Who this may suit
Registered nurses with aged-care experience and providers considering sponsorship of a registered nursing role.
Key considerations
- Registered Nurse (Aged Care) is ANZSCO 254412, assessed by ANMAC for migration.
- Registered nursing and direct-care support occupations have different requirements.
- An employer’s aged-care status does not establish your occupation or visa eligibility.
Show the registered nursing responsibilities
This occupation concerns nursing care for older people in settings including residential care, community services and other healthcare facilities. Gerontology nursing is a recognised specialisation. The focus is the registered nursing work, rather than the workplace name alone.
Describe your assessment, care-planning, clinical coordination and evaluation responsibilities in the context of your actual position. Explain the patient group and the level of responsibility you held. A personal-care or support-worker role should not be presented as registered nursing experience simply because you held a nursing qualification overseas.
Prepare evidence for the nominated specialisation
ANMAC is the designated migration assessing authority. Choose its assessment pathway according to your registration and qualification history. Current Modified assessment guidance requires at least three months (260 hours) of paid work aligned with a specific nursing code within the preceding five years.
For experience submitted for assessment, arrange a professional reference explaining your own clinical competencies, employment dates and hours. If you worked through an agency, clarify the employment and clinical-supervision arrangements before requesting evidence. Explain changes of role so that periods in support work are not merged with periods as a registered nurse.
Keep nursing registration separate
An ANMAC result is for migration assessment. NMBA registration through Ahpra is needed to practise as a nurse in Australia, and any conditions on registration need to be understood before starting work. International registration and qualifications must be considered under the appropriate Australian registration pathway.
Prepare English evidence for the relevant purpose. Registration standards and visa English rules are not interchangeable. Check accepted tests, dates and any exemption before booking a test or assuming that a previous result remains usable.
Compare standard skilled and sponsored pathways
254412 appears in the current MLTSSL and in the 482 Core Skills and 186 Direct Entry occupation instruments. Points-tested possibilities include permanent subclasses 189 and 190 and provisional regional subclass 491. Invitation, assessment and the remaining criteria still apply; a shortage of staff does not guarantee selection.
A suitable employer may support a temporary 482, permanent 186 or provisional regional 494 application. Review the actual nursing position, work location, relevant stream and assessment requirements or exemption. A later permanent visa is a separate application with its own criteria. Compare the offer with your registration status and proposed start date.
Do not confuse the aged-care labour agreement
The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement covers specified direct-care occupations: Nursing Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant and Aged or Disabled Carer. It is not the registered-nurse pathway merely because the employer operates in aged care. Its concessions should not be applied to a 254412 nursing application.
Before lodging, review the occupation evidence, current state or employer requirements, English documents and assessment validity together. ANMAC has announced changes to assessment names and its portal later in 2026; check the confirmed arrangements at application time rather than relying on a superseded checklist.
How we can help
Ausdirect can help connect the occupation, skills-assessment and visa requirements, identify missing evidence and plan an application around your professional pathway.
Questions to consider
Does all work in an aged-care home count as 254412 experience?
No. The actual duties and capacity in which you worked must support registered aged-care nursing. Support work and registered nursing should be documented separately.
Does the aged-care labour agreement waive nursing registration?
No. That agreement covers separate direct-care occupations. A person practising as a nurse must meet Australian nursing registration requirements.
Your next step
Bring your qualifications, registration history, CV, English evidence and any job offer to a consultation. General information checked on 17 October 2026.