AHPRA Nursing Registration
How to apply for AHPRA Nursing Registration as an Overseas Nurse
If you’re about to apply for Ahpra Nursing Registration as an overseas nurse the first thing you’ll need to do is get rid of any notion that the process is going to be simple, easy and straightforward.
AHPRA Nursing Registration has no resemblance for example to the working practices of the NMC in the UK. However, the checks and balances in place with Ahpra are there to protect the integrity of Australia’s nursing profession and the requirements for AHPRA Nursing Registration are backed up by legal statute.
It’s not impossible, many thousands of nurses just like you have successfully applied for overseas nursing registration in Australia. It just takes patience and dedication to the cause.
It’s also worthwhile pointing out that the lovely people working at AHPRA Nursing Registration are human beings. They handle applications from all over the world, and every individual applicant is both stressed and worried about their case.
Calling your case officer at AHPRA repeatedly isn’t going to speed up your overseas nursing registration although in certain circumstances these calls do need to be placed.
Be nice to your Case Officer. They do a difficult job in stressful circumstances. They know all too well what your Australian Nursing Registration means to you.
AHPRA Nursing Registration Requirements
It’s important we examine the AHPRA registration requirements on two levels.
Firstly, we’ll examine the overview requirements that are specified on the AHPRA nursing registration form. Then we’ll take a deep dive into these requirements ensuing you have all the facts and information you need to be able to submit a successful AHPRA Nursing Registration application as an overseas nurse.
Completing the AHPRA Nursing Registration Form
Firstly, download the latest version of the AHPRA Registration form for Internationally Qualified Nurses and Midwives here
Guide to Completing the AHPRA Form for registration as an Internationally Qualified Nurse or Midwife
AHPRA Nursing Registration Form Section A:
Section one is a self-explanatory check box. Place a cross in whichever box best represents your circumstances i.e. Enrolled Nurse, Registered Nurse or Midwife.
In most circumstances you’ll be ticking either Registered Nurse or Midwife if you hold registration in your home country with a National Nursing Board. In Australia an enrolled Nurse sits somewhere between an Auxiliary Nurse or Health Care Assistant and a Fully Qualified and Registered Nurse.
AHPRA Nursing Registration Form Section B:
This section asks for name, address and any previous names you’ve been known by such as maiden name.
AHPRA Nursing Registration for an Overseas Nurse Form Section C:
Proof of Identity. This often causes issues for International Nurses without who obviously don’t have an Australian Address.
To satisfy the requirements here simply tick the box ‘Foreign Passport’ in Column B
And move on to Section D of the AHPRA Nursing Registration Form:
Section 7 requires your home address
Section 8 is a little confusing for International Nurses. For this form tick no, and then enter the details of your principal place of practice i.e. your current hospital, practice, health authority or trust.
For section 9 tick residential address
AHPRA Registration Form Section E:
Section 10 tick no, and then in section 11 fill out details of your qualifications.
AHPRA Registration Form Section F:
This section asks for details of your Nursing Registration history in your home country.
AHPRA Registration Form Section G:
This section requires your current resume or CV. Be sure to make your CV as full and as detailed as possible including full dates and all roles and responsibilities.
AHPRA Registration Form Section H:
For points 16 and 17 we’re assuming you have no criminal convictions.
For point 18 tick yes as you’re applying as an Internationally Qualified Nurse. We’ll cover the specific documents required later in this article.
Point 19 under Section G relates specifically to English language requirements, deriving of a full explanation.
IELTS For Nursing in Australia
If you’ve already done an IELTS Test (or equivalent) as part of the overall emigration process to move to Australia as a Nurse, then feel free to include the details below.
If you haven’t done an IELTS for Nursing in Australia, or are undertaking a Modified Skills Assessment with ANMAC to avoid taking it then, providing you qualified in one of the following countries, you don’t need to take the English Test specifically for AHPRA and can tick the box for ‘Primary Language Pathway’.
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
Republic of Ireland
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States of America
Point 23 relates to Insurance and do tick that yes, you’re prepared to have Professional Insurance when in Australia.
The rest of the AHPRA Registration form for Internationally qualified nurses and midwives is relatively elf explanatory and straightforward, covering previous disqualifications amongst other issues. 99.9% of applicants don’t have any problems here.
AHPRA Registration Form Section J & K: Signature and payment details.
If you’d like some help with AHPRA registration and moving to Australia as a Nurse feel free to take our online visa assessment and be as detailed as possible so we can find the best AHPRA Registration expert to assist with your particular set of circumstances.
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Australian Nursing Registration for International nurses
Now we’ve completed the AHPRA Registration form its time to turn our attention to the documentation side of the process.
It also helps immensely if the documentation supplied to AHPRA is in a “decision ready” format and by following this guide we’ll make sure you have exactly what’s required
1.Passport Identify Page
2.Marriage Certificate or Change of Name Deed, If applicable
3.Registered Nurse Qualifications: Degree Certificate
4.Registered Nurse Qualifications Degree Transcripts
5.Registered Nurse Qualifications If you qualified initially with a Diploma, then you’ll also need to include this Certificate as well as a detailed transcript
This document should clearly show the hours of delivery, the modes and weight of assessment(s) and a list of the resources/texts/data-bases that would have been used to support your learning. This must be in the form of the following evidence:
Certified copies of the relevant course or unit outlines indicating the study and assessment undertaken in medication management, or if course or unit outlines are no longer available, an official letter from your education institution providing a breakdown of the content completed for medication management and the number of hours studied for each component.
Relevant courses must include the following units of study:
Pharmacokinetics (the study of the bodily absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs)
Pharmacodynamics (the study of the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and the mechanisms of their action in the body)
Medication administration (including calculations), and quality use of medicines
Note: most transcripts will be full enough to have covered this detail although it’s worth double checking just to make sure.
If you’d like any help with your AHPRA Registration feel free to take our online Visa Assessment in the first instance
6.Confirmation of Theory & Practice Hours from your University; This can be either included in the Transcript or by standalone confirmation from the University. It is very important and without this confirmation your application will be delayed and could be rejected.
7.Certificate / Letter of Good Standing sent directly from your nursing registration body in your home country to AHPRA
8.You will need to include a full resume / CV with the application
9.The all-important references! Be sure to include a reference for every nursing position held since qualification. References need to be detailed and specific, covering the following points:
a)References for AHPRA must be on Official employer letterhead
b)Dated and signed by a manager in ink
c)Include specific dates of employment
d)They must Indicate whether your employment is/was full time or part time
e)If the part time then indicate the total number of hours worked
f)Must be detailed about your professional setting i.e. not simply ‘Ward 9’
g)References should make note of any CPD completed, where appropriate.
10.Include any CPD records you have and any certificates to back this up. Often its only external CPD providers that provide certificates.
11.Criminal Background checks for AHPRA are done electronically. You are required to use AHPRA system called Fit2Work. Be sure to include any country you’ve lived in for more than six months (less than six months if you worked in that Country as a Registered Nurse or Midwife). The link for Fit2Work can be found here
Make a note of the reference number given to you are the end of the online Police Check and include this number on your AHPRA registration form.
Document Certification for AHPRA Registration
It’s very important that you don’t send any original documentation to AHPRA because it is never returned. AHPRA use something called ‘Certified Copies’ of your original documents.
Once you have your full documentation bundle ready for dispatch make sure you have your documents certified.
1.Make clear colour copies of all your documentation
2.Attend a Public Notary and ask them to Certify your documents as ‘Original Seen’. A stamp or seal should be used if available. Be sure to only use a Public Notary and not a Solicitor. Due to a recent legislative change Solicitors are no longer able to certify documents for AHPRA.
3.We recommend you only use a Public Notary as it avoids any ambiguity later in the process.
You should now have a decision ready bundle of documents to dispatch to AHPRA in Australia alongside your completed registration form. It’s recommended that you use a signed for and trackable delivery service.
By this stage you should have an idea as to which State or Territory you are heading to so do send the AHPRA registration form to the correct office. These addresses can be found on page 13 of the AHPRA registration form for Internationally Qualified Nurses.
AHPRA Registration Requirements
As you can see, the AHPRA registration requirements are more complex than at first glance although with the right frame of mind and dedication you’ll be able to secure a positive AHPRA registration.
If AHPRA do email you with a request for more information, make sure you set about gathering this additional information as soon as possible and email your case officer at AHPRA to let them know well in advance of any delays.
AHPRA Nursing Registration Processing Time
Do allow three months from the date not when AHPRA receive your completed forms and documentation but from when you receive notification that your Australian Nursing registration has been allocated to a Case Officer.
Finalizing your Australian AHPRA Nursing Registration
The first stage in your Australian Nursing registration is to be issued a Letter of Determination by AHPRA. This Letter is called an “LOD” and should be thought of as ‘approval in principle’. To finalise your Australian Nursing registration, you are required to visit the AHPRA Office in Australia, with your ID and Documents for a face to face credential check.
For help and assistance with all matters related to overseas nursing in Australia feel free to take our online visa assessment. We’d be delighted to help.
AHPRA Nursing Registartion, a Guide by Lets Go Global Australian Migration
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