Health Care Professionals

Information for Doctors, Nurses and Midwives who are looking for Australia visa and immigration advice.

Doctors and Medical Practitioners

Registered Nurses and Midwives

Doctors and Medical Practitioners

There is a general shortage of Doctors in Australia, particularly in certain regional areas.   If you are a Health Care Professional and you want to move to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Program, you must complete a Skills Assessment with the designated government approved body, for the purposes of skilled immigration to Australia.  
The board that assesses doctors is the Australia Medical Council.   AMC is the assessing authority for the following occupations:

  • General Medical Practitioner;
  • Anesthetist;
  • Dermatologist;
  • Emergency Medicine Specialist;
  • Obstetrician and Gynecologist;
  • Ophthalmologist;
  • Pediatrician;
  • Pathologist;
  • Specialist Physician;
  • Psychiatrist;
  • Radiologist;
  • Surgeon; and
  • Specialist Medical Practitioners (not elsewhere classified).

Assessment Process for Medical Practitioners

If your nominated occupation is Medical Practitioner, you must make application to the Medical Board in the State or Territory in which you intend to practice for full (unconditional) medical registration. Once you have been registered to practice unconditionally as a medical practitioner, your skills assessment is deemed to be complete.  Evidence of full registration in the relevant State or Territory itself constitutes a skills assessment.   You must obtain evidence of full medical registration to be eligible to lodge a valid application for permanent immigration under the General Skilled Migration program.

Assessment Process for Generalist Registration

An applicant whose basic medical qualifications are not recognized by the relevant State or Territory Medical Board must meet the Australian Medical Council (AMC) requirements for recognition.  This process entails a multiple choice question examination and a clinical examination administered by the AMC.  Once the AMC has advised you that your skills have been assessed as equivalent to your Australian trained counterpart, you must then apply to the relevant State or Territory Medical Board for full registration or, in other words, an entitlement to practice without restriction.

Assessment Process for Specialist Registration

Overseas-trained specialists must apply through the AMC to have their specialist skills assessed by the relevant specialist medical college in Australia. The purpose of specialist assessment is to determine the equivalence of training and qualifications of overseas trained specialists with Australian trained specialists. If the relevant college assesses you as competent to practice in Australia, you are eligible to apply for registration within the designated field for specialist practice.

Evidence of Unconditional Registration

  • Evidence of certificates issued by the State/Territory Medical Board (showing full medical board registration); and
  • Either an AMC certificate (showing that you have passed the necessary examinations entitling you to unconditional registration); or
    Full fellowship of the Royal Australia College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or relevant specialist college.

Employment
The Australian Government has developed a website in order to encourage doctors to move to Australia and make the transition to Australia as smooth as possible.  You will find information on Australia’s healthcare system, as developed by the Department of Health and Aging for doctors trained outside Australia and Australian medical employers.  Detailed information on working in Australia and how to register as a doctor is available on the DoctorConnect website  http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/

This includes:

  • 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 Registered Nurse and Midwife

Information for Registered Nurses and Midwives concerning visas and immigration to Australia.

There is a general shortage of Nurses in Australia, particularly in certain regional areas.   If you are a Nurse or a Midwife and you want to move to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Program, you must complete a Skills Assessment with the designated Australian government approved body, the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Council (ANMC).
Nurses and midwives working in Australia must meet the ANMC’s strict national competency standards, to be eligible for registration with a state or territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
Competency Based Assessment Program
Certain Nursing and Midwifery qualifications usually meet the requirements for permanent immigration and are exempt from the ANMC’s Competency Based Assessment Program.  Nurses and Midwives are usually exempted from the Competency Based Assessment Program if they completed a recognized Nursing Program and gained initial registration in at least one the following countries:   

    • United States of America
    • Canada
    • United Kingdom
    • Ireland
    • Singapore
    • Hong Kong
    • Netherlands
    • European Union, a member state of is consistent with the European Union standard for the education of nurses responsible for general care.

For additional information on the ANMC Migration Skills Assessment, please see these links below:

Competency Based Assessment Programs and Migrant Bridging Program
Nurses and Midwives who are not exempted after having their qualifications and skills assessed, will be required to participate in the ANMC’s Competency Based Assessment Program.  Applicants should further confirm with the relevant state or territory NMRA that the proposed course of study will lead to registration in that individual state or territory.
Language Competency Requirements
Nurses should have a level of proficiency in English which enables them to communicate competently in all healthcare environments. ANMC Policy requires that ALL internationally-qualified Nurses and Midwives be required to provide proof of English language proficiency. Nurses and Midwives who hold current registration with an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority are exempt from this requirement.  New Zealand Registered Nurses and Midwives are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.  
Approved English Language Tests

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test
    Nurses and Midwives must achieve a score of at least 7 in all four parts:  Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking .   Overall band score of 7 or more.
  • Occupational English Test (OET)
    Nurses and Midwives must achieve a B pass or higher in all four parts.  Overall B pass or higher.

Test Results (OET & IELTS) can not be more than two years old, at the time of lodging the application for assessment with ANMC.  Original test results should be forwarded directly to the ANMC by the organization that conducted the test.
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