Recruitment and immigration for employers and job seekers.
GRIA is now part of Hire Australia.
GRIA has merged with Hire Australia. Hire Australia now handles recruitment and employer enquiries, working with Australian Immigration Agency (AIA) on immigration.
For employers
Build the brief around your service
Clinical vacancies, temporary cover and staff workload all matter when planning a healthcare workforce. An international search needs to account for the role and care setting, as well as the candidate’s qualifications and readiness to practise.
Hire Australia's recruiters now run GRIA's searches and send employers a shortlist. Australian Immigration Agency (AIA) provides immigration advice when a proposed hire needs a visa.
15%one fixed fee: base salary, excluding super, plus GST
$0to pay until two months after your new employee starts
2 monthsreplacement guarantee on every placement
Workforce planning
What to include in your hiring plan
Clinical requirements
Describe the setting, scope of work, required experience and supervision. Identify the clinical checks your service needs rather than relying on a job title.
Registration and onboarding
Build registration, credentialling and induction questions into the hiring plan. Confirm what the candidate has already completed before agreeing a start date.
Workforce costs
Compare recruitment and any migration costs with your current staffing arrangements. Include the induction and support your service will provide.
Roles to discuss
Describe the work before the job title
These are examples of workforce needs to discuss with the recruitment team. They are not a list of occupations confirmed as eligible for sponsorship.
Include the duties, experience and conditions for the specific vacancy. Ask AIA for a current check of any visa questions. Our country guides cover the registration and exit steps for each source country.
Examples for your brief
- Registered nursing roles
- General practice and medical roles
- Allied health roles
- Care and support roles appropriate to your service
Checks before the start
Keep qualifications and immigration questions visible
AHPRA and National Boards
Raise Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and relevant National Board registration questions early. Do not assume every overseas qualification leads to registration or that approval will meet a particular deadline.
Skills and qualifications
Ask which qualification or skills assessments need checking, including ANMAC or a relevant medical college where applicable. Discuss the evidence available and what remains unresolved.
Visa and provider questions
Ask AIA to check visa options for the role and candidate. For medical roles, raise provider-number, location and any section 19AB questions with the appropriate adviser before relying on a proposed placement.
What it takes
The official steps for health roles
Registration and visa run separately
To work as a nurse or midwife, the person must be registered with the NMBA and may also need a visa. The NMBA advises candidates not to resign or move to Australia until their registration is approved.
English for registration
The NMBA’s English language skills standard applies to every nurse and midwife applying for initial registration, whether they qualified in Australia or overseas. Ahpra publishes the accepted tests.
ANMAC is for migration
ANMAC assesses nursing and midwifery skills for migration. Whether an assessment is needed depends on the visa and stream: it can be required for General Skilled Migration and employer-sponsored pathways, including the 186 Direct Entry stream and the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (see our aged care hiring guide). Nursing and Midwifery Board registration is a separate process. For the 482 visa, a doctor’s qualifications must be recognised by the medical registration authority.
Priority processing
Home Affairs processes skilled visa applications in the healthcare sector first, including the 482 and 186 visas. See the overview of visa pathways and the current processing times.
Regional and remote hiring
Make the location part of the conversation
For regional health services, describe the community, facilities, available supervision and the roster. Discuss accommodation, travel and settling-in support so the candidate has a realistic picture of the role and location.
Plan the practical details
- Work location and roster
- Supervision and induction
- Travel and accommodation responsibilities
- A realistic start date, subject to outstanding checks
The recruitment conversation
Work through the search in stages
Set out the vacancy
Share the role, location, pay, conditions and proposed timing with Hire Australia. Confirm the search priorities.
Meet shortlisted candidates
Review experience and qualifications, interview candidates and discuss any remaining role-specific assessments.
Confirm the next steps
After a job match, AIA checks visa eligibility. Discuss any further migration work, outstanding checks and onboarding arrangements.
Fees and replacement
Know the terms before you hire
One fixed recruitment fee
Recruitment fee: 15% of the candidate's base salary, excluding super, plus GST. One fixed fee. Payment: only after a successful placement, and not until two months after the candidate starts.
Two-month replacement guarantee
If your new employee leaves within the first two months, you won't be invoiced for them and we'll find you a replacement. Full terms are in your recruitment agreement.
Migration quoted separately
Migration (visa) fees are quoted case by case by Australian Immigration Agency (AIA), in writing. Government fees are charged separately by the Australian Government.
Questions
Questions for your hiring plan
Open a question for the answer.
Can you confirm a visa pathway from the role title?
No. Ask AIA for a current check of the actual role, candidate and location. Read what to prepare for an eligibility discussion.
When can the employee start?
Discuss candidate availability and any outstanding registration, licensing, assessment or visa questions before agreeing a start. No fixed completion timeframe is promised.
What information should we read next?
See the international recruitment guide, fee information and the cost calculator.
Official sources
The rules on this page come from these official pages. Requirements change, so check the current version before you act.
- Immigration and employment in Australia Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- English language skills (registration standard) Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
- Skilled migrants Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186): Direct Entry stream Department of Home Affairs
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): Core Skills stream Department of Home Affairs
- Skilled visa processing priorities Department of Home Affairs
Talk through your next hire
Tell Hire Australia about the role, location and skills you need.
