To work in Australia, nurses need to be registered or enrolled by the nurse regulatory body in the State or Territory in which they want to work.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is an authorised assessing authority for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and undertakes skills assessments of internationally qualified nurses and midwives seeking permanent migration in Australia.
According to the above and other medical registration boards in Australia, all internationally qualified applicants for medical registration, or applicants who qualified for medical registration in Australia but did not complete their secondary education in English, must demonstrate that they have the necessary English language skills for registration purposes.
This means that an IELTS test must be taken by all applicants with the following exceptions:
- Those who qualified for medical registration in Australia AND who completed their secondary education in English.
- New Zealand registered nurses and midwives.
ALL others, including those who qualified for medical registration in the United Kingdom, will need to demonstrate that they have the necessary English language skills for registration purposes. ie: an IELTS test pass.
As of 1 July 2009, all internationally-qualified nurses and midwives applying for Full assessment (Form B) to the ANMC under the general skilled migration scheme will be required to complete an English proficiency test. New Zealand registered nurses and midwives are exempt from providing English proficiency under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.
http://www.anmc.org.au/faqs
More information here:
- Medical Board of Australia: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Medical-Registration/Obligations-on-Medical-Practitioners.aspx
- QLD: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/medical/english_lang_pro.asp
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