The profession of nursing experiences substantial workforce shortages in Australia which leads to many opportunities for candidates to enter through visa subclasses 189, 190 and 491 based on the Skilled Occupation List.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) evaluates their skills after which they need to show their English proficiency through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test with band scores of 7.0 in each section. Following approval, they can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and initiate state nomination procedures when necessary. Nurses who have received job offers from Australian hospitals or aged care centers often choose the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 visa pathway.