For employers hiring overseas

Hiring overseas nurses: Ahpra and NMBA registration for employers

An internationally qualified nurse must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), through Ahpra, before working as a nurse here. Registration is separate from the visa and from your sponsorship. CrossNation shortlists nurses who are sponsorship-ready and aware of the registration pathway; the Board decides registration.

Hire staff All overseas hiring guides

By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 4 October 2026.

Official data

Key facts from official sources

Registration before practice

A person must be registered with the NMBA before starting work as a nurse or midwife in Australia.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Applying for registration (retrieved 4 October 2026)

Staged application

Internationally qualified nurses complete the self-check and any required assessment stages before the registration application form becomes available.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Registration for internationally qualified nurses and midwives (retrieved 4 October 2026)

Streamlined standard

A registration standard streamlines assessment for eligible registered nurses who registered and practised in an NMBA-approved comparable international jurisdiction.

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: General registration for internationally qualified registered nurses (retrieved 4 October 2026)

Employer guide

What you need to know

Registration comes from the Board, not the employer or recruiter

The NMBA says that before a person can start working as a nurse or midwife in Australia they have to be registered with the Board, and the application is managed in the person's Ahpra portal. For internationally qualified nurses and midwives, the Board states that an applicant who completes the self-check and any required assessment stages becomes eligible to apply, and only then is the registration application form made available in the candidate dashboard. An employer cannot shortcut those stages. What an employer can do is ask candidates where they are in the process when you interview.

The streamlined standard for some registered nurses

The NMBA publishes a registration standard for general registration of internationally qualified registered nurses. It builds on established pathways to streamline assessment and registration for eligible nurses who have registered and practised as a registered nurse in an NMBA-approved comparable international jurisdiction. Whether a given candidate qualifies depends on where they trained and were registered, which the Board checks. Treat any statement from a candidate that they qualify for the streamlined route as something to confirm against the Board's page, not as settled.

Three clocks: recruitment, registration and visa

A nurse can be a strong recruitment match while still being partway through registration, and registration can be complete before a nomination is lodged or approved. These tracks run in parallel and depend on different bodies. Plan the start date around the slowest one, and avoid writing a start date into an offer that assumes the others will finish on time. Also ask your registered migration agent how the nominated occupation and salary interact with the registration outcome.

How CrossNation screens nursing candidates

We ask about qualifications, jurisdictions of registration, English language evidence, experience by clinical setting and location preferences. We present candidates with their registration position stated as the candidate reports it, so you can judge the risk. We do not assess registration, and a shortlist is not a promise that a nurse will be registered or start on a given date.

Tell us the role, location and start date

The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.

Hire staff

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who assesses registration for internationally qualified nurses?

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, in partnership with Ahpra. Neither the employer nor the recruiter decides registration.

Can a nurse start before registration is granted?

The NMBA says a person has to be registered before working as a nurse or midwife. Confirm the specific position, including any pre-registration roles, with the Board.

Which countries count as comparable jurisdictions?

The NMBA publishes the approved list. Check the registration standard page rather than relying on a general list.

Does registration guarantee a visa?

No. Registration and the visa are separate decisions. Speak to a registered migration agent about the visa.

Does CrossNation help with the registration application?

We can tell candidates where to find the Board's information. We do not prepare applications, assess qualifications or advise on registration decisions.