Can I apply for Australia PR without AHPRA registration?

For most registered health professions, no — AHPRA registration and a positive skills assessment come before the EOI. Without them you cannot be invited under the 189, 190 or 491. But not every healthcare occupation is AHPRA-registered (see the next question).

Does every healthcare professional need AHPRA registration?

No. Most registered health professions do, but not all. Specialist doctors are assessed by their Royal College — the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia for pathologists — and some occupations, such as medical laboratory scientists, are assessed by their own bodies outside AHPRA. Check your occupation's assessing body before you start.

I am a GNM nurse. Can I apply?

Yes, through the Stream C bridging route — it takes longer (24–26 months as a planning estimate) than the BSc Stream B route (around 14 months as a planning estimate).

Do I need a job offer for Australia PR as a healthcare worker?

No, not for the 189, 190 or 491. A job offer is a separate route (482, then 186), which some doctors use.

How much does AHPRA registration cost for Indian nurses?

The OSCE exam fee is A$4,000. The IQNM assessment fee is A$410, the registration application fee A$346, and the annual registration fee A$201 (A$193 in NSW). Re-check the NMBA fee schedule on the day you apply, as published figures change.

Can I apply for Canada PR as a healthcare worker without a licence?

Yes — for Canada PR no licence is needed before applying through Express Entry, though some provincial healthcare streams do require one. That is the key difference from Australia, where registration is the first step.

How long does the whole process take?

It depends on the profession and the route: nurses around 14 months on Stream B (planning estimate); physiotherapists around 9 months for APEP alone; doctors commonly more than a year for the AMC pathway. The licence stage is the longest part. There is no fast route — the licence stage is the longest step, so the quickest path is the one that starts registration first.

Which state is best for nurses?

It depends on your points and occupation. NSW's 190 list includes registered and enrolled nurses; Victoria has 900 places with healthcare as a priority; Queensland's offshore list includes registered nurses but not enrolled nurses.

Does passing the AMC exam give me PR?

No. The AMC exams are the registration and assessment step for doctors. PR needs a separate Expression of Interest, enough points and an invitation — or a state nomination. Passing the exams makes you eligible to apply; it does not grant a visa.

Australia PR for Healthcare Professionals from India (2026–27): Registration and Skills Assessment Guide

Australia offers skilled migration pathways for qualified healthcare professionals from India. However, the process is different for nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dentists and other healthcare workers.

Before submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI), you need to understand which professional registration authority and skills-assessing body applies to your occupation. For some professions, registration comes first; for others, a recognised skills assessment is an earlier step.

This guide explains the registration process, skills assessment, English requirements, costs, points and state nomination options for the 2026–27 programme year.

It covers nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dentists, occupational therapists and podiatrists — seven groups of healthcare workers — with the 2026–27 state settings for Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List records registered nurses in national shortage.

One qualification: AHPRA covers most — not all — healthcare occupations. Specialist doctors are assessed by their Royal College (a pathologist, for example, goes through the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia), and some occupations, such as medical laboratory scientists, have their own assessing bodies outside AHPRA. This guide covers the seven AHPRA-registered professions below and flags the exceptions where they matter.

One difference worth knowing: for Canada PR, healthcare professionals do not need a licence before applying through Express Entry — though some provincial healthcare streams do ask for one. For Australia PR, registration or a positive skills assessment comes first — which one depends on your profession.

The pathway in 4 steps

Professional registration and the migration skills assessment are not the same thing — and they are handled by different bodies. Who does what depends on your profession:

Profession	ANZSCO unit group	Main registration/assessment bodies
Nurses	2544 (Registered Nurses); 4114 (Enrolled Nurses)	NMBA/Ahpra and ANMAC
Doctors	2531 (GPs); 2533–2535, 2539 (specialists)	AMC, Medical Board and relevant specialist college
Physiotherapists	2525	Australian Physiotherapy Council
Pharmacists	2515	Australian Pharmacy Council and Pharmacy Board
Dentists	2523	Australian Dental Council and Dental Board
Occupational therapists	2524	OTC and Occupational Therapy Board
Podiatrists	2526	Podiatry Board of Australia

The exact order depends on your occupation and pathway: for some professions registration comes first, for others the skills assessment is the earlier step — and for podiatrists, registration is the assessment. The steps below give the order for each profession.

Two lists decide which visa your occupation can use: the 189, 190 and 491 visas draw on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), and the 482 employer route uses the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Check your occupation's ANZSCO code against the current lists before you plan — the lists change.

Step 1 — Register with AHPRA

AHPRA is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Registration is national — once granted, you can work in any state.

Every registered health profession has its own National Board and its own assessment route. There is no single "healthcare registration".

Nurses — NMBA/Ahpra and ANMAC

Registration runs through the Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBA) and the Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA). Start with the free Self-Check, then the IQNM assessment (A$410), Orientation Part 1 and a portfolio, then the NCLEX-RN exam — which you can sit in India (US$200 exam fee + US$150 international scheduling fee, US$350 in total now; for registrations completed on or after 1 February 2027, the exam fee is US$350, making the total US$500) — and the OSCE clinical exam in Australia (Adelaide Health Simulation and RANZCOG, Melbourne CBD; 10 stations, in person only). OSCE fee: A$4,000 per sitting. Then apply for registration (application A$346 + registration A$201; A$193 in NSW). Registered nurses work in hospitals, aged care and community health.

Documents to have ready: passport, degree and transcripts, your Indian Nursing Council or state registration and a Good Standing certificate (usually less than 3–6 months old), English test scores, employment references and a police clearance.

India is not on the streamlined list. Nurses with at least 1,800 hours of practice since 1 January 2017 in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario only), Singapore or Spain can skip the NCLEX and OSCE. Indian-trained nurses with only Indian experience cannot — they take the OBA route.

Doctors — AMC and the Medical Board

Registration runs through the Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Medical Council (AMC): primary source verification (ECFMG/EPIC), then the AMC portfolio (A$642), the CAT MCQ exam (A$2,920), then the clinical exam (A$3,000 in person / A$3,400 online) or workplace-based assessment (A$1,070), then the AMC Certificate, provisional registration and 12 months of supervised practice before general registration. India is not a Competent Authority country, so Indian MBBS graduates take the Standard Pathway.

Specialist doctors are different.

If you already hold a specialist qualification — a pathologist, for example — the AMC does not assess you. Your specialist college does: the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) for pathologists, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for specialist physicians, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons for surgeons, and so on. The Medical Board of Australia still registers you, but the college decides whether your training is comparable to Australian fellowship. One exception: the Expedited Specialist pathway lets holders of qualifications on the Medical Board's accepted-qualifications list apply directly to the Medical Board with no college comparability assessment. The Area of Need route needs a job in an area of need and does not by itself lead to specialist registration.

Physiotherapists — Australian Physiotherapy Council

The Australian Physiotherapy Council runs the APEP pathway for Indian-trained physios (BPT/MPT) — India is not on the Council's fast-track lists, so Indian physios take the full APEP route.

Pharmacists — Australian Pharmacy Council

The Australian Pharmacy Council runs the Knowledge Stream and the OPRA exam, which replaced KAPS in March 2025, for B.Pharm and Pharm.D graduates.

Not every healthcare occupation is AHPRA-registered

AHPRA covers 16 registered professions. Some healthcare occupations sit outside it — medical laboratory scientists, for example, are assessed by the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS), not AHPRA. Always check your own occupation's assessing body before you start.

English counts

Tests taken on or after 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall — 7.0 Listening, 7.0 Reading, 6.5 Writing, 7.0 Speaking. OET is now numeric, not letter grades: 350 Listening, 360 Reading, 350 Writing, 360 Speaking. PTE Academic 63 overall — 58 Listening, 59 Reading, 60 Writing, 76 Speaking (Speaking 76 is the trap). TOEFL iBT 91 overall (22/22/23/24). Results are generally valid for 2 years.

Step 2 — Get a positive skills assessment

Nurses — ANMAC

Once you hold AHPRA registration, apply for the ANMAC Modified Skills Assessment (A$395). Indian nurses are not eligible for the ANMAC Full Skills Assessment (A$595) — it is only for nurses registered in Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the UK or the USA. So the usual order is AHPRA first, then ANMAC Modified. Note: ANMAC's new skilled-migration portal is not yet live — new fees apply when it goes live later in 2026 — check anmac.org.au before paying. ANMAC's Modified PLUS option expired on 1 July 2025 and is no longer available.

Doctors — Medical Board of Australia

The Board is the assessing authority for non-specialists; the AMC Certificate is the key document. Specialists: your college assesses you — RCPA for pathologists, RACP for specialist physicians, RACS for surgeons — and the Board registers you on the college's finding.

Physiotherapists — Australian Physiotherapy Council

A Final Certificate first (APEP, A$8,321 from 21 October 2026), then the migration skills assessment (A$1,674). Total A$9,995 before the visa fee.

Pharmacists — Australian Pharmacy Council

Knowledge Stream: eligibility assessment (A$810), OPRA exam (A$2,245), then the Skills Assessment Outcome (A$300). Total A$3,355 in APC fees as a first-attempt minimum (the OPRA fee is charged per attempt). The skills assessment is education-based: you apply with your pharmacy degree assessed — no work experience is required, and you can take the OPRA right after graduating. After OPRA: provisional registration, then 1,575 hours of Board-approved supervised practice plus an accredited Intern Training Program, then the Intern Written exam (after about 75% of the hours) and the Oral exam, then general registration.

Dentists — Australian Dental Council (ADC)

Three steps, applied for through ADC Connect, the Council's online portal: initial assessment (document and qualification verification, A$647, valid 7 years), written examination (2-day computer-based MCQ, A$2,122), practical examination (in Melbourne, A$4,775). Total A$7,544 for one attempt at each. Then apply to the Dental Board of Australia via Ahpra for general registration (application A$611 + registration A$852, A$775 in NSW; schedule effective 1 October 2026).

Occupational therapists — Occupational Therapy Council

Migration assessment: OTC Assessment for Migration (A$800; the A$1,200–1,500 figures in circulation were the old Stage 1 registration assessment). Registration is separate: since late 2025 the Occupational Therapy Board/Ahpra assesses overseas qualifications directly — OTC no longer accepts new Stage 1 registration applications (from 27 October 2025). Occupational therapists work across hospitals, rehabilitation, aged care and the NDIS.

Podiatrists — Podiatry Board of Australia

There is no separate skills-assessment body or exam: the Board is the assessing authority, and a Certificate of General Registration as a podiatrist is accepted by Home Affairs as the suitable skills assessment. Board fees: application A$224 + annual registration A$449 (A$570 in NSW), plus a A$660 general international qualification assessment where applicable.

Step 3 — Submit your EOI and score your points

65 points is the minimum to lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect — it is not the score that gets invited.

In the latest published invitation round (15 October 2026, 20,000 invitations for subclass 189 across 159 occupations), nurses, GPs, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and Nurse Practitioners were invited at 70 points. In the June 2026 round, nurses and physiotherapists were mostly invited at 75 points — and Nurse Practitioners at 80 points. In 2026, healthcare invitations have landed between 70 and 80 points depending on occupation.

You must be under 45 when you are invited (189/190/491).

State 190 invitation scores are not published, so don't plan around a 190 cut-off figure.

Points come from age, English, education, skilled work experience, partner skills and state nomination — 190 adds 5 points, 491 adds 15.

Your occupation must be on the eligible list for the visa and within a listed unit group for the state you target.

Read how the points system works: Australia skilled migration points system

Step 4 — Get nominated by a state

Victoria — 190. ROIs opened 26 October 2026. Only 900 places this year, down from 2,700. 491 is not open yet. Healthcare is a priority industry under the new Victorian Points Test, with 59 priority occupations including physiotherapists, hospital pharmacists and registered nurse specialties. The Victorian Points Test ranks ROIs on 7 factors (age, English, experience, education, occupation skill level, partner skills, Victorian earnings for onshore applicants), maximum 950 points, no fixed pass mark — separate from the federal points test, where 65 (including the 5 state-nomination points) is still required. ROI fee A$60 (A$66 incl. GST); nomination fee A$180 (A$198 incl. GST) if invited.

New South Wales — 190. The Skills List published 15 October 2026 has 78 unit groups and includes every profession in this guide — pharmacists, dentists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, GPs, specialists, midwives, registered and enrolled nurses. NSW nomination is invitation-only; being on the list does not guarantee an invitation. Read the full breakdown: NSW 190 Skills List 2026-27: 15 Groups Added, 16 Removed. Full list: NSW occupation list

Queensland — 190 and 491. ROIs opened 6 November 2026 for 190 and 491, from an offshore list of 97 occupations (90 eligible for 190). Nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and podiatrists are on it. GPs, most specialists, pharmacists, dentists and enrolled nurses are not on the offshore list. Offshore criteria: 65+ points, Competent English, positive skills assessment and at least 1 year of skilled employment in the last 3 years. Nomination fee A$573 offshore / A$630.30 onshore (incl. GST), non-refundable. Full list: Queensland occupation list

The 190 route in full: Australia Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

The employer and regional routes

The employer route — 482 to 186

You do not need a state nomination if you have a job offer. An Australian employer can sponsor you on a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482); after two years with the same employer, you can move to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). Registration still comes first — a nurse or doctor needs AHPRA registration before the employer route can start — and the 482 has a minimum salary threshold, the Core Skills Income Threshold (A$79,423 from 1 July 2026).

The regional route — 491 to 191

The Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) is a 5-year provisional visa for regional Australia. After three years of living and working in a regional area, you can move to permanent residence through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191). The 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) is the regional employer route and also leads to the 191 after three years.

What it costs

Fees re-checked: the figures below were checked against the official schedules on 12 November 2026. Re-check them on the day you apply — published figures change.

Profession	Cost
Nurses	IQNM assessment A$410; OSCE A$4,000 per sitting; registration application A$346; annual registration A$201 (A$193 in NSW). NCLEX-RN: US$200 + US$150 international scheduling fee = US$350 in total now; for registrations completed on or after 1 February 2027, the exam fee is US$350 (US$500 in total with scheduling). ANMAC Modified A$395. Re-check the NMBA fee schedule on the day you apply.
Doctors	AMC portfolio A$642; CAT MCQ A$2,920; Clinical A$3,000 in person / A$3,400 online; WBA A$1,070.
Physiotherapists	APEP A$8,321 + skills assessment A$1,674 = A$9,995 before the visa fee.
Pharmacists	A$810 + A$2,245 + A$300 = A$3,355 in APC fees to Skills Assessment Outcome (first-attempt minimum — the OPRA fee is charged per attempt).
Dentists	ADC A$647 + A$2,122 + A$4,775 = A$7,544; then Dental Board registration (application A$611 + registration A$852, A$775 in NSW; schedule effective 1 October 2026).
Occupational therapists	OTC migration assessment A$800.
Podiatrists	No separate skills assessment; Board fees: application A$224 + registration A$449 (A$570 NSW), plus A$660 general international qualification assessment where applicable.

Visa fees (from 1 July 2026, primary applicant): 189 — A$6,135; 190 — A$6,140; 491 — A$6,140; 482 — A$4,015; 186 — A$6,140.

State nomination: Victoria ROI A$60 / nomination A$180; Queensland A$573 offshore / A$630.30 onshore.

Average Salary in Australia for Healthcare Workers

Pay is a median, not a starting salary and not a promise — it varies by state, setting and experience. The figures below are Jobs and Skills Australia medians for full-time work before tax, from ABS May 2025 data (annual figures are the weekly median × 52, rounded).

Profession	Median pay
Nurses	A$2,192 a week (about A$114,000 a year) for registered nurses.
Doctors	The widest range in this guide. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 medians are A$3,620 a week for specialist physicians and A$3,905 a week for surgeons. GPs sit below specialists — the ABS full-time median for GPs is about A$176,800 a year (May 2024).
Physiotherapists	A$1,888 a week (about A$98,000 a year).
Pharmacists	A$1,956 a week (about A$102,000 a year).
Dentists	A$3,232 a week (about A$168,000 a year) for the Dental Practitioners unit group.
Occupational therapists	A$1,913 a week (about A$99,500 a year).
Podiatrists	Jobs and Skills Australia publishes no median for podiatrists; salary guides put experienced full-time podiatrists around A$95,000–$115,000 a year.

How long it takes

Profession	Timeline
Nurses	Around 14 months on the Stream B (OBA) route; 24–26 months for GNM holders on the Stream C bridging route. These are planning estimates, not regulator figures. NMBA's own timeframes: streamlined IQRN 1–6 months; standard IQNM process typically 9–12 months.
Physiotherapists	APEP takes around 9 months at the fastest (a Council estimate); the skills assessment takes 8–10 weeks.
Doctors	The AMC pathway commonly takes more than a year — 77% of international medical graduates in the AMC's own survey took over a year. The usual route is a job, a 482 visa, then PR through the 186 after two years.
Pharmacists	No fixed timeline — the OPRA exam, supervised practice hours and registration steps run in sequence.

How long it takes

Visa processing time is separate. The timelines above cover registration and assessment only. Once you lodge the visa, Home Affairs' published processing times apply — they are medians of recently finalised applications, not a promise for your case.

The point: the licence is the longest step. Start it first, because the visa cannot begin until it ends.

A case we just closed

Mrs. Shweta Dhiman, a licensed healthcare professional, came to us with Indian qualifications and no Australian registration.

Our team took the case through licence, then a positive skills assessment, then the EOI — and Mrs. Shweta Dhiman has now received a Subclass 190 nomination from Victoria under the 2026–27 program.

Why it matters: we work the licence step first — and it is the step that decides everything after it.

(Client named with permission: Mrs. Shweta Dhiman.)

5 mistakes that cost healthcare applicants their PR

Submitting an EOI before registration. You can lodge an EOI without registration, but it cannot lead to an invitation — the invitation is what is blocked.
Assuming ANMAC Full is available. It is not, for India-only registrants. AHPRA first, then ANMAC Modified.
Assuming 65 points is enough. 65 is the floor. In the latest published round (15 October 2026, 20,000 invitations for subclass 189), nurses, GPs, midwives, physiotherapists and occupational therapists were invited at 70 points; in the June 2026 round, nurses and physiotherapists were mostly invited at 75 points. State 190 scores are not published, so don't plan around a 190 cut-off.
Picking a state before checking its list. Queensland's offshore list excludes pharmacists, GPs, dentists and enrolled nurses; NSW's list includes them.
Trusting stale fees and lists. Several ranking guides still quote 2025–26 state allocations and pre-July 2026 visa fees. Check the current official page before you plan.

Check your eligibility free — call +91 98961 96762 or write to info@provinceimmigration.com. We will tell you where you stand on registration, assessment and points before you spend anything.

For the full route, read the Australia PR overview and the Australia PR visa process.

Province Immigration — working since 2015, 3-time award winner, 14,000+ visas secured. Australia PR: 60% of the processing fee refunded on visa rejection, subject to the written agreement — conditions and exclusions apply.