Step 5 of 10 · PH → AU
Complete Stream A assessment if assigned — Philippines to Australia
If Self-check assigns Stream A, pay the applicable assessment fee, complete Orientation Part 1 and proceed through the Ahpra stages shown in the portal. Stream A indicates a qualification considered substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies.
- Jurisdiction scope
- Australia-wide Stream A assessment
- Last verified
- Relevant official-body pillar
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia / Ahpra
Purpose
Why this decision point exists
Work through Stream A as its own branch; the streamlined pathways have different rules.
Who needs it
Check whether it applies
Applicants whose Self-check result assigns Stream A.
Requirements
What to check at this step
- Pay and complete Orientation Part 1 only as directed in the Ahpra account. — Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (external site)
- Continue with the assessment and application stages shown in the portal. — Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (external site)
Common mistakes
Where applicants trip up
- Treating Stream A as automatic registration.
One fact at a time
Official facts
Each value appears with its effective date and cited source. We never assume an optional fact applies to you, and we never convert currencies.
No confirmed numeric fact is shown for this page. Check the linked official pages for current fees, timing, and requirements; a missing value is not zero.
The order of decisions
Where this step sits in the reviewed pathway
Work through the decision points in this order, and expect the responsible body to change, add, or remove requirements for your circumstances.
Step 1
Keep professional registration and immigration separateNMBA registration and Australian immigration are separate decisions. Success in one does not guarantee the other, and NMBA advises against irreversible moves or employment decisions before registration is approved.
Step 2
Complete the mandatory Ahpra Self-checkEnter your own qualification and registration history in Self-check. Its result can identify streamlined Pathway 1 or Pathway 2, or assign Stream A, Stream B or Stream C. The tool reads your whole history, so a Philippines qualification does not land you in Stream B by default. Self-check settles routing only; the registration decision comes later.
Step 3
Follow streamlined Pathway 1 if Self-check identifies itPathway 1 requires a relevant qualification from an approved comparable jurisdiction that led to general RN registration in that same jurisdiction, at least 1,800 hours of RN practice in an approved comparable jurisdiction since 2017-01-01, and the core registration standards.
Step 4
Follow streamlined Pathway 2 if Self-check identifies itPathway 2 requires a relevant qualification obtained outside an approved comparable jurisdiction on or after 2017-01-01, passage of an IQRN regulatory examination in an approved comparable jurisdiction that led to general RN registration there, holding that registration, and at least 1,800 hours of RN practice in an approved comparable jurisdiction after that registration. An NCLEX-RN pass alone is not enough.
Step 5
Complete Stream A assessment if assignedIf Self-check assigns Stream A, pay the applicable assessment fee, complete Orientation Part 1 and proceed through the Ahpra stages shown in the portal. Stream A indicates a qualification considered substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies.
Step 6
Complete the Stream B portfolio and examinations if assignedFor Stream B, complete Orientation Part 1 and the portfolio. You only need registration evidence if your qualification assessment asks for it. Pass the NCLEX-RN MCQ before the OSCE unless Ahpra accepts a qualifying earlier result. An earlier NCLEX pass does not by itself establish Pathway 2.
Step 7
Obtain qualification upgrading if Stream C is assignedIf Self-check assigns Stream C, follow the official post-Self-check process and wait for Ahpra's individual direction before deciding whether or how to upgrade a qualification.
Step 8
Meet English, recency, criminal-history and document standardsMeet the applicable core registration standards, including English language skills, recency of practice, criminal history, professional indemnity and other requirements. Use an Ahpra-approved international criminal-history supplier and acceptable translations where the triggers apply.
Step 9
Submit the registration application and complete orientationAfter the required assessment stages, apply online with the identity, qualification, English, employer and registration-status evidence Ahpra requires. Ahpra assesses for NMBA; outcomes can include registration, conditions or refusal. Complete Orientation Part 2 after registration within the official period.
Step 10
Choose a separate lawful immigration and work routeHold a visa that permits the work you intend to do. Employer-sponsored and points-tested subclasses each carry their own occupation, sponsor or nomination, skills-assessment, points, health, character and registration conditions. There is no universal nurse visa, so nobody can quote you a fee or processing time from your origin country alone.
Evidence record
Official source ledger
Each entry records who published the source, what it covers, and when it was last checked.
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Fees for nurses and midwives
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration; schedule effective 2025-09-18
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Steps after Self-check
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse routing
- Last verified