Many countries are involved in the “production” and overseas recruitment of care workers in a major international response to the “care crisis” affecting advanced industrialized economies. But the distribution of gains and losses from care-labour migration is becoming increasingly unequal, and the pressure to develop alternative policies is intensifying. The author assesses the relevance of different policy approaches to nurse migration in promoting sustainability, social equity, the “care commons” and social development. She argues for sustained international cooperation and coordination to address the major global challenges that nurse migration currently poses for public health, social reproduction and social development.