
ANMAC Full Skills Assessment: 2025 Changes Nurses Need to Know
If you’re planning to migrate to Australia as a nurse — whether through employer sponsorship or a skilled independent visa — you’ll need a positive skills assessment. That’s a mandatory requirement for most permanent and temporary migration pathways.
In 2025, ANMAC (the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council) expanded eligibility for the full skills assessment — allowing more nurses to apply before they complete their AHPRA registration.
This is a big win for internationally qualified nurses. Why? Because it means you can start your skills assessment at the same time as your AHPRA registration, instead of waiting for one to finish before beginning the other — significantly speeding up your migration timeline.
🩺 What is the Full Skills Assessment?
The full skills assessment is one of three types ANMAC offers for registered nurses. It’s designed for nurses who meet certain eligibility criteria — even if they haven’t completed their AHPRA registration yet.
And here’s the key benefit:
You can lodge it at the same time as your AHPRA registration. That means no waiting for one process to finish before starting the next — saving you months of delay in your migration plan.
✅ Who Can Now Apply for the Full Skills Assessment?
There are now two groups of nurses who may be eligible:
🔹 1. Already Eligible Nurses
You’ve always been eligible if you:
Completed a full Bachelor of Nursing from one of the following countries:
UK, Ireland, United States, Canada, or Hong KongAchieved the required English proficiency scores
(This excludes those who registered with a diploma, completed a bachelor top-up, or obtained a master’s degree instead of a full bachelor’s program from these countries.)
🔹 2. Newly Eligible Nurses with Comparable Registration
You may now be eligible if:
You hold current nursing registration from a comparable country:
UK, Ireland, US, Canada (Ontario or British Columbia), Singapore, or SpainYour registration was based on a Bachelor of Nursing
You have met the English proficiency requirement
❌ This new eligibility does not apply if your registration was based on:
A Diploma of Nursing
A Master’s degree (instead of a bachelor’s degree)
📊 Required English Scores (No Exemptions)
To lodge a full skills assessment, ANMAC requires a minimum of proficient English. That means:
IELTS Academic: 7.0 in each band
OET for Nurses: B in each band
PTE Academic: 65 in each band
TOEFL iBT: Writing 24, Speaking 23, Reading 24, Listening 24
Cambridge C1 Advanced: 185 overall, with at least 185 in each skill
❗ There are no exemptions — it doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived in an English-speaking country or what your passport says.
🔄 Can You Start Both at the Same Time?
Yes — and that’s the major advantage of this expanded access.
If you’re eligible for the full skills assessment, you can start your ANMAC and AHPRA applications simultaneously, saving several months in processing time. That’s especially important if you’re hoping to lodge your visa within the next 12–18 months.
But remember — even with a positive skills assessment, you still need to complete your AHPRA registration before you can migrate as a nurse.
💡 Get Expert Help with the Nurse Registration Process
If you’re confused about your eligibility or haven’t started yet — you’re not alone.
That’s why we created the Nurse Registration Course — your step-by-step guide to getting AHPRA registration and preparing for your skills assessment.
You’ll get:
✅ Clear guidance on your correct AHPRA pathway
✅ Tips on preparing your English test — with help from our official English Preparation Partner
✅ A checklist for ANMAC full skills assessment eligibility
✅ Support creating your recruitment profile once you’re registered
✅ Real insight into what Australian employers expect
👉 Enrol now for just $199 AUD (limited time)
Here are the two updated promotional emails for Week 5 of your campaign, based on the corrected blog content.
💼 Want Legal Help With Your Registration or Migration Plans?
Book a consultation with SOLVi Migration, an Australian immigration law firm specialising in independent migration for nurses.
Ready to Do This Properly?
At SOLVi Migration, we’re not just here to help you tick boxes — we’re an Australian immigration law firm that specialises in helping internationally qualified nurses build the right pathway to live and work in Australia long-term.
✅ We help you plan your AHPRA registration and your visa pathway side-by-side
✅ We give legal advice so you avoid costly mistakes
✅ We assess your full situation — including family, work history, and goals.