Eligibility Criteria for ACE Nursing

To be eligible to apply to ACE for a NETP or NESP position you must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Either be a New Zealand Citizen, Australian Citizen or hold a Permanent Resident Visa (Or Returning Resident Visa)
2. Be in the final year of a pre-registration nursing degree approved by the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) leading to registration as a registered nurse or be awarded a pre-registration nursing degree approved by the NCNZ leading to registration as a registered nurse, no longer than 24 months before starting on a NETP/NESP programme
3. You must have completed your pre-registration nursing degree in New Zealand and have passed your state final exam no more than 2 years prior to starting on a NETP/NESP programme. You therefore have up to four opportunities to apply via ACE provided you still meet all eligibility criterions each time you apply.
4. You must have not practised as a New Zealand Registered Nurse continuously (full time 0.8FTE or more) for longer than six months before starting on the NETP programme.

For full information about the ACE Nursing Eligibility Criteria or the ACE Nursing Process, download a copy of the ACE Nursing Business Rules from the ACE Nursing Resources section.

Australian Citizens are eligible to apply to ACE Nursing however they do not meet the Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ) criteria for a funded NETP or NESP position.

In the case that a New Zealand graduate with an Australian Passport, who does not hold a Permanent Resident Visa, is successfully matched via the ACE process, their position could be funded directly by the employer, or the employer could apply to HWNZ for an exception to the residency status policy for trainee funding. For more information about the HWNZ exception policy, please click here.

More information for Australian Citizens can be found in the FAQ section and at the bottom of this page.

International students who may have practised as an RN overseas are eligible to apply providing that they have completed at least two years of their BN degree in New Zealand before Graduating in New Zealand. These students MUST have a Permanent Resident Visa by the time that applications close for any intake. No other variations of visas will be accepted, for example: Resident, Student or Working Visas.

Graduates that do not meet these basic ACE criteria should apply directly to individual employers for private positions. We recommend checking the Job Search page on the Kiwi Health Jobs website as a first point to see which employers may be looking for registered nurses and also by checking the career web pages of each Te Whatu Ora district. 

For further information about Permanent Resident Visas please click here. For further information about Health Workforce NZ funded positions and FTE requirements please click here and navigate to the link 2/B46.

New Zealand Immigration Visas

Permanent Resident Visa - Eligible

Returning Resident Visa - Eligible

Resident Visa - NOT Eligible