How to hire a nurse in Australia: registration, where nurses look, and sponsorship

Before the interview: the Ahpra register

• Search the Ahpra public register by name. It shows the registration type (Registered Nurse, Division 1; Enrolled Nurse, Division 2; Nurse Practitioner endorsement), any conditions or undertakings, and the expiry date. A nurse without current general registration cannot practise, and a provisional or non-practising entry is not enough.
• Enrolled nurses hold a Diploma of Nursing and work under the supervision of a registered nurse; check whether the entry carries the notation that restricts medicine administration.
• Working with children and police checks as your sector requires; NDIS Worker Screening for disability roles; the aged-care screening rule for residential and home care (aged care hiring guide).
• Right to work: a VEVO check for any visa holder, every time, and a note of the visa conditions (students 48 hours a fortnight in term; Working Holiday six months per employer unless exempt).
• Immunisation and CPR currency under your policy and state health directions.

Where nurses look for work

Pay, and what the ad has to say

Public-sector nurses are paid under state enterprise agreements, which set the market: a first-year registered nurse in the public system starts around A$75,000 to A$80,000 base depending on the state, an experienced RN A$90,000 and above, and an enrolled nurse A$60,000 to A$75,000, all before shift penalties and allowances that add a third or more to a rostered week. Private employers on the Nurses Award 2020 who advertise award minimums will not get applicants. Aged-care nurses had their award rates lifted by the Fair Work Commission from 2023 and are no longer the cheaper option.

In the ad, give the classification and the base rate, the roster pattern (nurses choose on roster certainty), the ratio or caseload, whether the role is permanent, part-time or casual, and the support for new graduates or overseas-registered nurses if you offer it. The job ad template covers the structure, and if you sponsor later the ad has to meet the labour market testing rules, so write it to that standard from the start.

The pool already onshore

Three groups of nurses are in Australia with work rights right now and are hired without any sponsorship:

• 485 graduates. International students who completed a Bachelor of Nursing hold a Temporary Graduate visa with unrestricted work rights for two years (longer for regional study). They have Australian registration, Australian placements and Australian references. Several thousand enter the workforce every year.
• Overseas-registered nurses on other visas. Partners, Working Holiday nurses from the UK and Ireland (six months per employer, with aged care and disability work exempt from that limit), and nurses on bridging visas while another application is decided. Since April 2025 the Nursing and Midwifery Board has run a streamlined registration standard for nurses from comparable jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, with a practice-hours requirement in place of the earlier examinations; other internationally qualified nurses go through the outcome-based assessment. Check the Board’s current list rather than assuming.
• Diploma of Nursing students, who can work as assistants in nursing within 48 hours a fortnight in term and unlimited hours in breaks, and become enrolled nurses on graduation.

What each group can do for you, visa by visa: employing visa holders already in Australia. When a graduate’s 485 is running out and you want to keep them: sponsoring an existing employee.

Sponsoring a nurse from overseas

Registered Nurse (all specialties), Enrolled Nurse and Nurse Practitioner are on the Core Skills Occupation List, so the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry permanent visa are both open, and the regional 494 too. The salary floor is A$79,423 or the market rate, whichever is higher, which most RN roles clear. The visa cannot be granted until the nurse holds Australian registration, so the Ahpra process runs alongside the nomination and usually takes longer than the visa; a 482 does not need a separate skills assessment for nurses, while the permanent 186 Direct Entry needs an ANMAC assessment, which is a simplified process for a nurse who already holds Australian registration. Since July 2025 nurses registered in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada or Singapore can complete the full ANMAC assessment before Australian registration.

Two things work in a health employer’s favour. Ministerial Direction 105 puts nominations for healthcare and education occupations at the top of the Department’s processing order, so a hospital or aged-care nomination moves ahead of the queue the median figures describe. And UK citizens are exempt from labour market testing under the free trade agreement, as well as from the English test, which makes a UK-registered nurse the quickest overseas hire (hiring from the UK). For everyone else the two-advertisement rule applies: labour market testing.

Government charges for a two-year 482 at small-business rates are A$3,150 before the visa charge of A$4,015; the full set is on is sponsoring worth it, the timeline on how long it takes. The candidate-side version of this page, which your applicants read: nursing jobs with sponsorship. The registration-and-visa sequence for an overseas nurse, step by step: overseas nurse registration and visa pathway on WIDEN.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a nurse is registered in Australia? Search the Ahpra public register by name. It shows whether the person holds general registration as a registered nurse or enrolled nurse, any conditions, and the expiry date. A nurse without current registration cannot practise.

Can I hire a nurse on a 485 graduate visa? Yes. Temporary Graduate visa holders have unrestricted work rights, hold Australian registration from an Australian degree, and need no sponsorship. Many are later sponsored on a 482 or 186 when the 485 runs out.

Can I sponsor a nurse from overseas on a 482 visa? Yes. Registered Nurse, Enrolled Nurse and Nurse Practitioner are on the Core Skills Occupation List, so the 482 Core Skills stream, the 186 Direct Entry and the regional 494 are all available. The nurse must hold Australian registration before grant, and healthcare nominations get priority processing under Ministerial Direction 105.

Do I need to advertise before sponsoring a nurse? Yes, unless the nurse is a UK citizen or another exemption applies: two advertisements of at least 28 days each on platforms with national reach within the four months before nomination. Workforce Australia is optional.

What does a registered nurse earn in Australia in 2026? A first-year registered nurse in a public hospital starts around A$75,000 to A$80,000 base depending on the state, before penalties; experienced RNs earn A$90,000 and above. Enrolled nurses earn roughly A$60,000 to A$75,000.

Where do nurses who need sponsorship look for jobs? On SponsorTalent, where profiles show registration status, specialty, visa position and location; employers search free and unlock contacts at A$30. Many are already onshore on graduate, partner or bridging visas.