Aged Care Blog

overseas nurse migration to australia

Migration Stories: From the Philippines to Australia

First published: February 2024

What moving overseas to Australia as a registered nurse looks like

Australia is a very multicultural country and its nurses are from a range of different backgrounds. It is estimated that 40% of Australia’s registered nurses and aged carers were born overseas, with this number forecasted to grow in the coming years.

migrate to australia as an overseas nurse

We have developed a guide tailored to the logistics of how to become a nurse in Australia as an internationally qualified professional, but hearing firsthand on how everything works and why you should make the leap can aid your decision just as much.

Pearl Amado, who is currently the acting facility manager of Anglicare Farrer Brown Court , qualified as a registered nurse in the Philippines in 2005 before migrating to Australia as a nurse with an agency in 2012. Having completed the process of transferring her registration, she holds invaluable insights and advice to those considering doing the same.

Beginning the process of qualifying in Australia as a registered nurse

Before moving to Australia, Pearl completed her Bachelor of Nursing and worked for two years in a district hospital in the Philippines in the operating theatre, emergency department and in medical/surgical wards. Her decision to pursue a medical career came from her relationship with her grandmother. As she couldn’t look after her in the end stages of her life, she wanted to ensure she qualified as a nurse to look after others in their time of need and to give others the experience that she couldn’t give to her.

Her experience in the hospital could be challenging at times. “Working in the Philippines was unique when it came to shift work, with long shift times (often 16 hours) and only one doctor on site, so I was used to sharing a full 300 bed hospital with other RNS”.  Pearl decides to broaden her career horizons and took the opportunity to pursue a nursing career in Australia. An agency provided her with all the resources that she needed to migrate overseas. As English isn’t her first language, she took English exams prior to arrival. After passing the exams, she was eligible to start the bridging course for overseas nurses, which allows her to be qualified in both the Philippines and Australia as a registered nurse.

The start of a registered nurse career in aged care

Pearl landed in Ballarat, Victoria in 2011 and obtained a Cert III and IV in Aged Care, working as a personal care assistant and community care worker over a two-year period. She completed her post registration program (a program that allows her qualification to meet the NMBA standards ) at the University of Ballarat and received her AHPRA registration in 2013, completing the migration process. Up until she came to Australia, her experience was solely in acute care. During her time working in aged care, she realised she had found the area of nursing she enjoyed the most and has worked solely in aged care in Australia to this day.

After four years of aged care nursing in residential homes, she made the decision to use the Diploma of Management she obtained in 2014, and in 2017 became the care manager of Constitution Hill Aged Care home . Her unwavering dedication to the aged care sector has resulted in her promotion to facility manager, the role she is presently in. Pearl stands as a stellar example of what enthusiasm and passion for your career can result in.

 

become a registered nurse in australia

The rewards of migrating to Australia and working in aged care

The opportunity that was presented to Pearl is one that she hasn’t taken for granted. “I feel proud of what I have achieved. I remained open to feedback whilst working which I believe has helped me get to where I am today”. Aged care is an area she hadn’t experienced before, but now she wouldn’t consider anywhere else. “It’s an extremely rewarding career path. The hospital is more revolving, you may get to know the patient but then they get discharged quickly. Patients can seem to be a task to complete, whereas with aged care you harbour an emotional connection. We all will become elderly at some point in our lives and its important to remember that”.

Climbing the career ladder hasn’t been an easy feat for Pearl, and this is something that she recognises. “It has been full on at times and it has challenged me as a nurse, but in a good way. I do truly believe that aged care is my career now and I wouldn’t want to move elsewhere. You do gain a second family through working here and I love that”.

migrate to australia nurse

Advice for overseas nurses moving to Australia

We are here to help you in any area that you need and to make the process as seamless as possible. Each applicant’s journey is going to look different but for Pearl, there were logistic difficulties at the start. “The hardest element of moving overseas personally was communication and finances. I saved up to support myself before moving over here, and I had to use an internet café as the internet in my hometown wasn’t great, so with the time difference it was sometimes difficult. Transferring over qualifications was easy and I didn’t struggle with the English exam as I studied hard throughout”.

Hearing from someone who has completed the process can be helpful in knowing what to expect and what to be prepared for.  The best advice I can share is to be persistent with what you want and to focus on your goals. Be open minded and get to know people and help each other. Australia is an amazing country with so many opportunities and is so multicultural, everyone is equal. The Australians I worked with were so friendly and willing to help, they even taught me some of the lingo here! Don’t be shy and always ask if you need help”.

Sanctuary can sponsor eligible registered nurses from overseas with a pathway to permanent residency. If you are interested in a life down under, then please send your resume to visas@sanctuaryrecruitment.com for a free resume assessment, or click the link below to take you directly to the contact us form.

Register with us

Looking for a new opportunity
in the aged care sector?

Expert staffing solutions

Need staffing support on a temporary, contract or permanent basis?

Subscribe Here!

Subscribe to our blog!

Leave a Comment





Aged Care Blog
2024 Flu Vaccination Requirements in Aged Care in Australia

First published: July 2024 The Aged Care Quality Standards states that for the purpose of infection control, aged care providers and relevant organisations should promote the benefits of the influenza and coronavirus vaccinations for both their residents and staff. These vaccinations are to be renewed annually, adapting to each new strain of influenza. Key aims…

Aged Care Worker Salary Earnings in Australia in 2025

First published: October 2024, revised January 2025 An aged care worker salary in Australia is increasing with the demand. It was reported that there is a need for at least 110,000 direct aged care workers across the country in the next decade. The aged care industry is made up of many different roles, both clinical and…

The Tier One Relationship Between Arcare and Sanctuary

First published: August 2024 We are proud to have served the aged care industry for nine years, placing aged care professionals across the country on temporary, contract and permanent assignments. Our established base of nursing professionals, working on every level from assistant in nursing to management, are familiar with our clients and have developed a…

An Interview with an Aged Care AIN

First written: June 2024 We are proud of our incredible nursing team, showing dedication day in and day out to the residents that they care for. Our aged care recruitment services are spread across Australia, providing staffing solutions on an ad-hoc, short term contract/block booking and permanent basis in metro, regional, rural and remote areas…

Can I Work in Aged Care Without a Certificate?

First published: June 2024 Aged Care is a fruitful industry, and as leaders in the recruitment of aged care professionals in Australia, we often are posed with the question of if you can work in aged care without a relevant certificate. Working in aged care can look different to each person. As it is a…

A guide to the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) and AN-ACC

For those receiving aged care services in residential aged care homes, the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) was used by the Australian Government to allocate subsidy amounts of residential aged care providers. Payments were based on the ongoing needs of residents and included a variety of factors such as activities of daily living, behaviour and…

Celebrating International Nurses Day

First published: May 2024 International Nurses Day, celebrated around the world on the 12th May each year, recognises the importance of healthcare professionals, in particular recognising the role that nurses play in our society. This day, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, calls to our attention the unwavering commitment that nurses show everyday across every…

How to Become an Aged Care Worker

First published: November 2023, revised April 2024 The aged care industry encompasses the services provided and delivered to care for the elderly population. The Department of Health and Aged Care governs the quality of these services and focuses on continuous improvement and development, with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in charge of government…

The 15% Aged Care Pay Rise in 2023 Could Jump to 25% in 2024

First published: October 2023, revised February 2024 As part of the aged care reform, the 15% aged care pay rise that was implemented on the 30th of June 2023 is being called increase to 25% in 2024. Last year, the Department of Health and Aged Care, in conjunction with the Fair Work Commission funded the…

Aged Care Reform Roadmap Explained

First published: May 2024 The Department of Health and Aged Care have set a three-year roadmap to introduce aged care reforms to improve services delivered to the elderly population. These changes are being implemented with the aim to ensure all resources are of high quality, easily accessible and beneficial to the older people of Australia,…