Nurse going to Oz-looking for advice please!

[Guest Matt'nKim]

Hi, we're new here, and have been thinking of emigrating to Oz for a while now, and Adelaide seems to be offering what we are looking for.

 

I'm over 45, so understand a temporary visa is the way to go, then I'm told if an employer likes me, then we can apply for permanent residency?

Anyway, I'm 50 in Nov, with a very young family, a 1 year old daughter and Kim is expecting another baby in March/April.'09

We decided we do not want to go until the new baby is born,so we have some time.

 

My background is thus:

I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1985, and left the NHS for 5 years, and regained my PIN 4 years ago after attending a 'Return to Practice' course.

 

Since that time,I have been working in a very busy Acute Medical Unit.

I work for the NHS nurse bank, and spend all my time in the AMU, so am very experienced in that area.

When I trained, it was completed on site ay my hospital in the education centre, but since then, the training has moved to a local university campus.

I'm guessing that my educational papers will need to be seen along with my application, but would my Return to Practice documents suffice, and do I need to approach them for copies, what do I need to do please?

 

Can anyone provide me with a link to a website, or forum thread which might answer these questions for me?

 

We are looking to leave the UK for the same reasons many others do, so please could someone help?

 

Finally, I contacted an agent, who emailed me a .pdf document with an application form to apply in SA to work in nursing.

The form looks daunting, and apart from the obvious reference demands, most of it is a little confusing-has anyone else here completed this document, and can anyone assist me with it please? The agent charges £650 to help get visas for all of us,and says he will get me sponsored employment before we get there, is this a tad expensive, or the going rate?

 

I know I'm asking a lot,and do appreciate your time,please help!

 

Cheers

 

Matt and Kim.

[jo_marnes]

Hiya,

 

I can't answer all your questions, but my Mum just moved to Adelaide on a 457 - she is also a nurse and over 45 (she's 47). She was given the impression that once you get to 50, your chances of getting a visa are slimmer, but I'm not sure how accurate this is. Perhaps it is in regards to permanent residency rather than the temporary visa?

 

As far as documents go, just give them everything you have! I know my Mum had to get her old Uni transcripts with the exact modules etc she had studied. I think she got this from the NMC rather than her actual place of study, although that is also possible to do in most cases. I'm presuming the PDF is an application for registration in Oz? My Mum had a NZ registration which is valid in Oz so I don't think she'll have done the same form - can't help with that!

 

Also - we both applied without agents, so couldn't tell you about the costs, but that sounds reasonable.

 

And congratulations by the way!

 

Jo xxx

[Guest Jen & Did]

Hi Matt,

 

I went through an agency called O'Grady Peyton who were offering Jobs in Adelaide. I emailed my CV then they offered me an interview to which I got a job offer. So far I've not paid them anything as they have sent me the relevant documents to which I have filled in and paid the relevant monies. I got this from the RCN Bullentin and if your in the RCN check the bulletin out as there is a Australia Expo in Leeds and London in October and also other angencies offering jobs who may give you information. Hope this helps if not PM me and I will give you more info.

 

Jen

[Guest FlyByNight]

Hi Matt 'N' Kim,

 

I am an ex-military nurse, having done all my training with the now defunct Army Medical Services School of Nursing. I qualified as an EN(G) then converted to RGN ten years later in 1996 but my training transcripts are unobtainable because of the 'defunct-ness'.

 

To get around this, I was required to sign a 'statutory declaration' witnessed by a Solicitor (for which I parted with about £10). This is a legal instrument in which you state why you haven't got something and confirm that there is little hope of you ever getting 'it'. This seemed to suffice for the purposes of getting a 'Letter of Determination' from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) which you'll find here: http://www.anmc.org.au/. IMPORTANT - the ANMC is NOT the same as the NMC. It isn't a registering authority, it merely assesses and approves or otherwise your eligibility for applying for the relevant visa. Registration is done independently by each state. The Nurses Board South Australia (NBSA) is the relevant one for working in Adelaide and they have a website: http://www.nursesboard.sa.gov.au/

 

The fee you pay to the ANMC when they assess you is considered by the NBSA and they reduce the registration fee. I have just sent my application for registration off to them and it will cost me £20. If you get registered before you have the ANMC Letter of Determination, I think it costs around £120.

 

Confused:huh:? I was initially but it all becomes clear eventually.

 

Top tip - save your employment history / CV etc and keep it handy as you will need to send it to both organisations and ultimately to your future employer. Like me you sound as though you have a fair bit of experience. Make it count and make them aware. It is a bind to keep recording the same information on numerous forms, but if you keep it to hand it doesn't actually take too long to transcribe. They also seem to like continuity so try and confirm dates that you were in each post.

 

Hope this helps a bit.