Current Status

Experienced nurses who are accepted by the Nursing Council of New Zealand and enrolled for CAP programme have been successful in being granted a critical purpose visitor visa provided MIQ arrangements have been made prior to travelling to New Zealand. International students wanting to enroll in Bachelor of Nursing or Diploma in Enrolled Nursing should wait for further updates on offshore student visa processing.

The Bachelor of Nursing programme in New Zealand is a 3 year full time study programme and provides students the opportunity to become a New Zealand registered nurse.

The Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (level 5) prepares students towards New Zealand Nursing Registration.

Students and professionals from India having qualifications and/or experience in health science domains can also consider Post Graduate Diploma in Health, Master of Health, Master of Health Research or Master of Nursing Science.

If you are an overseas qualified nurse, you will need to gain registration in NZ with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

Once the nursing council accepts your registration you will need to complete a Competency Assessment Programme (CAP) to finalise the registration process. The CAP programme is for 8 weeks duration and is for Nurses with international registration. All applications go through an interview process.

Career Options: Registered Nurses can work in the Aged Care sector or with the District Health Boards. There are various roles within Nursing such as Nurse Practitioner, Plunket Nurse or Practice Nurse with specific requirements and assessments.

Pay for Nurses in New Zealand varies based on experience. A recently graduated registered nurse could earn 54,000 NZD per year. Registered Nurses in New Zealand with 3 to 7 years experience usually earn 62,000 – 77,000 NZD and Senior Registered Nurses with more experience earn between 79,000 – 130,000 NZD per year.

Demand: The demand for Nurses is average and Registered Nurses (Aged Care) can be eligible for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category or a Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa on account of the skill being listed in the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL).

Registration: Read more about Nursing Council International Registration If you are considering Nursing as a career in New Zealand, feel free to contact and have a chat with one of our staff.