If you are a nurse or midwife planning to move to Australia on a skilled visa, the ANMAC skills assessment is the document Home Affairs will ask for before almost anything else. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is the assessing authority for nursing and midwifery occupations, and a positive outcome is what lets you claim your occupation in a SkillSelect Expression of Interest or an employer nomination. This guide explains the ANMAC skills assessment in 2026: which assessment type applies to you, current fees, documents, English scores, processing times, and the order Indian and Malaysian nurses usually need to follow. Information is current to 8 November 2026.

ANMAC skills assessment 2026: key facts

• Who assesses: ANMAC, for registered nurses, midwives and enrolled nurses applying for skilled migration.
• Main assessment types: Modified (for nurses and midwives already registered in Australia or New Zealand), Full (for registration in an approved overseas country), Direct care (for aged care labour agreement and DAMA pathways) and GradReady (for recent Australian graduates).
• Current fees: Modified AUD 395, Full AUD 595, Direct care AUD 545, GradReady AUD 395. No GST applies.
• Approved countries for the Full assessment: Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. India and Malaysia are not on the list.
• Wait time: ANMAC currently quotes 6 to 8 weeks for an assessment to start, not to finish.
• Validity: a positive outcome letter is valid for 2 years from the date of issue.
• Coming change: ANMAC has announced new assessment names and fees (Essential, Essential Plus, Comprehensive, Care and Care Plus), taking effect by the end of 2026.

What the ANMAC skills assessment actually does

ANMAC checks two things: whether your qualifications and experience match the ANZSCO occupation you nominate, and whether you meet the registration requirements that apply to that occupation. It is a migration assessment, not a licence to practise. Your licence to work as a nurse in Australia comes from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through Ahpra. Many applicants confuse the two, and that confusion causes most of the wasted fees we see.

The outcome letter is used for visas that require a skills assessment, including the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) and many employer sponsored applications. Home Affairs publishes the assessing authority for every occupation on its skilled occupation list.

ANZSCO codes ANMAC works with

ANMAC assesses against the ANZSCO list published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. On its Modified assessment page, ANMAC lists three general codes: 254499 Registered Nurse (not elsewhere classified), 254111 Midwife and 411411 Enrolled Nurse. If you want a specialist code instead, for example a registered nurse specialty such as aged care, critical care or mental health, ANMAC requires at least 3 months (260 hours) of paid work in that specialty within the last 5 years. Choosing the code matters because your visa options and state nomination chances depend on it, so check the specialty code against current state lists before you apply.

Which ANMAC assessment type applies to you

The assessment you choose depends on where you are registered right now. Picking the wrong one is the most common and most expensive mistake.

Assessment	Who it is for	Current fee (AUD)	English test needed?
Modified skills assessment	Nurses and midwives currently registered with NMBA/Ahpra, or with the Nursing Council or Midwifery Council of New Zealand	395	No (registration already covers it)
Full skills assessment	Nurses and midwives registered in an approved overseas country (Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, UK, US) who meet the extra criteria	595	Yes
Direct care skills assessment	Applicants under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement or a Designated Area Migration Agreement	545	No ANMAC test requirement stated
GradReady skills assessment	People who have recently completed an Australian nursing diploma or bachelor degree	395	Check ANMAC page

Source: ANMAC skilled migrants: apply and ANMAC fees, checked 8 November 2026.

The Full assessment criteria in detail

For the Full assessment, nursing applicants need a relevant nursing qualification and current or previous registration in one of the seven approved countries. If your qualification is not a Bachelor of Nursing, ANMAC also asks for a qualification completed after 1 January 2017, a regulatory exam where the country has one, and at least 1,800 hours of paid registered nurse work in that country since 1 January 2017. Midwives need at least a Bachelor of Midwifery from Ireland, the UK or the US, with registration in the same country. Full criteria are on the ANMAC Full skills assessment page.

Indian and Malaysian nurses: the order that works

Because India and Malaysia are not approved countries for the Full assessment, a nurse registered only with an Indian State Nursing Council or the Malaysia Nursing Board generally cannot use that registration alone to get a positive ANMAC outcome. The realistic route for most applicants from these countries is to obtain Australian registration first and then apply for the Modified assessment. In practice the sequence looks like this:

1. Complete the NMBA Self-check. The online Self-check is free and is the first step for every internationally qualified nurse or midwife (IQNM). It tells you which stream you fall into.
2. Follow your stream. Under the NMBA model, Stream A applicants (substantially equivalent qualifications) proceed after Orientation Part 1. Stream B applicants (relevant but not substantially equivalent) must complete the outcomes-based assessment. Stream C applicants need to upgrade their qualification.
3. Pass the outcomes-based assessment (OBA) if required. The OBA has two stages. Registered nurses first sit the NCLEX-RN, a computer-based multiple-choice exam delivered through Pearson VUE. After passing it, you sit the OSCE, a practical clinical exam.
4. Meet the NMBA English standard and apply for registration. The current Registration standard: English language skills (2025) took effect on 18 March 2025 and applies to all initial applicants.
5. Apply for the ANMAC Modified skills assessment. Once you hold Ahpra registration, ANMAC verifies it directly, so you do not need to upload proof of registration.
6. Use the outcome for your visa. Lodge your SkillSelect EOI, seek state nomination, or give the outcome to your sponsoring employer.

Details of the IQNM model are on the NMBA assessment model page. The NMBA fee schedule published on its fees page (marked effective 20 September 2023 when we checked) lists AUD 410 for the IQNM assessment and orientation, AUD 4,000 for the OSCE, AUD 318 to apply for general registration and AUD 185 for the general registration fee. The NCLEX-RN fee is set by the exam provider. Budget for these separately from your ANMAC and visa costs, and recheck the schedule before paying because the Board can update it.

Many Indian and Malaysian nurses also take a different route: studying an Australian nursing qualification on a student visa, registering as a graduate, and then using the GradReady or Modified assessment. That route costs more in tuition but can suit applicants whose overseas qualification falls into Stream C. If you are weighing it up, our guide to the Australia student visa from India covers the visa side.

ANMAC skills assessment fees in 2026

These are the fees ANMAC lists today. Assessment fees do not attract GST, and ANMAC says they may be adjusted each financial year.

Item	Current fee (AUD)	Announced new fee (AUD)
Modified skills assessment	395	Replaced by Essential (395) or Essential Plus (495)
Full skills assessment	595	Replaced by Comprehensive (695)
Direct care skills assessment	545	Replaced by Care (545) or Care Plus (645)
GradReady skills assessment	395	See ANMAC for mapping
Administration fee	60	65
Outcome letter update	145	155
Internal review	300	320
External appeal	300	320
GuideME consultation	95	90

ANMAC describes Essential as covering qualifications only and Essential Plus as covering qualifications plus work experience. It has said the revised fees and names will take effect by the end of 2026 but had not published an exact date when we checked. Applications already paid at the old fee will not be charged the new fee and do not need to be resubmitted. See ANMAC upcoming changes. If your documents are ready, applying before the switch can save money on the Full assessment and on add-on services.

Documents you need for an ANMAC skills assessment

The document list is similar across assessment types. For the Full and Modified assessments, ANMAC asks for:

• The bio-data page of your passport.
• A passport-style photo taken in the last 6 months.
• Two additional identity documents.
• Graduation certificates and academic transcripts for your nursing or midwifery qualification.
• For the Full assessment: English test results, plus verification of registration or a certificate of good standing sent directly by your overseas regulator to ANMAC.
• For the Modified assessment: a pre-registration exam document such as your OSCE result. ANMAC checks your Ahpra or New Zealand registration itself.
• Evidence of paid work if you are nominating a specialist ANZSCO code.

ANMAC wants clear colour scans of original documents, not certified copies, scanned at 600 dpi or higher and saved as PDF. Any document not in English needs a NAATI-certified English translation.

English test scores for the Full assessment

Only the Full assessment has its own ANMAC English requirement. Results must be less than 2 years old. These are the minimums listed on the ANMAC Full assessment page:

Test	Overall	Listening, reading, speaking	Writing
IELTS Academic	7.0	7.0 each	6.5
OET (Nursing)	Not applicable	B each	C+
PTE Academic	66	66 each	56
Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency	185	185 each	176

TOEFL iBT is also accepted with an overall score of 94, but ANMAC's sub-score wording varies within its own page, so confirm the band minimums directly with ANMAC before booking. The NMBA English standard for registration is a separate requirement, and your visa has its own English rules too. If you are aiming for points-tested PR, read our Australia PR points test 2026 guide to see how your English result affects your score.

ANMAC processing time

ANMAC currently states a wait of 6 to 8 weeks for an assessment to start, for both the Full and Modified assessments. That is the queue before an assessor picks up your file, not the end-to-end time. Total processing depends on how complete your application is and how quickly your overseas regulator sends verification. ANMAC publishes updated timeframes on each application page and treats them as a guide only.

A practical tip: request your overseas registration verification as soon as you start your ANMAC application. Indian State Nursing Council and Malaysian Nursing Board verifications can take weeks to arrive, and your file cannot finish without them if they are needed.

Step-by-step: how to apply

1. Confirm your assessment type using the table above. If you are not yet registered in Australia or an approved country, start with the NMBA Self-check instead.
2. Choose your ANZSCO code and gather payslips or employer statements if you want a specialist code.
3. Prepare your documents as colour PDF scans at 600 dpi, with NAATI translations where needed.
4. Arrange regulator verification if you are applying for the Full assessment.
5. Apply online and pay the fee. ANMAC estimates 20 to 25 minutes to complete the form once documents are ready. ANMAC has also announced a new skilled migration portal, so expect the interface to change.
6. Respond quickly to requests for further information. Delays on your side add directly to processing time.
7. Receive your outcome letter and note the 2-year validity date. Plan your EOI and visa lodgement inside that window.

Common mistakes we see

• Applying for the Full assessment with Indian or Malaysian registration only. Those countries are not on the approved list, so you would pay AUD 595 for an outcome you cannot get on that basis.
• Treating ANMAC as registration. A positive ANMAC outcome does not let you work as a nurse. You still need Ahpra registration for that.
• Uploading certified copies or phone photos. ANMAC asks for colour scans of originals at 600 dpi or higher.
• Using an expired English test. Results for the Full assessment must be under 2 years old.
• Nominating a specialist code without enough evidence. You need 260 hours of paid work in the specialty within 5 years.
• Letting the outcome expire. The 2-year validity runs from the date of issue, not from when you lodge an EOI. If your circumstances change, the outcome letter update service (currently AUD 145) may help.

Visa options after a positive ANMAC outcome

With a positive assessment and Ahpra registration, nurses commonly look at:

• Subclass 189, a points-tested permanent visa with no sponsor. See our 189 visa requirements 2026 guide.
• Subclass 190 and 491, which need state or territory nomination or eligible family sponsorship for the 491.
• Subclass 482 Skills in Demand, where a hospital or aged care provider sponsors you. Our 482 visa guide explains salary thresholds and the PR pathway.
• Labour agreement or DAMA pathways in aged care, which use the Direct care assessment.

How EazyViza can help

EazyViza is backed by Collins Quarters, a migration and commercial law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur. Our team works with nurses in India, Malaysia and Australia at each stage: choosing the right ANMAC assessment and ANZSCO code, checking documents before you pay, planning the NMBA registration route, and lodging your EOI, state nomination or employer sponsored visa. If you are unsure whether your qualification and registration fit the Modified, Full or Direct care assessment, start with our free eligibility checker or book an initial assessment with a registered migration professional.

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. It reflects ANMAC, NMBA and Home Affairs information available on 8 November 2026. Fees, assessment names and requirements change, and ANMAC has announced changes due by the end of 2026. Always check the official sources and get advice on your own circumstances before applying.