Graduate Program Eligibility

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) supports that sponsorship is entirely driven by employer demand for skills that are not available locally. It allows employers such as the WA Department of Health to access the skills they need, with the overseas workers then returning home when those skills are no longer required.

According to DIAC, nurses and midwives from overseas should only be offered employment where vacancies are difficult to fill.

With a current increase in demand for graduate nurse and midwife positions it is expected that we may have a surplus of total graduates looking for employment within WA.

For the WA Department of Health and participating private hospitals to meet the expectations of DIAC and to ensure that Australian citizens and Australian permanent residency visa holders are afforded preference for employment, the following priority system for recruitment and selection of candidates applying for graduate nurse or midwife programs are as follows:

Priority 1
For consideration of employment during Round One of Graduate Connect:
All registered/enrolled nurse or midwife graduates who are at the time of application are Australian citizens or Australian permanent residency visa holders (including New Zealanders with a Special Category Visa).

Priority 2
For consideration of employment in Round Two of Graduate Connect where vacancies have not been filled by Australian citizens or Australian permanent residency visa holders (including New Zealanders with a Special category Visa):
Registered/enrolled nurse or midwife graduates who are in current possession of an Australian visa that allows for full work-rights in Australia.

Priority 3
For consideration of employment ONLY where vacancies have not been filled by applicants in current possession of an Australian visa with full work rights:
Registered/enrolled nurse or midwife graduates of Australian universities who are eligible to apply and be issued an Australian visa that allows for full work-rights in Australia before expected date of commencement of employment.

The WA Department of Health will not sponsor any graduate nurse or midwife for a visa that will allow them to work in Australia – this is the responsibility of the applicant.

Nurses and midwives who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residency visa holders (including New Zealanders with a Special Category Visa) are strongly encouraged to apply for positions outside of the Graduate Connect system as Priority 2 and 3 employment opportunities may be more limited.

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