How to Become a Midwife in Australia
Understand the requirements of becoming a midwife in Australia, like the minimum education requirements, career prospects and PR pathways available for international students looking to become a midwife.
Plan Your Next Steps to Become a MIdwife in Australia
Midwifery is a healthcare profession that specialises in offering healthcare support to women during pregnancy and until the baby is six weeks old. Midwives play an important role during labour and birth and the postpartum period, providing the young mother with the required physical and emotional support.
Midwives monitor the mother and the child during the postnatal period, assess their health conditions and take care of their wellbeing. It is one of the most in-demand professions in Australia, and international students can shine as midwives. As a midwife, you will be primarily working in hospital settings, but you will also be employed in community health services.
Therefore, for any aspirant planning to study in Australia, midwifery is a satisfying career for empathetic individuals who aspire to work in the healthcare industry.
Plan Your Next Steps to Become a MIdwife in Australia
How to Become a Registered Midwife in Australia?
Embarking on a midwifery career in Australia requires strict adherence to national educational and licensing standards. Whether you are starting fresh or transitioning from nursing, understanding the academic prerequisites and the official regulatory registration process is the critical first step to practising legally. Among the popular Australian courses that students can choose to pursue, include:
- Complete your three-year Bachelor’s in Midwifery from a university in Australia
- Complete a postgraduate course in Midwifery after your bachelor’s in Nursing
If you have a bachelor’s in nursing, you can also study a Master of Midwifery Practice or a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery.
After completing the course, you need to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to practise as a midwife. This registration must be renewed annually, and it is necessary that midwives complete a minimum of 20 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) every year.
Graduating is only half the battle; AHPRA registration is a strict legal hurdle. Before you can touch a patient, you must pass rigorous AHPRA checks, including complex English language thresholds (like an IELTS Academic 7.0 across all bands) and international criminal history clearances. A single missing document can delay your ability to work for months. Let our dedicated compliance team manually audit your paperwork to ensure a seamless transition from student to registered midwife.
Career Options After Course Completion
Graduating with a midwifery degree in Australia unlocks a highly versatile career path. Because the Australian healthcare system heavily relies on skilled maternal care, registered midwives can transition seamlessly across diverse clinical environments, from fast-paced hospital wards to intimate community practices. After your registration is completed, you can find employment in hospitals and community services and be employed in one of these areas:
- Maternity units in public and private hospitals
- Antenatal clinics
- Labour and Birth units
- Birth centres
- Postnatal and neonatal units
- Childbirth and parent education
- Private midwifery practice
- Community-based health service
- Universities
- Caseload/midwifery Group practice
- Practice with obstetricians (doctors)
Your clinical placement dictates your long-term career trajectory. Whether you want to work in a fast-paced public maternity ward or a community-based caseload practice, securing the right graduate programme requires strategic state placement. Stop guessing which hospital networks hire international graduates. Speak directly with our career strategists to align your university choice with active healthcare hiring hubs across Australia.
Midwives Salaries in Australia
The median full-time salary for midwives in Australia is incredibly competitive, sitting at $2,114 per week (which equates to roughly $109,928 a year). Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Australia, and midwives will see rapid growth in terms of salaries and open job opportunities in the coming years.
How to Apply for PR as a Midwife in Australia?
Securing Permanent Residency (PR) as a midwife involves navigating Australia’s comprehensive skilled migration programme. Because the occupation is in high national demand and listed on the strategic skills list, international graduates have a highly streamlined pathway, provided they carefully meet strict credentialing and points-based requirements.
Step 1: Complete your midwifery education in Australia (Bachelor’s/Master's/Graduate diploma in midwifery)
Step 2: Register with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency)
Step 3: Get the skills assessment done by ANMAC (Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council)
Step 4: Lodge your Expression of Interest (EOI) and get invited to apply for a permanent visa
A delayed ANMAC skills assessment can reset your entire PR timeline. To lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI), your overseas and Australian qualifications must pass a strict migration skills assessment by ANMAC. With ANMAC introducing new assessment portals and revised fees in late 2026, navigating the paperwork is becoming more complex. Do not jeopardise your PR timeline. Connect with our counsellors to perfectly time and fast-track your mandatory assessments.
PR Pathway for Midwives in Australia
Australia is an ideal destination for healthcare professionals to apply for permanent residency. The industry is growing at an unprecedented pace, and skilled midwives and nurses are in short supply. Australia maintains high standards of work that ensure a healthy work environment, safe living conditions and a perfect work-life balance. By making the right study and visa choices, you can design a smart pathway to PR. Nursing professionals can obtain PR within 5 years after completing their studies in Australia, given they possess the required educational and professional qualifications.
Potential Permanent Visas for Midwives
- Skilled Independent visa - Subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated visa - Subclass 190
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa - Subclass 491
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa - Subclass 482
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa - Subclass 186 (for candidates with relevant work experience)
Studying midwifery in Australia offers much more than a world-class degree; it provides a direct route into a highly respected, lucrative, and secure profession. With a rapidly growing healthcare sector, exceptional starting salaries, and highly accessible permanent residency pathways, Australia is the perfect place to build a meaningful career supporting mothers and new-borns.
Securing your midwifery degree and Permanent Residency in Australia requires a flawless master plan. From choosing an NMBA-accredited course to navigating AHPRA registration and deciding between the highly competitive 189, 190, or 491 skilled visas, the bureaucracy leaves zero margin for error. You do not have to manage this complex pipeline alone. Partner with a dedicated expert who will personally guide your entire Australian journey, completely free of charge
How to Become A Midwife in Australia FAQs
Midwifery is a job that primarily deals with the health of pregnant women. Hence, this is a highly specific skill and is always in demand for skilled midwives. Therefore, it is a good career choice to make.
After completing the Midwifery course in 12-18 months, you need to apply for NMBA registration to become a registered midwife. This registration must be renewed annually.
If you are applying for a Master’s degree, you should hold a relevant undergraduate degree. For Bachelor’s courses, English, Mathematics and Biology subjects in senior secondary school are required.
You either need a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Midwifery to apply for registration.
Yes. Registered Midwife (ANZSCO 254111) is officially listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). This high-priority status gives international graduates streamlined access to employer-sponsored and independent permanent residency pathways to combat national shortages.
Yes, unless you have completed five years of continuous, full-time education in a recognised English-speaking country. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) strictly requires an Academic IELTS score of 7.0 across all bands (or OET/PTE equivalents) before you can practice.
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is the officially designated assessing authority. You must submit your university qualifications, English test results, and NMBA registration to ANMAC to secure the positive skills assessment required for skilled migration.
Trusted Expertise
About the Author
Published and reviewed by AECC counsellors who guide students through every step of their study-abroad journey.
Published by Shairha Munoz Bautista
Australia and New Zealand Student Visa and Pathways Expert | 10+ Years in International Education
Shairha Munoz Bautista is a QEAC-certified Education Counsellor with more than 10 years at AECC, guiding students on study options in Australia and New Zealand. Originally from the Philippines, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies before moving to Australia with her family in 2016. She joined AECC Melbourne that June, spent four years there, and has been with the Sydney office for over six years.
Shairha enjoys helping people make important decisions about their future. What motivates her most is seeing a student go from uncertain to confident about their direction. She starts by understanding the whole student, including their goals, concerns and long-term plans, and she is honest with them even when the answer isn't what they hoped to hear.
In one case, a student from the Philippines with a background in Chemistry came to her after Chemistry-related occupations were removed from the relevant skilled migration pathways. After reviewing his background and goals, they identified a Master of Social Work as a better-aligned pathway. Shairha helped him build a genuine link between the two fields by highlighting transferable skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving and communication. His application was successful, and he went on to build his career in Australia and become an Australian citizen.
Shairha has been named Top Performer of the Year and Top Achiever on several occasions. Driven by a longstanding interest in science and medicine, she is currently studying a Bachelor of Medical Science at UNSW.
Reviewed by Samip Pokharel
Australia Course and Institution Selection Expert | 13 Years in International Education
Samip Pokharel is a QEAC-certified Education Counsellor at AECC Melbourne with 13 years of experience in international education, working in the field since 2013. He holds an MBA and has worked with students from diverse academic backgrounds across every study level.
Samip's approach is built on honest guidance, open communication and a genuine understanding of each student's goals, strengths and academic profile. He has worked on a wide range of applications, including profiles that needed careful positioning, realistic university selection and a well-planned strategy. He particularly enjoys helping students who feel unsure of their options. He helps them identify their strengths and present their profile authentically, while keeping expectations realistic.
Through university and college visits and several familiarisation tours, Samip has gained first-hand knowledge of institutions, campuses, programs and student life. That lets him give students practical insights beyond what brochures and websites can offer.
After 13 years in the field, his commitment remains the same: transparent, personalised and responsible guidance that helps students make decisions they can feel confident about.
