Immigraion To Australia

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Doctors and Nurses

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.

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.

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.