ANMAC- FAQ

Updated 4 Nov 2019

ANMAC
ANMAC helps to protect the health and safety of the Australian community by establishing high-quality standards of nursing and midwifery education, training and assessment. We are the:

independent accrediting authority for nursing and midwifery education under Australia’s National Regulation and Accreditation Scheme
skills assessing authority for nurses and midwives wishing to migrate under the Australia Government’s General Skilled Migration program.
What we do:

develop and review accreditation standards for nursing and midwifery programs of study in Australia
accredit nursing and midwifery programs leading to registration or endorsement
accredit Australian education providers of nursing and midwifery programs
assess international qualified nurses and midwives for General Skilled Migration to Australia
develop, review and provide policy advice on accreditation and skilled migration of nurses and midwives to relevant organisations
liaise with national and international professional bodies, regulators and educators on matters related to standards of education and practice.
NMBA
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia undertakes the following:

Registering nursing and midwifery practitioners and students
Developing standards, codes and guidelines for the nursing and midwifery profession
Handling notifications, complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings
Assessing overseas trained practitioners who wish to practise in Australia
Approving accreditation standards and accredited courses of study
Department of Home Affairs
The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for immigration to Australia and will assess your application for a visa to migrate.

ANZSCO Code
Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) are codes applied to occupations for statistical purposes. These codes are used by the Department of Home Affairs in the skilled visa program, where it is a requirement for visa eligibility, as the standard by which a visa applicant’s skills to undertake a specific occupation in Australia are assessed.

AHPRA
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, conducts the assessment for registration on behalf of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A SKILLS ASSESSMENT
DO I NEED A SKILLS ASSESSMENT?
How do I know if I need a skills assessment by ANMAC?
Information on visa requirements is on the Department of Home Affairs website under each visa type. It is important to check what visa requirements affect you before applying to ANMAC for a skills assessment.

You only need to have your qualifications and skills assessed by ANMAC if you are migrating to Australia under the General Skilled Migration program to work as a nurse or midwife. Check with the Department of Home Affairs if you need a skills assessment before you apply for your visa.

Where can I find information on where to work?
ANMAC does not provide information on where you can find employment as a nurse or midwife. It is not our role to do so. You can look for work on employment websites that include opportunities for nurses and midwives. To find these, search through your web browser, using phrases like ‘nursing employment Australia', ‘midwifery employment Australia’ and ‘health jobs’.

How do I get an employer to sponsor me?
ANMAC does not provide information on employer sponsorship. It is not our role to do so. You need to contact employers and nursing and/or midwifery agencies directly for this. for more information contact Department of Home Affairs.

What do I need to work in Australia as a nurse or midwife?
To work in Australia as a nurse or midwife, you need to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and maintain a current licence giving you authority to practice. Without this you would be working illegally. To register contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

How do I apply to have my skills assessed?
You apply online. To make it quicker and easier it is helpful to start by going to application options. Here you select what type of applicant you are. This will take you to the correct information you need to apply for the right type of migration skills assessment. 

What documents do I need to provide for my assessment?
The documents required for each assessment type differ.
ALL APPLICANTS MUST PROVIDE
verification of registration (also known as certificate of good standing) should be arranged from every country or jurisdiction where you have held registration, this should be emailed directly from the regulatory authority to [e-mail]. Where email is unavailable the relevant authority can post the verification directly to ANMAC.
proof of identity:
bio-statistical page(s) of passport
change of name documents (marriage certificate, decree nisi, deed poll)
a passport-sized photograph taken in the last 6 months
graduation certificate, include commencement and completion dates
professional references that support your work as a paid nurse or midwife. Should include details provided in the example (unless a newly qualified, Australian or New Zealand trained).
FULL APPLICANTS MUST ALSO PROVIDE
English language test results - include the test number and date of test completion.
transcripts of training, include commencement and completion dates, as well as theory and practice hours. If the university cannot provide this information, ANMAC will accept a copy of the syllabus.
Please note: ANMAC may request extra documents from you that are not on these lists. You will receive a detailed checklist once you have submitted your application online.

What is a verification of registration letter (also known as certificate of good standing)?
A verification of registration, or certificate of good standing letter, confirms your registration, good standing and fitness to practice as a nurse or midwife. The organisation responsible for registering nurses and midwives in each country or jurisdiction provides this. Please ask the regulatory authority to post or email a verification of registration or certificate of good standing letter to our office directly before applying to ANMAC for a migration skills assessment. We cannot accept a photocopy, fax or scanned copy of the letter from you or any other source. Once received, we keep your verification of registration or certificate of good standing letter on file and match it to your application when we process it. ANMAC does not supply applicants with a form to request this document. We do not accept emails from free web-based email accounts. ANMAC no longer requires registration of verification from AHPRA. We will verify your Australian registration status electronically.

Do I require a full assessment or modified assessment?

If you hold registration as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse or midwife in Australia and/or New Zealand and your name appears on AHPRA’s online public Register of practitioners you may qualify for a Modified Skills Assessment. If you do not hold current registration in Australia and/or New Zealand but have a 'Notice of in principle approval of registration subject to proof of identity' letter from AHPRA you may qualify for a Modified PLUS Skills Assessment. If you are a registered nurse in the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong, Canada or Ireland and also have a minimum Bachelor of Nursing qualification from that country then you may qualify for a Full Skills Assessment.  If you are a registered midwife from Canada, the United Kingdom or Ireland and have a minimum Bachelor of Midwifery qualification from that country then you may qualify for a full skills assessment.  Go to application options. Select the option that applies to your situation and then follow the instructions.

How do I know if I am a registered nurse in Australia?
If you hold current registration as a registered nurse with AHPRA your name will appear on their online register of practitioners, this may also be referred to as a Division 1 Nurse. Please note that an eligibility letter from AHPRA is not sufficient evidence of registration. 

How do I know if I am a enrolled nurse in Australia?
If you hold current registration as a enrolled nurse with AHPRA your name will appear on their online register of practitioners, this may also be referred to as a Division 2 Nurse. Please note that an eligibility letter from AHPRA is not sufficient evidence of registration. 

Do I need to do an English language test as part of my migration skills assessment?

MODIFIED SKILLS ASSESSMENT APPLICANTS
If you are applying for a modified skills assessment you do not need to provide English language test results. This means you are registered with:
AHPRA
Nursing Council of New Zealand
Midwifery Council of New Zealand.
MODIFIED PLUS SKILLS ASSESSMENT
If you are applying for a Modified PLUS Skills Assessment you do not need to provide English language test results. This means you have a 'Notice of in principle approval of registration subject to proof of identity' letter from:
AHPRA
FULL SKILLS ASSESSMENT APPLICATIONS
All internationally-qualified nurses and midwives without Australian or New Zealand registration (regardless of country of birth) have to provide English language test results. Australia’s official language is English and it is important that healthcare professionals working here are proficient in English (reading, speaking, writing and listening). This enables nurses and midwives to communicate competently and safely with patients and their families, colleagues and other health professionals.

What English language test does ANMAC accept?

We accept successful completion of:

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test.
Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
ANMAC only accept test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:
a) a minimum overall score of 7 in each sitting
AND
b) no score in any component of the test is below 6.5
Occupational English Test (OET) for nurses.
Applicants must achieve a minimum score of B in each of the four components - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
ANMAC only accept test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant:
a) is tested in all four components in each sitting
AND
b) no score in any component of the test is below C
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic.
Applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 65 AND a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
ANMAC only accept test results from one test sitting OR a maximum of two test sittings, in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:
a) a minimum overall score of 65 in each sitting
AND
b) no score in any of the four communicative skills is below 58
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT.
Applicants must achieve a minimum total score of 94 AND the following minimum score in each section of the test - 24 listening, 24 reading, 27 writing, 23 speaking
ANMAC only accept test results from one test sitting, OR a maximum of two test sittings in a six-month period only if the applicant achieves:
a) a minimum total score of 94 in each sitting
AND
b) no score in any of the sections is below - 20 listening, 19 reading, 24 writing, 20 speaking
ANMAC accepts test results that are up to two years old. You only have to pass one of these tests, not all of them. Scores from two different tests cannot be combined.
These are currently the only language tests that ANMAC accepts. Any changes to this will be published on the website.

What is a verification/certificate of registration letter and why do I need one?
Depending on where you are from this could also be called a verification/certificate of registration letter or a certificate of good standing. Whatever the name, this document confirms your registration and good standing as a nurse or midwife. It comes from the organisation responsible for registering nurses and midwives in your country or jurisdiction of current registration. This organisation must post an original document to ANMAC via post, use this example (280 KB) as a guide. We cannot accept a photocopy, fax or scanned copy of the letter from you or any other source. Once received, we keep your verification/certificate of registration letter on file and match it to your application when we process it.

When I apply, which Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Code do I use?
To apply under an ANZSCO Code you must have evidence that you are currently registered as a enrolled nurse, registered nurse or midwife, and practising in the field. As a registered nurse if your area of expertise is not listed you need to nominate 254499 (nec) as your ANZSCO code.

Who can I use for my professional references?
You should use the person who managed or supervised you. This person must be a nurse or midwife. 

What information do my professional references need to provide?
On official letterhead your professional references need to provide:
your dates of employment
your areas of experience
a statement about your professional competence and safety as a nurse or midwife
examples of your professional competence as a nurse or midwife (the day to day activities you undertake) related to the tasks required for your ANZSCO code
details of continuing professional development
signature of the referee (electronic signatures are not acceptable).
Your referee needs to date their original letter and include their name, position and contact details. The contact details should include an official email address.
Please note: does not accept emails from fee web-based email accounts.
Please note: electronic signatures are not acceptable.
ANMAC has a template (58 KB) that explains this criteria. If your professional references do not meet this criteria we cannot accept the reference.
You should use the person who directly manged or supervised you. This person must be a nurse or midwife. If you direct supervisor is not a nurse or midwife, a statement to this effect should be included in the reference.
Please note: a reference from sections of an organisation, such as Human Resources or Payroll, is not suitable for this assessment.
If you have a minimum of three months (full time equivalent ) paid employment as a nurse or midwife you must provide at least one professional reference supporting this work experience. ANMAC requires specific detail in these references. Please review the following template (58 KB) and provide a copy to your referee.
Nurses or midwives who work for an agency need to provide a:
service statement from the agency detailing employment dates and number of hours worked.
a professional reference from an institution where you regularly work that meets ANMAC's professional reference requirements (58 KB).

How can I check the status of my application?
The status of your application is available by logging in to your account.

How do I submit further supporting documents?
Further supporting documents can be uploaded to your account by logging in.

How do I add work experience to my current Letter of Determination?
Please call ANMAC on [phone] to discuss your options with the assessment team.

Can I change the ANZSCO code on my current Letter of Determination?
Yes, if you would like to change your nominated ANZSCO code please contact us to confirm the need for additional professional references. You may be required to provide additional proof of work experience in a specific clinical area. You will be advised as to the process from here.

What do I do to fix an error on my Letter of Determination?
If there is an error on your Letter of Determination please call ANMAC on [phone] to discuss the error with the assessment team.

Can I appeal the result of my migration skills assessment by ANMAC?
Yes you can. To appeal ANMAC’s decision follow these steps:
Contact us with your:
full name
date of birth
reference number
the reason you are appealing.
You must email ANMAC within 30 days of the date on your Letter of Determination.
ANMAC will acknowledge your email and ask you to pay $200.00 to have your application for appeal considered. ANMAC only accepts payments by VISA or MasterCard.
The appeals process is governed by our Appeals Policy (193 KB).

My application was found unsuitable. When can I reapply?
You will need to wait 2 years from the date the determination was made. This date can be found on the determination letter issued by ANMAC.

How long is the Letter of Determination valid for?
All determination letters issued by ANMAC are valid for two years from the date the determination was made.

My determination letter is expiring soon, can I get a re-issue?
Determination letters are valid for 2 years from the date of issue. To have a valid Letter of Determination past this date you will need to re-apply.