International recruitment of nurses and midwives position statement - 1. Purpose

Purpose This position statement details the key principles and practices the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) considers Australian governments and employers should follow before resorting to international recruitment and when they opt to do so. [...] Context The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the global competition for, and active recruitment of, healthcare workers to be one of the greatest global health threats of the 21st century.1 The novel coronavirus outbreak, declared by the WHO to be a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020, exemplified this.2 In Australia, international recruitment remains a s. [...] Employers seeking to recruit nurses and midwives internationally must meet the Australian Department of Immigration requirements and ensure the following: − transparency and fairness in recruitment practice − effective human resource planning and development including mentoring and orientation − full access to employment opportunities and the same standards, terms and conditions as the domestic wo. [...] 4 For registration and remuneration purposes, the NMBA and employers should also recognise the overseas work of a comparable standard by nurses and midwives employed in Australia who move overseas for work and then return. [...] Employers who recruit nurses and midwives internationally must not: − charge nurses and midwives excessive costs for the transport and accommodation associated with their recruitment or allow their agents to do so − charge nurses and midwives for recruitment agency costs incurred in their home country − dismiss a nurse or midwife on a work visa without due process or adequate warning and a fair op.