Midwife Visa Pathway Australia

Australia classifies Midwife under ANZSCO 254111. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) conducts the skills assessment and AHPRA handles registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The occupation sits on the MLTSSL and CSOL, unlocking subclasses 189, 190, 491, 494, 482 and 186. Typical 2026 salaries range AUD $95,000-$115,000, with critical shortages in regional Victoria, NT and rural NSW.

Quick Facts: Midwife Migration Pathway

What Australian Midwives Actually Do

Australian midwives provide continuity of care across antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal stages. Most work in public hospital maternity units, private maternity wards, community midwifery group practices, or as endorsed midwives in private practice. A smaller cohort works in remote Aboriginal community-controlled health services, where midwives often deliver the only maternity care available within a 500 km radius.

The country has a structural midwife shortage. Midwifery Futures modelling cited by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia in late 2024 identified widespread local staffing shortfalls, with regional and rural services hit hardest. A 2023 cross-sectional study of Victorian maternity managers found 76 per cent of services reported inadequate staffing, with a combined deficit of 135 FTE positions in that state alone. Northern Territory, Tasmania and rural NSW report similar pressure.

For migrating midwives, that shortage translates into faster visa processing for healthcare priority occupations, strong state nomination interest, and willing employer sponsors in regional health districts that struggle to fill rosters.

ANZSCO Code 254111 — What's Covered

Code 254111 covers midwives who provide care and advice to women during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period. Tasks include monitoring maternal and foetal wellbeing, conducting deliveries (independently or in collaboration with obstetricians), advising on breastfeeding, providing postpartum care, and referring complex cases to medical specialists.

The code applies regardless of whether the midwife trained through a direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery or via a postgraduate qualification on top of nursing registration. If you are dual-qualified (registered nurse and midwife), you can choose to nominate 254111 Midwife or one of the registered nurse codes — the choice should be driven by which qualification and recent experience you can document most strongly.

There is no separate ANZSCO code for endorsed midwives, eligible midwives or midwifery group practice midwives. All sit under 254111.

Skills Assessment

ANMAC Skills Assessment

ANMAC is the only assessing authority for midwife migration. There are three assessment streams and the right one depends on where you trained and your registration status.

ANMAC Modified Skills Assessment (AUD $395)

For applicants who have already received in-principle approval of registration from AHPRA. ANMAC verifies identity and current overseas registration. ANMAC does not publish a fixed processing time; it says processing times vary.

ANMAC Direct Care Skills Assessment (AUD $545)

For applicants who have completed an AHPRA-approved Outcomes Based Assessment (OBA) pathway and need ANMAC to confirm the outcome for migration purposes.

ANMAC Full Skills Assessment (AUD $595)

For applicants without Australian or New Zealand registration who hold a Bachelor of Midwifery (or higher) from Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, plus current registration in the training country. This stream requires English evidence at the application stage.

Common rejection reasons: Mismatched names across passport, qualification and registration documents; expired overseas registration at the time of submission; midwifery practice gaps over five years without recent updating; insufficient evidence that the qualification is comparable to an Australian Bachelor of Midwifery.

AHPRA Registration (NMBA)

ANMAC alone does not let you practise. You must also register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through AHPRA. Internationally qualified midwives typically complete the Outcomes Based Assessment (OBA), which combines a Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

Registration fees: the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia fee schedule (effective 9 October 2026) lists a national application fee for general registration of AUD346 and a registration fee for general registration of AUD201 English requirement: meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia's English language skills registration standard

Start the AHPRA process and the ANMAC assessment in parallel. The two bodies do not communicate; you submit to each independently. For OBA candidates, the path from first AHPRA self-check to full registration is long, so start early.

Visa Pathways for Midwives

Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent Visa

Permanent residency through the points system. Available because 254111 is on the MLTSSL.

• Visa fee: AUD6,135 for the main applicant
• Typical invitation score: 65-80 (healthcare clears at lower scores than ICT)
• Processing time: 50% of applications processed within 61 days and 90% within 8 months
• Quirk: Midwives consistently receive invitations in monthly SkillSelect rounds when they hit 70 points

Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated Visa

State nomination adds 5 points and grants permanent residency, with a two-year commitment to live and work in the nominating state.

• Visa fee: AUD6,140 for the main applicant
• Processing time: 50% of applications processed within 4 months and 90% within 16 months
• Best states: NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and TAS all nominate midwives. NT and rural health services are particularly active recruiters.

Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional Visa

Five-year provisional visa with a pathway to permanent residency via the 191 after three years of regional residence and income.

• Visa fee: AUD6,140 for the main applicant
• Points boost: +15 from regional nomination
• Processing time: State or territory nominated: 50% of applications processed within 5 months and 90% within 18 months; Family sponsored: 50% of applications processed within 4 months and 90% within 7 months
• Quirk: The 491 is nominated by a state or territory (or sponsored by an eligible relative), not by an employer. Regional maternity units in Victoria, NSW and Queensland recruit actively, and a job offer there can support a state nomination; metro Sydney and Melbourne do not qualify as regional

Home Affairs also lists Midwife for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa, an employer-sponsored regional visa (AUD6,140 for the main applicant).

Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand Visa

Employer-sponsored temporary visa. Used by public health districts and private hospital groups.

• Visa fee: AUD4,015 for the main applicant
• Core Skills Income Threshold: AUD79,423 (from 1 July 2026)
• Processing time: Core Skills stream: 50% of applications processed within 4 months and 90% within 9 months; Specialist Skills stream: 50% of applications processed within 37 days and 90% within 78 days
• Quirk: Most midwife salaries clear the Core Skills threshold but sit below the Specialist Skills Income Threshold of AUD146,576 (from 1 July 2026), placing applications in the standard Core Skills stream

Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme

Permanent residency through employer sponsorship, either Direct Entry or Temporary Residence Transition after two years on a 482.

• Visa fee: AUD6,140 for the main applicant
• Processing time: Direct Entry stream: 50% of applications processed within 21 months and 90% within 25 months; Temporary Residence Transition stream: 50% of applications processed within 21 months and 90% within 25 months

Points Test Strategy

Realistic Scenarios

Scenario 1: 31-year-old Filipino midwife with 7 years experience, IELTS 7.0

• Age 30 + Bachelor's 15 + English 10 + Experience 10 = 65 points
• Add 190 nomination: 70 points — competitive for healthcare invitations
• Add regional 491: 80 points — strong position

Scenario 2: 28-year-old UK-trained midwife with 4 years experience, IELTS 8.0

• Age 30 + Bachelor's 15 + English 20 + Experience 5 = 70 points
• Add 190 nomination: 75 points — likely to invite in current rounds

State Nomination for Midwives

New South Wales

NSW Health is the largest single employer of midwives in Australia. Western Sydney, Hunter New England and Mid North Coast Local Health Districts run regular international recruitment campaigns. NSW 190 invitations to healthcare occupations have been strong through the 2025-26 program year, with cut-offs around 80-85 points for nursing-family occupations.

Victoria

Victoria has the most acute midwifery shortage of any state per its own published modelling. Regional services in Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Albury-Wodonga actively sponsor through the 482 or 494, and a job offer there can support a 190 or 491 state nomination. Note that the Victorian 2025-26 program closed to new EOIs on 28 April 2026 — check the next program intake before lodging.

Queensland

Queensland Health prioritises midwives for nomination in regional and remote postings. Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Toowoomba routinely sponsor offshore candidates. Queensland's points threshold for healthcare in 2026 has sat around 75-80 with state nomination.

South Australia

SA Health has aggressive recruitment targets for regional maternity services. Mount Gambier, Whyalla and Port Augusta accept candidates with lower English scores (IELTS 7.0 across the board, not Superior) and offer relocation assistance.

Western Australia

WA Country Health Service operates remote and regional maternity units across the Pilbara, Kimberley and Wheatbelt. Sponsorship is generous; competition for metro Perth roles is tighter.

Tasmania

Tasmania's small population belies a chronic midwifery shortage. The 491 pathway via Tasmania is one of the more accessible state nomination routes for midwives with 65-70 base points.

Northern Territory

NT Health offers some of the highest base salaries for midwives in the country, plus remote allowances, rental subsidies and a fast-track to permanent residency through the DAMA agreement.

Salary and Employment Outlook

What Midwives Earn in 2026

Salaries above are base figures from SEEK (April 2026) and exclude superannuation (currently 12%), shift loadings, on-call allowances and weekend penalty rates. Public sector midwives on the New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland enterprise agreements can add 25-40 per cent to base through shift work.

Highest-Paying Settings

• Northern Territory regional services — base salaries plus remote allowance and accommodation
• Private maternity hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne — Mater, St Vincent's Private, Frances Perry House, The Mercy
• Endorsed midwife private practice — particularly in inner Melbourne, inner Sydney and the NSW Northern Rivers
• WA Country Health Service — Pilbara and Kimberley postings
• Locum midwifery — rates of AUD $90-$130 per hour for agency placements in regional and remote services

Tips for a Successful Application

1. Run ANMAC and AHPRA in Parallel — Not Sequentially

The two processes are independent and both take months. Submitting AHPRA first and waiting for the outcome before starting ANMAC adds months of dead time. Begin both within two weeks of each other.

2. Get Your Practice Log Right

ANMAC and AHPRA both want documented evidence of midwifery practice hours over the past five years. Many overseas midwives discover late that their employer never maintained the kind of itemised log the Australian system expects. Start requesting reference letters with itemised practice hours twelve months before you intend to submit.

3. Sit OET Rather Than IELTS Where Possible

The Occupational English Test (OET) — Nursing version — is widely regarded as fairer than IELTS Academic for healthcare professionals. Check that your OET result meets the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia's English language skills registration standard; many midwives find it easier to achieve than the IELTS equivalent across the board.

4. Target Regional from the Start If Your Points Are Under 75

Metro 190 invitations for nursing and midwifery occupations have crept up to 80-85 points in NSW and Victoria. If your base score is 65-70, regional 491 is the higher-probability route. The +15 from 491 nomination outweighs almost every other lever.

5. Apply to Public Health Districts Directly, Not Job Boards

Most midwife sponsorship goes through NSW Health, Queensland Health, Victorian regional health services, WA Country Health and NT Health rather than SEEK ads. Each district has an international recruitment page on its own website — apply there.

Step-by-Step Migration Roadmap

1. Confirm ANZSCO 254111 fits your role using the ANZSCO code finder
2. Verify Midwife is on the 2026 Skilled Occupation List — it currently is
3. Request employment references with itemised midwifery practice hours and clinical responsibilities
4. Sit OET (preferred) or IELTS Academic at the NMBA registration standard
5. Submit AHPRA self-check via the IQNM portal
6. Lodge ANMAC application in parallel — usually the Modified Skills Assessment
7. Complete AHPRA OBA (MCQ then OSCE)
8. Receive ANMAC outcome letter (valid 2 years)
9. Submit EOI in SkillSelect for 189, 190 or 491
10. Apply for state nomination through your target state's portal
11. Receive ITA and lodge visa application within 60 days
12. Complete health checks and AFP/overseas police clearance, receive grant

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate as a midwife without being a registered nurse first?

Yes. Australia accepts direct-entry midwives (those who hold a Bachelor of Midwifery without a separate nursing qualification) under ANZSCO 254111. You do not need to also register as a registered nurse, although dual-registered midwives have more flexibility in job applications once they arrive.

Do I need AHPRA registration before lodging my visa?

No. AHPRA registration is a separate process from the migration application. You need the ANMAC skills assessment outcome to claim points and lodge an EOI. Most midwives complete AHPRA registration in the year before relocating, but it can also be finalised after arrival on the visa.

Is there a faster pathway through DAMA agreements?

Northern Territory and a few other regional Designated Area Migration Agreements include midwives with concessions on age, English and salary thresholds. NT's DAMA is the most active for midwives and pairs well with the 491 visa.

What's the demand outlook for midwives in Australia in 2026?

Critical. Jobs and Skills Australia and the NMBA both report a structural shortage with regional services worst affected. Combined with the ageing of the existing workforce, demand is expected to grow throughout the 2026-2030 period.

Can my overseas Bachelor of Midwifery be recognised?

ANMAC and AHPRA recognise direct-entry Bachelor of Midwifery degrees from many countries, but the qualification must be assessed for substantial equivalence to an Australian Bachelor of Midwifery. UK, Irish, Canadian and New Zealand qualifications are the most readily recognised; many from India, the Philippines and parts of Africa require completion of the OBA bridging assessment before registration is granted.

Why isn't endorsed midwife a separate ANZSCO code?

ANZSCO predates the formal introduction of endorsement in Australia and groups all midwives under 254111. Endorsement is a registration-level distinction managed by AHPRA, not a separate occupation classification. Endorsed midwives migrate on the same code as standard midwives.