Meeting AHPRA requirements as a International Trained Nurse from the Philippines

[Silverdragon102]

New thread discussing meeting APHRA requirements if trained in the Philippines.

Resources

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

International registration / Nurses / Home - Nursing Council of New Zealand

Part 1 thread New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand

Part 2 thread New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand

I have started a thread in the Immigration for Immigration requirements for Australia/New Zealand

[jbernardo1475]

Hello, jbernardo1475!

My application was also fowarded to VIC. How soon did you hear from AHPRA? Did they wait until they received your documents from either PRC or British Council? Thanks. :)

They confirmed receipt of my docs only after receiving the AGOS form.I requested PRC and IDP to forward my registration verification and IELTS TRF respectively way ahead of the AGOS.No additional docs were requested.I followed up once/twice through web inquiry.They replied within 2 business days politely.I received my LOE in less than 2 months.

[Mel0826]

i applied mine in WA, but the wait was fine since I was still working then. but if i had submitted evrything theyve asked, i think it shouldnt be that long. i had a hard time asking for my CoE from my previous employer, thats why..

they got everything they asked for on April 11, and since then the answer has been 'it's being processed', for 5 months !!! other than that, I heard nothing from them It's just such a pain in the neck Hope God can help me, and them!

[Mel0826]

5 months? That's too long! When did you last follow up with AHPRA?

last Monday, but the lady on the phone was so unhelpful (PS: she sounds like she was sleep talking)

[jbernardo1475]

Hello, jbernardo1475!

My application was also fowarded to VIC. How soon did you hear from AHPRA? Did they wait until they received your documents from either PRC or British Council? Thanks. :)

They confirmed receipt of my docs only after receiving the AGOS form.I requested PRC and IDP to forward my registration verification and IELTS TRF respectively way ahead of the AGOS.No additional docs were requested.I followed up once/twice through web inquiry.They replied within 2 business days politely.I received my LOE in less than 2 months.

[jems]

they got everything they asked for on April 11, and since then the answer has been 'it's being processed', for 5 months !!! other than that, I heard nothing from them It's just such a pain in the neck Hope God can help me, and them!

the next email you'll receive is already your LOE.trust me, i had the same feelings as yours,.

[jbernardo1475]

Vaccinations should be completed prior to commencement of classes because it is needed for the clinical placement.The school has to apply to the hospitals where you meet their criteria beforehand to get a slot.If you are noncompliant there is tendency you might not be accepted in a certain hospital and the school will look for another one.It could be in a far area or in another state.

[Mel0826]

the next email you'll receive is already your LOE.trust me, i had the same feelings as yours,.

Thanks for saying that. The question is WHEN I'm just getting so tired of waiting... Hopefully, God will enlighten my case officer to send me the LOE soon!!!

[milakunis]

Hi guys, quick question regarding my student visa application. Should I declare my present work (HR) in the work history? Is the embassy particular in our line of practice that it should be related to Nursing? Though I'v just been with HR for approximately 2mos.

[Mel0826]

I just got an email from my case officer after 5 months waiting and calls+emails:

"I am writing with regards to your application received by AHPRA on 21 March 2013. Your application was assessed by me in April 2013 and forwarded to a panel of professional officers for a final decision to be made. I have been following up with them through my manager and am still awaiting a reply. I apologise for the length of time this has taken, however, please be assured I am continuing to follow your application up and will advise you once I have had a response."

From this email, to me it sounds like no matter how many times I call or email them, it won't make any difference as the control is out of this case officer's hand. In other words, I think she might imply such a message, "stop pushing me, I can't help you"

But she could have sent me this email 5 months ago after she forwarded my application forms. Now I feel more frustrated for it seems that there is no end date for the waiting Does anyone have any suggestion on what I should do to speed up the process a bit or which department or person I can seek help from?

[councilor28]

hi ladydee-rn!

how are you? thank you for the insights that you given.. im sure it has helped a lota nurses!

we finaly have our visa.. the gf and I just cant wait to see Adelaide! we do not have an accomdation yet but we booked a hotel for 5 days.. wc hopefuly is enough to find a place.. Im actually interested in your other answers on questions 3,4 and 5 on this post.. been dying to ask about this but i held back not until we got our visa! lol! I don't think im allowed to send pm.. so im hoping that you can just send it to my email, [email protected]

hopefully we can meet you there so we can thank you in person!

HI ACHING!

Here is my answer to your questions:

1. Before going to Australia, what I did was complete all the vaccination requirements. Then I had my serology done in Australia. The serology was covered by my insurance in Australia. You really need to comply all the vaccination requirements because you need that for your clinical placement and vaccines in Australia are expensive. In our batch, the mantoux test that I had overseas was accepted. But I heard recently that the APRIL 2013 students were required to have the test done in Australia. I'm not sure of this, please verify this from Unisa.

2. After completion of ARNTP, the school will submit the completion certificates and other documents to AHPRA-SA. Since UniSA is based in SA they will submit the documents to AHPRA-SA. To explain this further, this was my previous post:

I have the eligibility letter already when I applied for ARNTP. However, I did choose the program because it was the earliest intake I can get and some of the BP slots were already full. Though, the program is longer than the 3 months IRON program, I have learned a lot from it.

If you are enrolled in ARNTP you don't need the eligibility letter to process your registration. This is for ARNTP program only but you do need the eligibility letter for the IRON program. Though I have the eligibility letter from AHPRA it didn't expedite the processing of my registration.

The following are the information about the processing of registration for ARNTP graduates with or without eligibility letter

WITH ELIGIBILITY LETTER:

-I got my AHPRA eligibility letter from AHPRA-VIC. Schools would usually submit the list of students for the program and list of graduating students on the state they are located at. Since, UniSA is in South Australia the school submitted the confirmation of completion to AHPRA-SA. Then AHPRA-SA would be in contact to AHPRA office where I got my eligibility letter. The office to office transaction would really take time but it would also depend a lot from the school if they are fast enough to submit the completion certificates and other required docs to AHPRA. Aside from this, it would also depend on your case officer if he is prompt enough to process your registration.

-Fortunately, my case officer was really fast in processing my registration (or maybe because I got mine from AHPRA-VIC which is also the head office). I got my registration after 2 weeks from the date of our graduation. However, some of my classmates who got their eligibility letter from AHPRA-WA and AHPRA-ACT got their registration after 3-4 weeks. And for some who applied in AHPRA-SA got their registration after 1-2 weeks. It is really a case to case basis.

WITHOUT ELIGIBILITY LETTER

-Some of my classmates didn't have the eligibility letter when they applied for ARNTP. They applied for the GRADUATE REGISTRATION pathway which allows them to apply for registration 4 to 6 weeks before completion of the course. My classmates applied 4 weeks before our completion and some of them got their registration 3-4 days after our graduation and others got it after 1-2 weeks. It was really fast. Lucky for them since they didn't need and wait for the eligibility letter which took me and some of my classmates 4-8 months waiting time.

I was really hesitant to apply for ARNTP before because it will be longer studying time. However, I just realised that the waiting time for eligibility letter would take time as well. The struggle doesn't end after you got the eligibility letter because you also need to hunt for BP schools which is also time consuming.

However, you must also consider the cost, the time and the future expenses you will have when choosing ARNTP or IRON program. By doing so, it will help you plan in choosing the program that suits you.

FOR QUESTIONS 3,4,5 you can just pm me. Take care and Good luck on your application

and oh yeah, I read somewhere that after finishing bp, and getting registered that a nurse is already eligible to apply for pr? and they would be allowed to stay while waiting for the result of their application.. w/o any work right tho? is this correct? it will be great if someone who has done this or atleast surely knows about this will share..

cheers!

[sunstark]

hi. im in for november 2013 at alpine health. pls email me or add me up at facebook so that we can exchange contact numbers :) thanks :) [email protected]

[ceridwyn]

and oh yeah, I read somewhere that after finishing bp, and getting registered that a nurse is already eligible to apply for pr? and they would be allowed to stay while waiting for the result of their application.. w/o any work right tho? is this correct? it will be great if someone who has done this or atleast surely knows about this will share..

No, you cannot stay in Australia as you are not applying for a PR visa but putting in an expression of interest, before this though you need to apply for assessment by ANMAC which take at this time I have heard about 3-4 months.

So all up it may take 6 months for issue of a PR visa and therefore without a substantial visa you cannot stay, unless able to procure a 457 sponsorship visa then a bridging visa is issued until the 457 is issued. The confusion comes after studying in Australia for at least 2 years a bridging visa is issued while waiting for a graduate visa to be issued for of 2 years.

I have heard some applying and receiving tourist visas some have been allowed some not after having 600 business visa and student visa..

The cost of staying in the country for near on 6 months without work rights, outweighs the less cost of return airfares home. Also Diac have issued a short term visa and assessed applicants ability to remain financially for that amount of time, they have no idea exactly how long ones expression of interest may take and if/or it becomes an invitation to apply for a PR visa and how long professional assessments take from all the professional bodies, so therefore they do not allow people to wait in the country.

I am not an immigration agent so therefore it may be best to get assistance from an immigration agent while in Australia.