Moving to Australia to work. Advice?

zenman · Mar 23, 2005

An Aussie friend of mine said that Melbourne is a nice place. Put "escape from America" in google and you'll get some good info about moving to other countries, including down under.

talaxandra · Mar 25, 2005

I think Melboune is a wonderful choice, and I'm hardly biased at all. No, really!

suzanne4, RN · Mar 25, 2005

There is a "sticky" at the top of the Australian forum by Gwenith, that is about working in Australia. Perhaps you should take a look at that.

You will also need to go thru Australian immigration, same as for the nurses that wish to come here. The process usually cannot begin until after you have completed your schooling, as a final set of transcripts are needed.

So perhaps you can contact the Australian Embassy in your area for some helpful hints and suggestions also.

Good luck....................... :balloons:

OjoRn · Mar 25, 2005

Hello everyone,
I posted this similar thread in the Australia forum, but there is little activity going on. I was hoping because this is a general forum, more individuals would be able to help me out.
My girlfriend and I will be graduating next year from our BSCN program in Canada and would like to move to Australia permanantly upon passing our RN examination. She has travelled to Australia in the past and felt Melbourne would be an ideal place to stay, however, that could change.
In our area we have annual job fairs, however, we missed the past one and have to wait till next February for the next. Until that time, I must research to find out all my questions Here's where I'm hoping to have all of your input.
I've been to numerous websites that are seeking Nurses in Australia, but the information if very limited. Is there a specific website that would ideal to start off with to get a basic information about Nursing in Australia?
More so, I'm hoping to find information in regards to salary, signing bonus, incentives etc...
Hopefully someone could begin to shed some light on my endeavors.
Thanks alot!
-Steve

Matesupover is a great site, you may find some help there.

Ojo.

Ross1 · Mar 25, 2005

I would recommend that you check out the following:

Nurse's Board of Victoria

http://www.nbv.org.au/

To echo what another poster said, you don't simply "move" to Australia. You must go through immigration and obtain a work permit or "landed status" if permanent residency is your goal.

It is my understanding that if you are under a certain age, as a citizen of a member British Commonwealth Country (Canada), there may be special visas to allow you to live and work in Australia for one year.

You best bet is to start with the Nurse's Board of Victoria and possibly the Australian Nursing Council or whatever nursing organization in Australia is charged with evaluating foreign credentials. (there are lots of links from the web site above).

Also.....you need to speak with an immigration attorney that specializes in Australian immigration law. Depending where you are located in Canada, that probably wouldn't be too hard, especially if you are in Toronto or Montreal.

Good luck with your plans. Australia is a wonderful country and as 2 young Canadian RNs, I do think your goal is doable, but it will take some work.