Your step-by-step path to registration

Choose the state you'll apply through

You apply to a specific state's Board of Nursing (BON), not a national body. Requirements and processing speed vary by state -- some states process internationally educated nurse (IEN) applications faster than others.

Get your credentials evaluated

Most state boards require a credential evaluation confirming your nursing education is equivalent to a US nursing program. TruMerit (formerly CGFNS) is the most widely recognized evaluator for this. This step alone commonly takes a few months, so it's usually the first thing to start.

Take an English proficiency test (if required)

If your nursing education wasn't conducted in English, you'll need to pass an accepted test such as IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, or TOEFL iBT, depending on your target state's requirements.

Submit your application to the state Board of Nursing

Submit your licensure application along with your credential evaluation and English test results (if applicable), and pay the associated fees.

Register with Pearson VUE and receive your ATT

Once your state board declares you eligible, you register and pay the NCLEX exam fee through Pearson VUE. You'll then receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email -- this is what lets you actually book your exam appointment, and it's valid for a limited window (commonly around 90 days).

Receive your RN license

Your state Board of Nursing issues your RN license once your NCLEX-RN pass is confirmed.

Apply for a VisaScreen certificate

If you're pursuing a US work visa, you'll need a VisaScreen certificate (issued by TruMerit/CGFNS), which verifies your education, license, and English proficiency meet US immigration standards. It's typically valid for five years.

Secure a sponsoring employer

Most internationally educated nurses move to the US on an employer-sponsored immigrant visa (commonly EB-3). Many hospitals and nurse staffing agencies specifically recruit and sponsor IENs -- this is a good point to start that search if you haven't already.

Employer files your immigrant petition

Your sponsoring employer files an I-140 petition with USCIS, which establishes your priority date. Your case then moves to the National Visa Center and on to your local US consulate for final processing, including a medical exam and interview.

Complete the AHPRA Self-check

This free online check on the AHPRA/NMBA website looks at your qualifications and determines which stream applies to you. Nurses from countries like the Philippines, India, and Nepal are most commonly placed into Stream B, which requires the Outcomes-Based Assessment (OBA) -- the pathway NightingalePrep is built around.

Pay the assessment fee and complete orientation

Once you're confirmed eligible for OBA, you pay a non-refundable assessment fee and complete a short e-learning orientation module on the AHPRA portal.

Meet the English language requirement

You'll need an accepted, in-person (not remote/at-home) English test -- IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, or Cambridge C1/C2 -- meeting AHPRA's current minimum scores, which are reviewed periodically.

Submit your portfolio

This includes certified proof of identity, your qualification documents (degree, transcripts), and evidence of your nursing practice history. Documents generally need to be certified in person.

Apply for AHPRA general registration

Once you've passed both the NCLEX-RN and the OSCE, you apply for general registration with AHPRA, which formally makes you eligible to practice as a Registered Nurse in Australia.

Look into a skilled visa pathway

Most internationally qualified nurses work in Australia on an employer-sponsored skilled visa. Note that many employer-sponsored visa applications can be lodged before your AHPRA registration is fully granted, so these two processes can often run in parallel rather than strictly one after the other.

Secure a sponsoring employer

Your employer needs to hold approved sponsorship status and meet salary/labour-market requirements for your visa. Hospitals and aged-care providers actively recruiting overseas nurses are a good starting point.

Longer-term: permanent residency

After a period of qualifying employment (commonly a couple of years), many nurses become eligible to apply for permanent residency through an employer-nomination pathway.