Foreign Grad from the Philippines to go to Australia

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Dec 1, 2013

First try to figure out where you want to live, most states require you to have a license from the country you went to school.

Your options in the US maybe limited due to the concurrency issues, do a good read on this board.

steppybay · Dec 1, 2013

Hello everyone! I'm a future foreign graduate (graduating in 4 months) from the Philippines (how typical right?) deciding on to whether to work in the US or Australia.
I am an American citizen but I am finishing up my nursing studies in the Philippines. I'm not sure if I should take the local board exam in the Philippines due to my citizenship but I'm planning on taking the NCLEX and practice nursing for around 2-3 years in the US (if ever I'm lucky enough to land a nursing job in the US. )
I'm considering on practicing nursing in Australia after having experience in the US. I'd like to ask how's the nursing over there?
I heard that I must do additional studying to get this certain certificate in order for me to be able to register as an RN. Can somebody explain this to me? What kind of visa do I have to apply for?

What state are you going after?

Just know of the recent developments, here's a good link to sum it up: https://allnurses.com/international-nursing/end-phillipine-nursing-885162.html

I mean read of how many recent PH students and nurses have found their hospital jobs in the last months in the last year, if a hospital position is your preference, which is true for about 95% of us Phils.

ceridwyn · Dec 2, 2013

In Australia, nurses from the Phillipines must do a bridging course 10-16 weeks cost 10,000 to 18,000 unless you have practised in an a western country for at least 3 months then this bridging course tends to be waived as well as the english test.

If you have not registered as a nurse in any country then you would not be eligible.

Aphra - national board will register new graduates from other countries as long as it has been less than 2 years since graduation as long as you do the bridging course - now lies the problem, not many, bridging courses, until they run out of applicants take nurses with no experience, have had their fingers burnt to often with nurse applicants that cannot cope.

Next problem, at this time until the baby boomers pop their clogs - and I am one of them, and get out/retire....they (government) are talking of extending retirement age to 70, there is no nursing shortage of nurses with little experience, not even with years of general experience....local new graduates and nurses, cannot find work.

So advice, unless you can find a state who accepts your degree in the US and you can get 2 years at least experience, do not consider Australia an easier target. With 2 years experience you can apply for permanent residency, (at the moment) exemption from expensive bridging program, english test and find work easier as you can work casual, or partime and do not need a work sponsor for a visa that as a new graduate you do not qualify for either visa.