MAYDAY Healthcare Pulse Check - International Recruitment Is More Than Plan B

Australia’s healthcare workforce is increasingly international.

In 2024/25, 16,155 internationally qualified nurses registered in Australia, accounting for a significant proportion of the 38,854 people registering as nurses for the first time.

International recruitment is no longer simply a response to an immediate vacancy. For many healthcare organisations, it has become part of a broader workforce strategy - alongside local recruitment, retention and workforce planning.

Recent changes to skilled visa processing only reinforce that. From 19 September 2026, healthcare sits within the highest priority group for certain skilled visa applications under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, including the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.

But the decision is about much more than the visa pathway.

The candidate is choosing more than a role

For an international candidate, accepting a job in Australia can mean making several decisions at once.

They are choosing an employer, a location, a healthcare system and a country often while considering registration, visa requirements, relocation, family, accommodation and the practicalities of starting again somewhere new.

That changes what a compelling opportunity looks like.

Salary and role fit still matter, but so do the experience of the recruitment process, the clarity of communication, the support available and how confidently an organisation can answer the questions that come with an international move.

For employers, that means thinking beyond whether a candidate can fill the vacancy. The experience of becoming part of the organisation starts well before their first shift.

Make the process work for both sides

International recruitment can involve more moving parts than local. Registration and eligibility need to be understood, documentation needs to be managed, and visa pathways may need to be considered alongside the recruitment process. Ahpra notes that internationally qualified nurses must meet specific qualification and registration requirements before taking up employment in Australia.

That makes clarity and momentum particularly important.

International candidates may be considering several opportunities at the same time, while also making decisions about relocating their lives. Long gaps between interviews, unclear next steps, slow feedback or repeated requests for information can quickly add friction to an already complex process.

Building speed into the process does not mean rushing decisions. It means having the right information ready, being clear about what happens next and keeping communication moving.

Think beyond the vacancy

The organisations seeing value from international recruitment are likely to be those that consider what happens after the placement as carefully as what happens before it.

That means looking at onboarding, integration, practical relocation support and the experience of joining the team. It also means understanding where international recruitment genuinely fits within the wider workforce plan.

The strongest approach may be different for every organisation. For some, international recruitment will help address specialist or hard-to-fill vacancies. For others, it may form part of a longer-term strategy across multiple locations or workforce streams.

The important thing is to approach it deliberately.

International recruitment works best when the recruitment strategy considers both sides of the move: what the organisation needs from its next clinician, and what that clinician needs to confidently choose the organisation in return.

A more considered approach to international recruitment

Australia’s healthcare workforce is changing, and international clinicians are an established part of that picture.

For employers, the opportunity is to build recruitment processes that recognise the complexity of an international move while still keeping the candidate experience clear, personal and efficient.

At MAYDAY Healthcare, we support organisations across the full recruitment process - from understanding immediate and future workforce requirements to ensuring access to the right talent, when and where it’s needed.

Exceptional recruitment isn’t just what we do—it’s how we do it. The MAYDAY Experience underpins every service we provide, combining award-winning candidate care, client partnership and operational excellence.

We deliver faster turnarounds, stronger cultural alignment and exclusive access to talent your competitors can’t reach. With dedicated account managers, strategic oversight from senior leadership and a specialist recruitment team always headhunting and networking, we ensure your hiring needs are met quickly, reliably and with a personal touch.

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