🇦🇺 Australia

Registered Nurse (Medical) Visa Pathway Australia

✓ MARA · Last reviewed: July 2026 · 6 min read · MARN 2518872

Registered Nurses are in critical demand across Australia, with all states reporting severe shortages. Secure sponsorship through the TSS 482 (temporary) or ENS 186 (permanent) pathways, with ANMAC assessment validating your qualifications.

Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
254418
Registered Nurse (Medical)
SkillSelect minimum
75 pts
DHA round 2026-06-04 · tie-break 24/04/2026
Skills Assessor
ANMAC
ANMAC
Skills Shortage
Not published in the current Occupation Shortage List
Visa Pathways
189, 190, 491, 485, 482, 186
Subclasses this occupation is eligible for
Source: DHA SkillSelect, March 2026

Skills demand for Registered Nurse (Medical)

Demand is the first thing to establish, because it quietly determines the rest: the visas worth considering, the competitiveness of an invitation round, and whether a state nomination is a credible option at all.

Jobs and Skills Australia has not published a shortage rating for this occupation. We do not state one — an absent rating is not the same as 'not in shortage', and treating it as such would be guesswork dressed up as information.

Visa pathways for Registered Nurse (Medical)

Your visa options follow directly from the occupation lists your ANZSCO code sits on. Each list unlocks a different set of subclasses, and appearing on one says nothing about the others.

This occupation appears on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, which is the list that opens the independent and state-nominated skilled visas as well as the regional pathway.

Inclusion on the Core Skills Occupation List makes the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream available, subject to the usual sponsorship and nomination requirements.

It is also on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List — relevant to how the Department prioritises processing rather than to eligibility itself.

Skills assessment for Registered Nurse (Medical)

Skills assessment fees

PathwayFee
Full skills assessment AUD $595
Modified skills assessment AUD $395
GradReady skills assessment AUD $395
Direct care skills assessment AUD $545

The skills assessment is the gate. An assessing authority, independent of the Department, must agree that your qualifications and experience match this occupation before anything else counts.

The authority sets and publishes its own fees. The pathways and charges below are taken from the authority's own fee schedule, and we check them against that source. Confirm the current figure with the authority before you apply — fees change, and the authority is the only source that can be relied on.

The points test and Registered Nurse (Medical)

More applicants misread the points test than any other part of the skilled program, and it is nearly always the same misreading.

The minimum is a threshold for lodging an Expression of Interest, not for receiving an invitation. Because invitations go out in rank order, the score you actually need is the score of the people ahead of you — which is generally well above the minimum.

A published minimum for this occupation appears above. Read it as occupation-specific and round-specific — it is not a standing cut-off, and it changes between rounds.

State and territory nomination

Each state and territory nominates on its own terms, against its own list, and revises both regularly. A nomination from one state carries no weight with another. The nominating body's own page is the only reliable source.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Confirm the correct ANZSCO code for your occupation. Everything downstream depends on it, and an assessment obtained for the wrong code does not transfer.
  2. Obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
  3. Meet the English language requirement for the visa you are applying for.
  4. Lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, claiming only points you can evidence.
  5. If you are seeking state nomination, apply to the nominating body separately and on its terms.
  6. Wait to be invited. You cannot apply for the visa until an invitation is issued.
  7. Lodge the visa application within the period allowed by the invitation, with the evidence for every claim you made.
Practitioner Note
Before you spend anything on an assessment, check that your work history can be evidenced the way the authority asks for it. Most negative outcomes I see are not about capability; they are about references that describe a role in the applicant's words rather than in the authority's.
MARN 2518872 (AU) · immi.tv
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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a skills assessment for this occupation?
Yes — and it must be for this occupation specifically. A positive assessment in a neighbouring occupation does not transfer, which is why establishing the correct ANZSCO code first is not a clerical detail.
Does meeting the minimum points score mean I will be invited?
No. The minimum allows you to lodge an Expression of Interest. Invitations are issued in rank order from the highest scores down, so the score that actually secures an invitation depends on who else is in the pool for your occupation.
Can a state nominate me for this occupation?
Only if the occupation is on that state's own list at the time you apply, and only if you meet that state's criteria. State lists are separate from the national lists and are revised often — check the nominating body's current page.

Are you a Registered Nurse (Medical) planning to migrate to Australia?

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General Information Only

This page provides general information only and does not constitute migration advice, legal advice, or any form of professional advice. It is not tailored to your individual circumstances and must not be relied upon as the basis for any decision, action, or omission.

Migration law, visa conditions, and skilled occupation lists change frequently — occupations may be added to or removed from lists by ministerial direction, and visa conditions on your grant letter are the operative document. While we endeavour to keep content current, immi.tv makes no representation that any information is accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it. Always verify independently before acting.

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