Working in Australia as a Doctor
There are many options available for a doctor to get a Visa in Australia. Comprehensive information about how to register and work as a doctor in Australia can be found on the DoctorConnect website. It is an Australian Government program that has been developed by the Department of Health and Ageing for Australian medical employers and foreign doctors and nurses that have been trained outside of Australia.
The DoctorConnect website includes:
information about the healthcare system in Australia,
how to acquire a job as a foreign doctor,
the obligations and responsibilities of your position,
contact information for recruitment agencies that offer medical job placements,
information about programs for employers located in regional and rural areas and
contact information for professional medical associations, medical boards and government agencies.
Requirements to Work as a Doctor in Australia
Foreign doctors who would like to legally practice in Australia must be registered with the Medical Board located in the Territory or State where they wish to practice. After the Visa has been granted, doctors who intend to prescribe medications or work in general practice must apply for a Medicare Provider Number with Medicare Australia.
Details regarding Medicare Australia and registration requirements can be found on the DoctorConnect website.
Temporary Visa Options for Doctors
There are a few types of Visa options for overseas doctors who wish to practice in Australia. You should read all of the details of each Visa to determine which one is right for you.
Closure of the Subclass 422 - Medical Practitioner Visa
Doctors are able to apply for either a temporary Visa or a permanent Visa. When applying for the subclass 422 Visa, applicants will be required to secure employer sponsorship with an approved employer under the subclass 457 Visa program. Holders of this Visa will also be able to add family members to their Visa application so that they can live in Australia without their own Visa complications.
Doctors who would like to secure a permanent residency in Australia must have full medical registration. The Department of Health and Aging will accept a full, unconditional, or general medical registration certificate that has been issued by the State or Territory Medical Board as evidence of registration. If you cannot acquire one of these certificates, the department will accept a conditional specialist registration certificate, which allows you to practice in your specialty without supervision or having to go through more training.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) Visa (Subclass 457)
Doctors who do not have a full medical registration in Australia can be sponsored as a temporary resident under the Long Stay subclass 457 Medical Practitioner Visa while they are obtaining the required documents and certifications to obtain full medical registration. During this time, the doctors will be able to work under a supervised practice in order to meet the requirements for a full medical registration certificate. Australian employers may sponsor foreign doctors for up to 4 years.
The Temporary Business (Long Stay) Visa allows employers and doctors to use an online Visa application. Each employer is allowed to sponsor multiple doctors, nurses and other staff. Once the employer sponsorship has been approved, employers may nominate doctors through an online nomination form which is much simpler than a normal sponsorship application.
Temporary Occupational Trainee Visa
Doctors may be able to apply for an Occupational Trainee Visa if they intend to go through a supervised training program for up to 12 months. The doctor must be trained in a position that is not service-oriented by nature. Employers must nominate doctors for this Visa.
Permanent Visa Options for Doctors
Doctors can obtain a permanent Visa if they have full medical registration in Australia. Once the doctor has full medical registration, he/she may apply for permanent residence under an employer-sponsored or independent visa.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 856)
Doctors who have full medical registration and are sponsored by an approved employer may apply for permanent residence under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS).
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 857)
The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) program was designed to allow employers in low population areas to sponsor foreign doctors for a permanent work visa in Australia. Employer-sponsored doctors working in a regional area of Australia who have full medical registration may apply for permanent residence under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
Labour Agreements
A labour agreement is a formal arrangement between the Australian Government and an employer. These labour agreements allow Australian employers to hire a specific number of foreign doctors to fill jobs that require specific skills in Australia. The agreements can be for either a permanent or a temporary Visa. Many large companies already have a labour agreement in place, so doctors should ask if there is an existing labour agreement.
General Skilled Migration Program
Doctors with full medical registration may be able to enter Australia as an independent skilled worker under the General Skilled Migration Program. This program is for professionals and other skilled workers who have not found an employer to sponsor them in Australia. Applicants must be at least 18 and under 45 years of age.
Working in Australia as a Nurse
Australia has a high demand for nurses. There are many temporary and permanent career opportunities available in Australia. More visa applications for nurses are received and are therefore processed faster than normal visa applications.
Requirements to Work as a Nurse in Australia
Nurses are required to have a certain level of education and experience in order to obtain a Visa to work in Australia. Nurses must be in good health and pass a health examination in order to work in a hospital or other health care area. All nurses must be registered in the State or Territory where they want to work. There is more information on the Australian Nursery and Midwifery Council (ANMC) website.
Temporary and Permanent Visa Options for Nurses
There are a few types of Visa options for overseas nurses who wish to put their skills to good use in Australia. You should read all of the details of each Visa to determine which one is right for you.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457)
With the Long Stay subclass 457 Visa, Nurses may work in Australia for up to 4 years for an approved employer sponsor. Dependent family members may also work and study in Australia with the applicant.
Employer Nomination Scheme
Nurses from overseas must be at least 18 years old and under 45 years old with relevant work experience, education and qualifications. Under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS), nurses may be eligible to apply for a permanent visa.
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
Foreign nationals with qualifications that are equivalent to a two-year study for a Australian diploma may be eligible to apply for a permanent visa. Nurses must be sponsored by an Australian employer in order to work in a regional area where specific skills are needed in Australia.
General Skilled Migration
Skilled nurses who want to live in Australia but do not have an employer to sponsor them may be eligible to apply for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visa. Nurses must pass a meet some basic requirements and pass a skills assessment test from the Australia Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) before the Visa will be granted.
Occupational Trainee Visa
The Occupational Trainee Visa is for training programs of at least 3 months. Nurses must undertake a supervised training program in Australia to improve their skills. It makes a nice addition to a resume!
Business (Short Stay) visa (subclass 456)
The short stay business Visa subclass 456 is best for nurses who wish to undertake a training program for less than three months.
Getting a Home Loan or Mortgage
As a doctor or nurse who is working in Australia, you can apply for a mortgage to buy property while living in Australia. The most common type of Visa application that is approved for a home loan is the subclass 457 Visa. Depending on your financial situation, marital status and employment history, you may be able to borrow up to 80% of the property value at the same rate that Australian citizens receive. Most home loans require a 20% down payment on property loans.
Medical professionals such as Dermatologists, Gynaecologists, Dentists, Psychiatrists, Anaesthesiologists, Chiropractors and Pharmacists may be eligible to receive a special loan package.
Banks will lend money to people who hold different types of Visas such as:
Temporary Business (Long Stay) Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457) and
Medical Practitioner (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 422).
People who have these types of Visas, as well as other types of Visas that have not been mentioned, are encouraged to seek a home loan expert for assistance to get a mortgage.
Approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) may be required to purchase property, depending on your situation. Normally the Government allows you to buy a home to live in as long as you sell the home when you leave Australia. However, if it is a newly built home that was purchased as an investment property, then you may not be required to sell the property when you leave Australia.
About the Author
Otto is a Mortgage Broker that has specialised in temporary resident mortgages, such as doctor mortgages, for over 7 years. His company, the Home Loan Experts, is now one of the top home loan broking firms in Australia.
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