Overview
There is currently a shortage of doctors and nurses in Australia, particularly in regional areas.
General practitioners or specialists can apply for a visa to work in Australia if they have obtained their primary medical qualification in a country other than Australia or gained their medical qualifications in Australia and are not an Australian permanent resident.
Nurses are currently in high demand in Australia with opportunities for permanent and temporary work available.
Working in Australia as a Doctor
Detailed information on working in Australia and how to register as a doctor is available on the DoctorConnect website. This includes:
information on Australia's healthcare system
how to find a job
contact information for medical recruitment agencies
details on the process for obtaining full medical registration and specialist recognition in Australia
information on programs to assist employers in rural and regional areas
contact details for medical boards, professional associations, and government agencies.
The DoctorConnect website is an Australian Government initiative. It has been developed by the Department of Health and Ageing for doctors trained outside Australia and Australian medical employers.
Requirements for practice
Doctors who wish to practise in Australia must first be registered with the Medical Board in the State or Territory where they intend to practise.
After the visa is granted, doctors must apply to Medicare Australia for a Medicare Provider Number if they will be working in general practice or will be prescribing drugs.
Full details on registration requirements and Medicare are available on the DoctorConnect website.
See: DoctorConnect
Visa Options for Doctors
There are a number of visa options available for doctors.
Visa Options for Doctors
Doctors can apply for either a temporary or permanent visa.
For immigration purposes, doctors seeking permanent residency in Australia must hold full medical registration. The department will accept one of the following certificates issued by the State or Territory Medical Board as evidence of full registration:
full/unconditional/general medical registration
conditional specialist registration - this registration allows you to practise only in your particular speciality, with no further training or supervision requirements.
Note: The Australian State and Territory Medical Boards are responsible for the registration of all medical practitioners. However, in the case of specialists, the Medical Boards require an assessment from the relevant Australian Specialist Medical College before registering a doctor for practice in their field of specialisation. The decision to grant medical registration is entirely up to the relevant State and Territory Medical Board.
Temporary Visa Options for Doctors
Australian organisations (businesses, communities or government agencies) can sponsor overseas doctors to work in Australia for up to 4 years.
Temporary visas are the usual pathway to permanent residence for doctors who do not yet hold full medical registration in Australia. Overseas trained doctors can commence a period of supervised practice and formal assessment in Australia to meet the requirements for full medical registration.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (Subclass 457)
The Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa is the preferred temporary visa pathway for doctors entering Australia. This is because it allows employers to take advantage of the following streamlined processing arrangements:
employers and doctors are able to use a special online application form
employers can have one sponsorship agreement to cover multiple doctors, nurses and other staff employed by the same employer
once a sponsorship agreement has been approved, employers can nominate doctors through a nomination application that is much simpler than a full sponsorship application.
There is currently a shortage of doctors and nurses in Australia, particularly in regional areas.
General practitioners or specialists can apply for a visa to work in Australia if they have obtained their primary medical qualification in a country other than Australia or gained their medical qualifications in Australia and are not an Australian permanent resident.
Nurses are currently in high demand in Australia with opportunities for permanent and temporary work available.
Working in Australia as a Doctor
Detailed information on working in Australia and how to register as a doctor is available on the DoctorConnect website. This includes:
information on Australia's healthcare system
how to find a job
contact information for medical recruitment agencies
details on the process for obtaining full medical registration and specialist recognition in Australia
information on programs to assist employers in rural and regional areas
contact details for medical boards, professional associations, and government agencies.
The DoctorConnect website is an Australian Government initiative. It has been developed by the Department of Health and Ageing for doctors trained outside Australia and Australian medical employers.
Requirements for practice
Doctors who wish to practise in Australia must first be registered with the Medical Board in the State or Territory where they intend to practise.
After the visa is granted, doctors must apply to Medicare Australia for a Medicare Provider Number if they will be working in general practice or will be prescribing drugs.
Full details on registration requirements and Medicare are available on the DoctorConnect website.
See: DoctorConnect
Visa Options for Doctors
There are a number of visa options available for doctors.
Visa Options for Doctors
Doctors can apply for either a temporary or permanent visa.
For immigration purposes, doctors seeking permanent residency in Australia must hold full medical registration. The department will accept one of the following certificates issued by the State or Territory Medical Board as evidence of full registration:
full/unconditional/general medical registration
conditional specialist registration - this registration allows you to practise only in your particular speciality, with no further training or supervision requirements.
Note: The Australian State and Territory Medical Boards are responsible for the registration of all medical practitioners. However, in the case of specialists, the Medical Boards require an assessment from the relevant Australian Specialist Medical College before registering a doctor for practice in their field of specialisation. The decision to grant medical registration is entirely up to the relevant State and Territory Medical Board.
Temporary Visa Options for Doctors
Australian organisations (businesses, communities or government agencies) can sponsor overseas doctors to work in Australia for up to 4 years.
Temporary visas are the usual pathway to permanent residence for doctors who do not yet hold full medical registration in Australia. Overseas trained doctors can commence a period of supervised practice and formal assessment in Australia to meet the requirements for full medical registration.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (Subclass 457)
The Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa is the preferred temporary visa pathway for doctors entering Australia. This is because it allows employers to take advantage of the following streamlined processing arrangements:
employers and doctors are able to use a special online application form
employers can have one sponsorship agreement to cover multiple doctors, nurses and other staff employed by the same employer
once a sponsorship agreement has been approved, employers can nominate doctors through a nomination application that is much simpler than a full sponsorship application.
Subclass 422 - Medical Practitioner (Temporary) visa
Doctors should generally apply for a Subclass 457 - Business (Long Stay) visa where possible. However, the Medical Practitioner visa is an alternative visa for doctors registered to work in Australia. Employers must lodge a separate sponsorship application for each doctor sponsored.
In limited situations, such as where a rural community or local council is seeking to sponsor a doctor, this visa will be the most appropriate visa.
Occupational Trainee visa
Some doctors coming to Australia to undertake a supervised training program may be able to apply for an Occupational Trainee visa for up to 12 months. The doctor must be appointed to a designated training position that is not primarily service-providing in nature. Organisations providing occupational training programs must apply to nominate doctors for this visa.
Permanent Visa Options for Doctors
Once full medical registration is held, doctors may choose to apply for permanent residence under one of the following employer-sponsored or independent visas.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 856)
Doctors who have obtained full medical registration and have an employer who is willing to nominate them can apply for permanent entry under the Employer Nomination Scheme.
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 857)
Doctors who have obtained full medical registration and have an employer who is willing to nominate them to work in a regional area of Australia can apply for permanent entry under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
Labour Agreements
Labour Agreements are formal arrangements negotiated between the Australian Government and an employer or industrial association. These agreements enable Australian employers to recruit a specified number of workers from overseas in response to identified or emerging labour market (or skill shortages) in Australia. They are for either permanent or temporary entry to Australia. Some large employers of doctors may have labour agreements in place. Doctors should ask potential employers about a labour agreement.
General Skilled Migration
Doctors who have obtained full medical registration may be able to migrate to Australia as an independent skilled migrant under the General Skilled Migration Program.
If you have graduated from an Australian or New Zealand Medical Council accredited medical school and wish to complete your internship in Australia, you will need to apply for one of the following visas:
Occupation Trainee visa (subclass 442)
Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457)
At the end of your training, as the holder of an Occupational Trainee visa (subclass 442) you will be able to apply for the following visa:
Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487)
Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/medical-practitioners/permanent-visas.htm
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