Nurse Migration to Australia: ANMAC, AHPRA & Visa Pathways Explained

How nurses actually move through Australia's skilled migration system: the ANMAC skills assessment, AHPRA's English language standard (updated 23 April 2026), AHPRA registration, the points-tested and employer-sponsored visa pathways, and where enrolled nurses fit under the Skills in Demand rules. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Multiple pathways for nurses.
  2. 0:13 189: 85+ points alone.
  3. 0:29 482 sponsors you now.
  4. 0:43 ANMAC checks your registration.
  5. 0:56 Listening, reading, speaking: 7.0.
  6. 1:08 ANMAC processing time:
  7. 1:20 ANMAC and AHPRA
  8. 1:32 Competent (6.0+): 10 points.
  9. 1:48 Also accepted:
  10. 2:07 Most states nominate nursing —
  11. 2:19 December 2024:
  12. 2:34 Enrolled nurse:
  13. 2:45 Common mixup:
  14. 2:56 Where to read more

Transcript

Nursing has more visa pathways open than almost any other occupation in Australia — and every single one needs a positive ANMAC assessment before you can apply.

The subclass 189 suits nurses scoring 85 or more points on their own. The 190 suits 70 to 80 base points, topped up with 5 points for state nomination. The 491 adds 15 points for working regionally.

The 482 lets a healthcare employer sponsor a nurse temporarily, with a path to the 186 permanent visa after 2 years with the same employer. The 494 is the regional employer-sponsored option.

Before any points-tested visa, you need a positive ANMAC assessment — which one depends on where you're already registered. English is judged separately, at the standard AHPRA sets for registration.

AHPRA's standard changed on 23 April 2026. Listening, reading and speaking still need 7.0 each — but writing only needs 6.5.

ANMAC doesn't publish a fixed processing time — check ANMAC's own site for current timing. Incomplete applications or requests for more information stretch it out further.

ANMAC and AHPRA are two separate things, and for most nurses the order matters: AHPRA registration through the NMBA comes first, then ANMAC's assessment for the visa.

Visa-stage English is different from AHPRA's registration threshold. Competent English — 6.0 or better — earns 10 points on the skills test. Superior English, 8.0 or better in every band, earns 20.

The equivalent scores: OET at 350 in listening, 360 in reading, 350 in writing and 360 in speaking. PTE Academic 63 overall. TOEFL iBT 91. Cambridge C1 Advanced 178.

Most states actively nominate nursing due to consistent shortages. The specific requirements differ — some want a job offer in that state, others nominate on skills demand alone.

Since the 482 was restructured into the Skills in Demand visa in December 2024, employer-sponsored eligibility for enrolled nurses depends on the Core Skills Occupation List and the salary threshold, not the old occupation-list split.

Enrolled nurses sit under ANZSCO code 411411 — which pathway that code opens depends on the current occupation lists, not on nursing generally.

The common mixup: assuming visa English is enough. It isn't — AHPRA's registration standard is stricter, and it's set separately from the general skilled-visa English test.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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