Case Study: Indian Nurse Working in the UK: Navigating the New AHPRA Registration Process (April 2025)
Background:
A registered nurse from India has been living and working in the UK for the past 5 years. During her time in the UK, she gained significant clinical experience working in various hospitals across London in medical-surgical and critical care departments. Now, she is considering making the move to Australia, where she has family and professional opportunities. She will need to complete the AHPRA registration process to practice as a nurse in Australia.
Since this nurse’s qualifications were obtained in India, she falls into Pathway 2 under the new system but with some key application benefits due to her work experience in the UK. Let’s break down how this new AHPRA process impacts her journey.
The Registration Pathways:
Pathway 2: For Nurses from Non-Approved Jurisdictions (India)
This pathway applies to internationally qualified nurses who were trained in countries not listed as an “approved comparable jurisdiction”. However, her case is different because she has been working as a nurse in the UK for the past 5 years.
1. Qualification and Competency Requirements:
- This nurse holds an Indian nursing qualification, which is not directly from an approved jurisdiction under the AHPRA system.
- However, since she has been working in the UK as a registered nurse, it is deemed that her recent UK experience is comparable to experience she would gain as a nurse in Australia. She will not have to travel to Australia to complete further examinations but may need to complete examinations in the UK.
- She needs to prove she has maintained her competency as a registered nurse, including documentation of her work in the UK.
2. Minimum Practice Hours:
- As part of Pathway 2, she will need to show that she has worked for a minimum of 1,800 hours as a registered nurse in the UK in the last 5 years.
- This will be easy for her to prove, as she has been working full-time in a clinical role across various specialities, meeting the hours requirement comfortably.
3. Other Requirements:
- This nurse will need to provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the UK’s regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), to confirm her ongoing fitness to practice.
- She must also meet the following additional requirements for registration:
- Criminal history check from both the UK and India.
- Proof of English language proficiency, as required by AHPRA.
- Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) activities to ensure she has kept her skills updated.
- Proof of professional indemnity insurance, which she should already have as part of her UK registration.
Impact of AHPRA’s New Process:
The new process significantly shortens the registration time for nurses who have trained in countries outside of the comparable jurisdictions, who are working in these countries now, such as the UK. Here’s how it helps her:
- Faster Registration Process: Although the nurse in this case study has qualifications from India, her substantial recent practice in the UK, which is an approved jurisdiction, qualifies her for Pathway 2. She doesn’t need to go through the full assessment process, including exams in Australia for her qualifications, as she has already completed the regulatory examination process in the UK.
- Fewer Barriers to Entry: The new rules make it easier for internationally trained nurses who have worked in approved countries to gain faster registration in Australia without requiring additional assessments of their qualifications.
- Easier Documentation Submission: With her history of practice in the UK and her clear compliance with all regulatory standards, she will find the documentation process straightforward and efficient. This reduces the complexity of her application, allowing her to focus on settling into Australia.
Final Steps in this Nurse’s Journey:
She will now need to:
- Complete her application on the AHPRA portal, ensuring she meets the criteria for Pathway 2, including submitting all the necessary documentation.
- Provide evidence of her 1,800 hours of clinical practice and submit the required documents, such as the Certificate of Good Standing from the NMC, her criminal history checks, and proof of CPD.
- Submit proof of English language proficiency if it’s not already covered by her UK qualifications.
- Complete any orientation program (if required), which introduces Australian healthcare practices and regulations.
Once her application is approved, this nurse will receive general registration as a nurse in Australia, allowing her to start working in the healthcare system.
Conclusion:
The new AHPRA registration process, set to take effect in April 2025, is designed to help internationally qualified nurses like our case study nurse to move to Australia more efficiently, particularly if they have recent clinical practice in an approved jurisdiction like the UK or Ireland.
By meeting the requirements of Pathway 2, this nurse can fast-track her registration process and start her new life and career in Australia with minimal delays. The streamlined approach makes it easier for nurses from countries like India, who have gained experience in the UK, to navigate the AHPRA process and pursue new opportunities in Australia’s thriving healthcare sector.
For more information on how the ICE Jobs Healthcare team can help you make the move to Australia to work as a Nurse or Midwife, contact them today:
📞 Call: +353 91 475 100
📧 Email: nurse@icegroup.ie
💬 WhatsApp: +353 87 125 1531
💻 Website: https://www.icejobs.ie/healthcare-recruitment/
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