam (NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE) and an OSCE in Adelaide or Melbourne (NMBA registration stages) |
| Registration | NMBA and Ahpra | Application and registration fees, then a decision (NMBA registration stages) |
| Viza | Department of Home Affairs | Sponsored visas need an employer. Registration must be held where it is required (Home Affairs) |
Step 1: Do the free self-check
Start with the NMBA self-check. The NMBA says it has no fee. You submit your qualification details, and the answer tells you which stream you are in:
- Stream A: your qualification is substantially equivalent to an Australian approved qualification. You complete Orientation Part 1 before you apply.
- Stream B: your qualification is relevant but not substantially equivalent. You complete the outcome-based assessment before you apply.
- Stream C: you have no relevant qualification. You must upgrade it, in Australia or in another country that meets the criteria.
Your stream decides everything that follows, so answer the questions carefully.
The streamlined pathway the NMBA announced in January 2025 covers nurses registered in listed jurisdictions: the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, British Columbia, Ontario, Singapore and Spain. The Philippines is not on that list, so the standard assessment steps in this guide apply (NMBA media release).
Korak 2: Položite test iz engleskog jezika
Ahpra's general English standard lists these tests: Cambridge (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency), IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. For nurses, check the nursing version of the standard, because the general page does not list nursing. The minimum scores for tests taken on or after 23 April 2026 are:
| Test | Overall | Slušanje | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 7 |
| OET | n/a | 350 | 360 | 350 | 360 |
For tests taken on or before 22 April 2026, the older rules were IELTS Academic 7 overall with the same sub-scores, and OET grade B in listening, reading and speaking with C+ in writing (Ahpra English standard).
Your result must fall within the two years before you lodge your application. A result older than that can still count if you have worked or studied continuously in a qualifying role, and you lodge within 12 months of finishing that work or study.
Our free practice page is a good place to start before you book a test.
Step 3: The assessment for Stream B
If the self-check puts you in Stream B, the NMBA says you complete these stages:
- Portfolio. You provide the evidence the NMBA asks for.
- Multiple-choice exam. For registered nurses this is the NCLEX-RN, run by Pearson VUE. The NMBA page gives the fee as US$200 per sitting, with a further US$150 international scheduling fee if you sit at an international centre, plus any applicable tax.
- OSCE. This is an in-person clinical assessment held in Adelaide or Melbourne. A pass is valid for five years. You must pass the OSCE before you can apply for registration (NMBA OSCE page).
The NMBA transition FAQ gives an assessment fee of AUD 640 and an OSCE fee of AUD 4,000. The NMBA pages we checked were reviewed between 2023 and 2025, so confirm both amounts on the current NMBA fees page before you book.
Step 4: Apply and pay the registration fees
Once you have the documents and any assessment results, you submit your full application and pay the application and registration fees. The NMBA's transition FAQ lists an application fee of AUD 300 and a registration fee of AUD 175. Confirm these against the current fees page.
Ahpra checks your qualification documents against your self-check answers. If the documents do not match, your application may move to another stream, and it may be withdrawn with a fee refund. Keep your answers consistent with your documents.
The NMBA's decision page aims for a decision within four to six weeks of receiving all documents, and says some international applications take eight to ten weeks. These estimates apply only to complete applications.
Step 5: Visa options
You need an employer to sponsor you. The Department of Home Affairs describes three sponsored skilled visas:
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): temporary, from 1 to 4 years. Your employer sponsors you, and you can only work for that employer or an associated entity, unless you are exempt. You need 12 months of work experience in the occupation or a related field.
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186): permanent. Employment must run for at least 2 years after the visa is granted. A skills assessment is needed for the Direct Entry stream.
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494): 5 years. The work must be in a designated regional area, and employment must run for at least 5 years after the visa is granted.
For 186 and 494, the page says "relevant registration or licensing must be held if required". Home Affairs does not give English levels, ages or fees on this page, so check the visa-specific page for each option (Home Affairs).
Do not pay for a visa until you have a written offer, and check each fee on the Home Affairs site.
Tipičan vremenski okvir
These are planning ranges. Only the figures marked "official" come from a government or regulator page.
| Faza | What is known | Planirani raspon |
|---|---|---|
| Self-check | Official: free | One sitting |
| English test | Official: result valid two years | A few weeks to months of preparation |
| Stream B assessment | Official: OSCE in Adelaide or Melbourne; pass valid five years | Several months, including travel for the OSCE |
| NMBA decision | Official: four to six weeks after complete documents; eight to ten weeks for some international applications | Plan for a few months in total |
| Viza | Official: none on the page we checked | Depends on your employer and visa type |
The NMBA's January 2025 media release says the older process typically took 9 to 12 months. The streamlined pathway is faster, but it does not apply to nurses from the Philippines.
Upozorenje o prevarama
- Never pay for a self-check. The NMBA says it is free.
- Never pay anyone to "guarantee" registration. The NMBA and Ahpra decide your registration. A third party cannot guarantee it.
- Check every fee on the official site. Fees are listed by the NMBA and Home Affairs. Anything else is a warning sign.
- Be careful with agents for jobs. An employer's sponsorship is what makes a visa possible. A fee paid to a recruiter for that sponsorship is a warning sign.
Not sure about an agent or an offer? Run the details through our free fake-agent checker.
Vježbajte besplatno
NurseFlyAbroad is free for nurses, always. Use our free practice for exam preparation, and read the Australia destination page for the rules we check.
FAQ
Do Filipino nurses need the OSCE for Australia? Only Stream B applicants must pass the OSCE. Your self-check result decides your stream, so complete it first.
What English score is needed? For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic overall 7 with 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. OET: 350 listening, 360 reading, 350 writing and 360 speaking. Check the nursing version of the standard before you book.
Can I bring my family? The Home Affairs pages we checked do not list family visa rules for these options. Check the visa-specific page with the Department of Home Affairs before you apply.
Izvori (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA): Transition to a new assessment model (FAQ), Registration application stages, OSCE, Registered nurses examinations, Streamlined pathway media release
- Ahpra: English language skills registration standard
- Department of Home Affairs: Visa options for skilled sponsored workers