Skills assessment · Nursing and midwifery
ANMAC Skills Assessment: The Nurse and Midwife Pathway, in the Right Order
ANMAC assesses nurses and midwives for skilled migration. Registration with Ahpra usually comes first, and the assessment follows it.
Quick answer
The ANMAC skills assessment is the migration check for nurses and midwives on skilled visas. Most internationally qualified nurses need Ahpra registration first, then the Modified assessment at $395. It takes up to six weeks and the outcome letter holds for two years from issue.
Key facts
- Order matters: registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board through Ahpra usually comes before ANMAC
- Modified assessment: $395, up to six weeks, valid two years — anmac.org.au read 26 September 2026
- Full assessment: $595 on ANMAC's fees page at 26 September 2026, for nurses registered in a short list of countries
- Needed for: the 189, 190 and 491; usually not for the 482
Two separate processes — and ANMAC is the second one
Nurse migration runs on two tracks people constantly merge into one. Registration lets you practise. The skills assessment for nurses supports the visa.
Registration belongs to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, through Ahpra. The ANMAC nursing assessment then confirms your occupation for the Department of Home Affairs. For most internationally qualified nurses, registration comes first because it is what unlocks the Modified assessment.
Modified, Full or Modified PLUS — which ANMAC assessment is yours?
ANMAC runs three assessment types for nurses and midwives. Registration status and qualification country decide the fork.
| Type | Who it serves | Fee and shape |
|---|---|---|
| Modified skills assessment | Nurses and midwives already registered with the NMBA through Ahpra, or in New Zealand | $395. Up to six weeks. Outcome valid two years |
| Full skills assessment | Nurses qualified and registered in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, the UK or the US. Midwives: Ireland, the UK or the US | $595 on the fees page at 26 September 2026. Up to six weeks. Valid two years |
| Modified PLUS | Applicants holding Ahpra in-principle approval plus current overseas registration | Not listed separately on the 26 September 2026 fees page. Confirm the current fee with ANMAC |
| Direct Care skills assessment | Nursing support workers and personal care assistants heading for labour-agreement visa streams | $545 on the fees page at 26 September 2026. Not a registered nurse route |
Most Nepal-, India- and Philippines-qualified nurses take the Modified route after registration. The full skills assessment is only open to the listed countries.
Choosing the nursing occupation code
A registered nurse skills assessment is issued against the 2544 code family. ANMAC also assesses midwife, nurse manager and educator roles. The general code covers new graduates and nurses without assessable experience.
A field-specific code needs at least three months and 260 hours of matching experience in the last five years. Without that, the general registered nurse code is the correct nomination. Experience older than five years only supports the general code.
Settle the code before applying, from duties and hours. The ANZSCO code guide shows how duties decide it.
How long does an ANMAC skills assessment take?
The published ANMAC processing time is up to six weeks, for Modified and Full alike. Document problems are the common cause of delay, not queue length.
ANMAC checks your Ahpra registration directly, so you do not send it separately. Overseas registration verification must travel from the regulator straight to ANMAC. Anything sent by the applicant instead gets rejected, and the clock restarts.
The outcome letter is valid for two years from its issue date. Lodge the expression of interest and visa application inside that window.
Documents ANMAC actually wants
- Passport bio-data page, two further official IDs and a passport-style photo from the last six months.
- Graduation certificates and full transcripts for every qualification, Australian and overseas.
- A certificate of good standing, sent directly from the overseas regulator to ANMAC.
- Colour scans at 600 dpi or better, as PDFs. No originals, no certification.
- An agent declaration form where a registered migration agent acts for you.
- Non-English documents need a NAATI-certified translation.
How to apply
- Hold registration firstSecure NMBA registration through Ahpra, or confirm you fit the Full assessment countries.
- Pick type and codeModified, Full or Modified PLUS, with the occupation code your hours support.
- Lodge a clean file600 dpi colour scans, regulator-direct verifications, and the agent declaration where one acts.
The ANMAC cost is modest next to the registration journey. The order of steps is what saves months.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an ANMAC skills assessment take?
ANMAC states up to six weeks for both the Modified and Full assessments, once the file is complete. Delays almost always trace to documents rather than queues. Think scans below 600 dpi, missing transcripts, or verifications the applicant sent personally. ANMAC checks Ahpra registration itself, so that step adds no time. Build the file cleanly once and the published window is realistic.
How much does ANMAC cost?
The Modified skills assessment costs $395, and it is the route most Ahpra-registered international nurses take. The Full assessment is $595 and the Direct Care assessment $545. All three figures come from ANMAC's fees page, read 26 September 2026. The two larger fees get swapped in summaries, so check which line you are actually paying. These are ANMAC charges only, separate from registration costs and later visa charges.
How much does an Australian skills assessment cost for nurses?
For nurses, ANMAC sets the Australian skills assessment cost. The Modified route is $395 and the Full route $595. Both figures come from ANMAC's fees page, read 26 September 2026. Other occupations pay their own authority's fee, from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand. The skills assessment hub on this site carries the per-authority table with checked dates.
How long does a skills assessment take for a nurse?
Up to six weeks with ANMAC once the file is complete, and that window covers Modified and Full alike. The longer timeline in a nurse's pathway is usually registration, not the assessment. Outcome letters hold for two years from issue, which is shorter than most authorities give. Plan the expression of interest and visa lodgement inside that two-year window, not after it.
What if you fail a skill assessment?
An unsuccessful ANMAC outcome usually points at a specific gap: registration status, qualification evidence or the occupation code claimed. Fix the gap before reapplying, because the same file produces the same answer. Where the code was too ambitious, the general registered nurse code often succeeds where a specialty code failed. Take advice before spending another fee on an unchanged application.
Can I apply for skill assessment by myself?
Yes. ANMAC accepts direct applications, and nothing requires an agent. The traps are procedural rather than intellectual. Verifications must come regulator-to-ANMAC, scans must hit 600 dpi, and the code must match your hours. A registered migration agent adds value where the pathway is contested or timing is tight. Where one acts, ANMAC requires its agent declaration form on the file.
Where to go next
The assessment is one step in a nurse’s pathway. These pages carry the rest of it.
Registration first, assessment second — where are you up to?
The free check reads your registration status, qualification country and visa target. It maps the order of your next steps.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW, working with internationally qualified nurses across Australia and offshore.
Sources and last checked dates
- ANMAC — Modified Skills Assessment page read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- ANMAC — Full Skills Assessment page read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- ANMAC — Skills assessment fees read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- ANMAC — Modified Skills Assessment occupation code guidance read 2 Jul 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Occupation List (assessing authorities) read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Compilation No. 288 — skills assessment currency rules read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
ANMAC fees and eligibility lists change without notice, and the $545 Direct Care fee is often quoted as the Full fee. Confirm the live ANMAC fees page before acting on anything here. Visa Advisor is a registered migration agency in Sydney · MARN 0852408.