A 21-year-old male nursing student repeatedly raped, assaulted and threatened a woman in his care between July and November last year, a Brisbane court has heard.

The Kenyan national, who cannot be named, has been in Australia on a student visa for the past year.

He was taken into custody yesterday.

He was charged with more than 20 counts of rape while working as a carer at a residence in Albany Creek, north of Brisbane, last year.

Queensland police prosecutor Sergeant Aydina Pugh told the Brisbane Magistrates Court the alleged offences were "significant".

The court heard the complainant travelled to Kenya recently, where she confided in a friend about the attacks.

She later lodged a complaint with police.

Sergeant Pugh told the court police would also argue the defendant verbally threatened the victim after the alleged assaults.

"There is still a concern of the threats he made to the victim, which has happened over a period of time, [and they] possibly may have resulted in the delay in reporting these matters to police, she said.

"The threats were serious towards the victim.

"She is vulnerable and [they happened] in the circumstances that he was her carer."

The woman's alleged attacker was granted bail on the condition he surrendered his passport and did not make contact with the complainant.

The matter is due to be heard again next month.