A record number of nurses are joining the Australian health workforce from overseas, with 16,622 internationally qualified nurses registering to practise here in the past financial year - three times more than the 5,610 nurses that joined in the final year before COVID (2018/19).
Of the 27,810 nurses that registered to practise in Australia from overseas in the past two years, 70 per cent have come via New Zealand under a Trans-Tasman agreement.
Sixteen per cent, or 4,476 nurses, have qualifications from a group of comparable countries that includes Canada, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and United States of America.
Starting in March 2025, Australia's health workforce is set to receive a major boost by ensuring that internationally qualified nurses from these comparable countries are fast-tracked to register and work in Australia, instead of spending months tied up in needless red tape while waiting for their application to be approved.
As a result of these changes, assessment and registration will be streamlined, with the time reduced by up to 6-12 months.
Nurses with relevant qualifications and experience in these comparable countries will no longer need to sit additional examinations or upgrade qualifications in order to gain registration.
The new standard will apply to internationally qualified registered nurses who have practised for at least 1,800 hours since 2017 in comparable countries including Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.
To ensure that high standards of patient safety and quality of care are maintained, all internationally qualified registered nurses must still meet the same regulatory requirements as Australian-trained nurses when applying for registration.
The new registration process supports implementation of the Kruk Review, which recommended changes to make it simpler, quicker and cheaper for internationally qualified health practitioners to work in Australia.
In the 2024-25 Budget, the Albanese Government allocated $90 million to implement the recommendations of the Kruk Review to grow and support the nation's health workforce.
This reform represents a collaborative effort between the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and all Australian governments to address unprecedented workforce shortages while maintaining Australia's rigorous safety and quality standards for healthcare.
A fast-track pathway for general practitioners from New Zealand, the UK and Ireland began in October 2024. Since then, Ahpra has been receiving an average of around 11 applications a week from such GPs looking to join the Australian health system. Similar pathways for other specialist medical practitioners will get underway this year.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"For too long highly-educated nurses with experience from countries like the UK, Canada and Ireland are left waiting on red tape approvals before they are able to work in our hospitals, aged care facilities and general practices.
"From March, internationally qualified registered nurses who have practised for at least 1,800 hours in these comparable countries will be fast-tracked, cutting the application time by up to 6-12 months, in some cases.
"Australian patients will ultimately benefit from these changes, since these highly educated nurses can start working and providing care to Australians sooner, without waiting needlessly on red tape."
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Kearney:
"As a former nurse, I know all too well that Australia's healthcare system is powered by the sweat, hearts and expertise of nurses.
"Streamlining the application process for the thousands of highly experienced nurses from comparable countries overseas will go a long way to ensuring Australians can get the best quality care, soonest.
"Combined with the many scholarships, placements and other programs the Albanese Labor Government provides to support our home-grown nurses, this will improve the availability of nurses in health settings around the country."
