Three in four enquiries to healthcare staffing specialist HCL International’s dedicated Australian nursing team have been from Irish nurses.

Daryl Rose, recruitment consultant at HCL International who specialises in Australasia, says: “We hear a lot in the media and from ex-pats about the quality of life and cost of living in Australia comparing favourably to that in Ireland, especially in these straitened economic times.

“What many nurses don’t realise is that they have a huge advantage because their skills are in such high demand. Around 40% of Australian nurses are due to retire in the next decade, so there is massive demand from a population that is growing rapidly as the Australian economy expands.

“The main step for nurses is to gain registration with the Nursing Board of Australia, which requires an assessment period of around four months. Ireland is what’s known as an ‘approved country’ on the Australian government’s skilled migration programme, so nurses with several years’ experience of working there stand an excellent chance of gaining this registration. That is the key to gaining a job with an employer who will act as a sponsor throughout your stay and even support you in applying for permanent residency.”