Migration Pathways for Medical Professionals

Are you a healthcare professional who wants to live and work in Australia permanently? If so, you may be interested in learning about the different visa pathways to permanent residency from temporary visas, how to obtain registration as Health Practitioners in Australia for overseas trained professionals and other things to note. In this blog post, we will provide you with some useful information and tips on how to achieve your goal of becoming an Australian permanent resident.

Visa pathways to permanent residency from temporary visas

There are several temporary visas that allow healthcare professionals to work in Australia for a specified period of time, such as the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482), the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494). These visas have different eligibility criteria, such as occupation, skills assessment, employer sponsorship, nomination, regional area residency and points test.

For overseas trained healthcare practitioners without full registration from the Australian national board, the common first step is to seek Australian employer sponsorship to obtain either a TSS visa 482 or a 494 regional visa.

These temporary visas can lead to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186), the Skilled Regional visa (subclass 191) or the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189).

The ENS visa 186 allows employers to nominate skilled workers for permanent residency. To be eligible for this visa, you must have worked for your nominating employer for at least two years on a TSS visa (based on new legislations to commence in late 2023), or two years on a 494 visa in the same occupation and meet other requirements such as age, English language and health requirements.

The Skilled Regional visa 191 allows holders of 491 or 494 visas to apply for permanent residency after living and working in a designated regional area for at least three years and meeting other requirements such as income threshold and English language competency.

The Skilled Independent visa 189 allows skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer or a state or territory government to apply for permanent residency based on their points score. To be eligible for this visa, you must have worked in a skilled occupation on a TSS visa for at least two years and meet other requirements such as age, English language and health.

It is important to note that the Australian Government has set an upper age limit of 45 years old for most permanent visas including ENS. However, there are exemptions for certain occupations including academic, scientist, researcher and medical practitioner.

Express of Interest (EOI) for skill visas

All applicants for the Skilled Independent visa 189 (also 491) go through an Express of Interest (EOI) process, which they estimate their point score and get placed in a queue in the Department’s system based on their score, EOI submission date and occupation. In order to lodge a valid EOI for a 189 visa, you must have a valid skill assessment and a current English test result.

It is important to note that skill assessment is usually valid for three years unless stated otherwise by the assessing authority, while English result is valid for two years.

If you get invited to apply for a 189 visa, you will receive an invitation notification from the EOI platform called Skillselect.

While your EOI is in the queue, you are responsible for monitoring any updates on your claimed point score. For instance, once you have turned 40 years old, you point score will decrease by 10 points and you should update your new point score in the system.

When you lodge your visa application, you must provide evidence that you meet your claimed point score on the day you receive your invitation from Skillselect.

How to obtain registration as Health Practitioners in Australia for overseas professionals

If you are an overseas trained health practitioner who wants to work in the healthcare field in Australia, you must obtain registration from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the relevant National Board. The registration process varies depending on your profession, qualification and experience. However, there are some common steps that you need to follow:

• Check if your qualification is recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) or if you need to undertake further study or assessment to meet the Australian standards.
• Apply for an assessment of your skills and qualifications by the relevant assessing authority, such as the Australian Medical Council (AMC), the Australian Dental Council (ADC) or the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). Doctors generally do not need skills assessment. A full registration, not a provisional or limited one, can be used in lieu of skill assessment.
• Complete any required examinations, bridging courses or supervised practice programs to demonstrate your competency and knowledge.
• Apply for registration with AHPRA and the relevant National Board and provide evidence of your identity, qualification, English language proficiency, criminal history and professional indemnity insurance.
• Maintain your registration by meeting the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements and renewing your registration annually.

Other things to note

Besides obtaining a visa and registration or skills assessment, there are some other things that you need to consider before working as a healthcare professional in Australia:

• You may need to apply for a Medicare provider number if you want to provide services that are subsidised by the Australian Government.
• You may need to join a professional association or college that represents your profession and provides you with support, guidance and networking opportunities.
• You may need to adapt to the Australian culture and health system, which may differ from your home country in terms of values, workplace culture, practices and expectations.
• Last but not least, it is wise to seek advice from Registered Migration Agents to plan your visa pathway before proceeding.

Working as a healthcare professional in Australia can be a rewarding and fulfilling career choice. However, it also requires careful planning and preparation. We aim to provide your with valuable information to enable you to make informed decisions about your visa pathways in Australia.

Book a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agents at Miet Migration to assess your eligibility and let us help you plan your journey to become an Australian citizen.

Disclaimer: Any posted material is not intended to be immigration advice and does not purport to represent all requirements for a successful application or applications. No person should act on the basis of the material contained in any post without obtaining advice relevant to their circumstances, and without considering and taking professional advice.