What are best migration approaches to Australia for nursing lecturer from China?

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Hi All.

I am asking for your suggestions on my friend's approach to migrate to Australia.

My friend is 40 yrs old, a registered nurse in China, with a Bachelor Degree of Medicine (majoring in Nursing) after five years study in a famous university in China. She is also registered psychologist there. She had worked as a clinical nurse in hospital for 4 years, and then worked as a teacher in a nursing school, and now is an associate professor in a university lecturing "Introduction to Nursing", "Foundation to Nursing", and "Nursing for Patients with Infectious Diseases". Her current research interests are nursing education, nursing risk management and aged care.

She's currently thinking to migrate to Australia, mainly because she wants to have a more joyful education environment for her 10-years-old son. She is studying English very hard at moment, and is thinking to come to an Australian university next year as a visiting scholar sponsored by her own university.

So, what approaches should she take to migrate to Australia? I have been browsing the web and think about a few options. Here I'd like to ask your comments:

Option 1. Try to get four 7s for IELTS and become a registered nurse here in Australia. However, it may not be that easy for her to get four 7s for IELTS in short time. IELTS is a major hurdle for her right now.

Option 2. I have noticed that in the immigration department's SOL-schedule 4 (for state sponsored), there are two occupations: "Nurse Educator" and "Nurse Researcher" with 50 points, to be assessed by VETASSESS. My question is, is RN a pre-requirement to be assessed as Nurse Educator or Nurse Researcher? I've got such an impression because when I browse the staff's profiles in Australian nursing schools, it seems all of them are RN. Is it easy or hard to find a position as nursing educator or nursing researcher? My friend doesn't mind working in a regional area.

Option 3. In the immigration department's SOL-schedule 4 (for state sponsored), there are also two occupations: "University Lecturer" and "University Tutor" with 50 points, to be assessed by VETASSESS. My question is, what are the pre-requirements to be assessed for the two occupations? Are there any English requirements? Is it easy or hard to find such positions in a regional area?

Option 4. How can she get a business sponsor so that she can come to Australia on 457 working visa? What are pre-conditions for her to get someone sponsored? She doesn't mind working in a nursing home because her current research interest is aged care.

Are there any other approaches to Australia?

With her current situation, are there any other western countries which are easier for her to migrate?

Many thanks to you all!

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If your friend wants to be nurse educator or researcher she needs to be a registered nurse in Australia, you loose all creditability if you are not registered in the profession that you are preparing or teaching nurses and post grad nurses, unless she is a visiting scholar and is only in the country for a short time, but then if you are not able to effectively communicate english......I am not sure in what capacity you would visit.....

A good grasp of english understood and to communicate is needed to educate nurses and also to conduct research.

Contact universities thats the only way she will find if there is any work they advertise in employment on their websites.

As for regional universities....this is not always an option for work (maybe aged care) as often lecturers have set down roots in the country and do not move aside easily for a replacement. A university in the city areas I would imagine take in more students are bigger and therefore have more job openings......same as the hospitals in and around the city, bigger, more work.....

To work as an RN even in aged care, she will need to be a registered nurse no way of not sitting english test, that means becoming assessed by new board and these includes passing IELTS at 7 one sitting.

Just my 2cents worth

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Thanks Ceridwyn.

Yes, I understand that English is the most important for her right now, and I understand that she needs to have good English to be able to teach or research.

Since it may take another 2 years for her to get 4 7s, ideally she would like to be able to come to australia to study or work as a nurse aide. In that way, she hope she can improve her English quicker.

Does anyone know that if people could come to Australia to work as a nurse aide on 457 visa? What's the requirements to work as nurse aide? Is it easy to find such positions?

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No, you must be on the skills list, a nurses aide is not a title we use here, personal care assistant, yes Enrolled nurse....not on skills list, but still need to be registered and go through assessment and still get 7 in IELTS.

It would be an absolute disgrace for someone of her nurse education to become a personal carer. Maybe do what all overseas people do that are not on skills list.....enrol in a course of study.....when finished apply for permanent visa....english would have improved by then. Universities though still ask for a standard of IELTS.

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Thanks ceridwyn again.

With her current situation, what's the best course for her to take? Bachelor? Master or PhD?

I am thinking a Master course might be suitable for her to take because a PhD might take too long time to finish. How long would it take to finish a master course? by course, or by research?

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