Career·Australia & New Zealand· 9 min read

ANMAC Skills Assessment for Nurses and Midwives (Australia)

Understand the ANMAC migration skills assessment for internationally qualified nurses and midwives: the Full, Modified and Modified PLUS streams, the outcome letter, and how it differs from NMBA/Ahpra registration to practise.

Last updated 3 July 2026

Key facts

Assessing authority: Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) — anmac.org.au
Registration authority: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) via Ahpra — separate from ANMAC
Streams: Full, Modified, and Modified PLUS Skills Assessment
Full stream needs: Approved English test results (e.g. IELTS/OET/PTE/TOEFL/Cambridge) + recent paid-practice (verify current criteria)
Modified stream needs: Current NMBA (or, where applicable, NZ) registration first; no separate English test results required
Outcome: Outcome letter valid two years, naming your ANZSCO code; used by Home Affairs
Fees, hours, checklists: Change over time — verify on anmac.org.au

What ANMAC is and why nurses need it

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is the government-approved authority that assesses whether an internationally qualified nurse or midwife has the skills and qualifications required for a skilled-migration visa. It is a step in the migration process — the Department of Home Affairs uses the outcome of your ANMAC assessment to decide whether you meet the skills requirement for a skilled visa.

For the large number of Indian-trained nurses aiming at Australian permanent residency, ANMAC is the assessing body that sits between your overseas qualification and your visa. Its job is to confirm your qualifications and experience against Australian standards for your nominated occupation.

What ANMAC does not do is let you work. It states this directly: to work in Australia, all nurses and midwives must be registered, and registration is separate from the ANMAC process (see the next section).

ANMAC = migration skills assessment for nurses, midwives and some direct-care health workers.
Its outcome is used by the Department of Home Affairs for skilled-visa eligibility.
It is not a registration to practise nursing in Australia.

The critical distinction: skills assessment vs registration

Two separate things are easy to confuse, so keep them apart from the start.

A skills assessment (ANMAC) is a migration document. It supports a skilled-visa application by confirming your qualifications and experience match a nominated ANZSCO occupation code. Registration to practise (the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, NMBA, via Ahpra) is the legal permission to actually work as a nurse or midwife in Australia.

The sequence matters and it is not the same for everyone. For some ANMAC streams you need NMBA registration first; for others you do not. Getting the order right is one of the most important planning decisions in the whole process, which is why the streams below are worth understanding before you apply.

ANMAC → skills assessment for a visa (migration).
NMBA / Ahpra → registration to practise (employment).
The order between them depends on which ANMAC stream applies to you.

The assessment streams: Full, Modified and Modified PLUS

ANMAC offers different assessment streams, and which one you use depends mainly on your registration status.

The Full Skills Assessment is generally for nurses who are not yet registered with the NMBA. It requires evidence of qualifications, a period of recent paid practice, and English language test results. ANMAC accepts a set of approved English tests for this stream (for example IELTS, OET, PTE, TOEFL and Cambridge) — check the current accepted tests, the minimum scores and the exact recent-practice hours and dates on anmac.org.au, because the eligibility rules and figures are updated over time.

The Modified Skills Assessment is for applicants who already hold current registration with the NMBA (or, where applicable, New Zealand) — so you generally must register first, then apply. Because your English has already been verified for registration, ANMAC does not require separate English test results for this stream. Modified PLUS is a related variant with its own eligibility. Each stream produces an outcome letter (valid for two years) stating your assessed qualifications, valid experience and nominated ANZSCO code. Confirm the current eligibility for each stream on anmac.org.au before you choose one.

Full — for not-yet-NMBA-registered nurses; needs approved English test results + recent paid practice.
Modified — needs current NMBA (or, where applicable, NZ) registration first; no separate English test results required.
Modified PLUS — a related variant with its own eligibility rules (verify on anmac.org.au).
Outcome letter is valid for two years and names your ANZSCO occupation code.

What documents and steps are involved (structurally)

The ANMAC process is documentation-based. You apply online, pay the fee, and submit certified evidence — identity, your nursing/midwifery qualification, transcripts, registration history, work experience, and (for the Full stream) English test results. ANMAC assesses this evidence against its published criteria; it does not require you to sit an ANMAC exam.

Because it is criteria-based, accuracy matters more than speed: incomplete or inconsistent documents are the usual cause of delays and unfavourable outcomes. If criteria are not met, ANMAC notifies you and there is a formal appeals/disputes process.

Processing times, fees and the exact document checklist change and vary by stream. Do not rely on second-hand figures — confirm the current requirements, hours and fees on the official ANMAC website before you start assembling your file.

Online application + certified documents (ID, qualifications, transcripts, experience, registration, English for Full).
Criteria-based paper assessment — no ANMAC sit-down exam.
Outcome letter names your ANZSCO code; a formal appeals process exists.
Fees, hours and checklists change — verify on anmac.org.au.

How it fits the wider migration picture

A positive ANMAC skills assessment is one input into a skilled-migration application — it does not, on its own, grant a visa or a job. After (or alongside) it, you would typically obtain NMBA registration, lodge an expression of interest or a nominated visa application through the Department of Home Affairs, and meet all the visa's other requirements (points, health, character and English).

Nursing occupations are frequently in demand, but demand and occupation lists change over time and no assessment guarantees an invitation, a visa, or employment.

This guide is general information, not migration advice. Immigration rules change frequently — always verify the current rules on the official Department of Home Affairs website, confirm registration requirements with the NMBA/Ahpra, and consider a registered migration agent for your individual situation.

ANMAC outcome → one requirement of a skilled-migration application, not a visa itself.
You still need NMBA registration, plus the visa's points/health/character/English criteria.
No assessment guarantees a visa or job; verify on the Department of Home Affairs site.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ANMAC skills assessment the same as being registered to work as a nurse in Australia?

No. ANMAC is a migration skills assessment used for your visa. To actually practise you must be separately registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra. ANMAC states clearly that registration is separate from its process.

Do I need to register with the NMBA before applying to ANMAC?

It depends on the stream. For the Modified Skills Assessment you generally must already hold current NMBA (or, where applicable, New Zealand) registration before applying. For the Full Skills Assessment you do not need to be NMBA-registered first, but you do need approved English test results and evidence of recent paid practice. Check the current criteria for each stream on anmac.org.au.

Which English test does ANMAC accept, and is it always required?

Approved English test results are required for the Full Skills Assessment — ANMAC accepts a set of tests (for example IELTS, OET, PTE, TOEFL and Cambridge). For the Modified stream — where you are already NMBA-registered — separate English test results are not required by ANMAC. Confirm the current accepted tests and any minimum scores on the official ANMAC website.

What is the outcome of a successful ANMAC assessment?

You receive an outcome letter, valid for two years, stating your assessed qualifications, valid work experience and your nominated ANZSCO occupation code. The Department of Home Affairs uses this outcome when deciding your skilled-visa eligibility.

Does ANMAC make me sit an exam?

No. ANMAC does not require you to take an ANMAC test. It is a documentation-based, criteria assessment of your qualifications and experience. (Any English test, where required, is a separate test such as IELTS or OET, not an ANMAC exam.)

Does a positive ANMAC assessment guarantee me a visa?

No. It satisfies the skills requirement, but a skilled visa also depends on points, health, character and English requirements, occupation lists and an invitation — all decided by the Department of Home Affairs. No assessment guarantees a visa or a job. Verify current rules on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: ANMAC — Skilled migrants: assessment process; ANMAC — Full Skills Assessment; ANMAC — Modified Skills Assessment; Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) / Ahpra — registration.

Last verified: 3 July 2026.