Australia’s assessment and registration of foreign-trained nurses from six “comparable” countries is now simpler, quicker and cheaper as a result of reforms introduced in March 2025.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the removal of “needless red tape” would reduce wait times by up to 12 months for internationally qualified registered nurses from Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the UK, the USA, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.

The new standards will apply to RNs who have practised for at least 1,800 hours since 2017 in these countries.

“Nurses with relevant qualifications and experience in these comparable countries will no longer need to sit additional examinations or upgrade qualifications in order to gain registration,” Mr Butler said.

He described the reform as a collaborative effort between the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and federal and state governments to address “unprecedented workforce shortages while maintaining Australia’s rigorous safety and quality standards for healthcare”.

The changes stem from a review of health practitioner regulatory settings by Robyn Kruk, a retired senior public servant, whose findings were made public in December 2023.

A total of 16,622 internationally qualified nurses registered to practise in Australia in the past financial year – three times more than the 5,610 nurses who joined in the final year before COVID (2018/19).