Reasons why now is the best time to work in Aus

8 min | Medical Careers
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Elinor Faulkner

June 16, 2020

Doctors work in Australia | Wavelength Medical Recruitment 1

Working as a doctor in Australia has always been appealing

Have you ever considered finding a medical job in Australia? Along with New Zealand, Australia has effectively managed the COVID-19 situation. Life is starting to return to normal, making it one the most appealing countries to live and work as a medical professional.

While our borders are set to remain closed to the public for many months, exemptions are in place to allow overseas-trained medical professionals and their families to enter and settle here.

Read on below as our in-house regulatory and migration team outlines the processes and recent changes that apply to qualified overseas-trained doctors wanting to settle in Australia.

Overseas doctors who have made the move to Australia have always enjoyed the year-round outdoor lifestyle and better work-life balance, but that’s not all. As a doctor in Australia, you can benefit from:

  • Plenty of clinical, research and teaching job opportunities
  • Diverse locations to choose from, be it a cosmopolitan city, beautiful coastal town, rainforest-covered mountain or a remote outback community
  • A modern, well-run healthcare system, in both public and private hospitals
  • Flexibility of full-time, part-time and locum job options for increased work-life balance
  • A clean and safe environment to live and work, with world-class education, housing and transport networks
  • Australia has seen a great response to Telehealth options as an alternative to face to face interactions and is seeing government support of the new digital health effort 

The Australian medical registration process for overseas-trained doctors

The registration process has simplified during COVID

In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has simplified the process for medical practitioners wanting to move to Australia, while still maintaining the high standards and rigorous assessment process. We have summarised the latest travel restrictions for international doctors, but you can also find out more on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

When should you apply for registration?

Applying for registration is a 6-12 months process (depending on your specialty). You may secure a job and start the registration process in advance now. Hopefully, things will have normalised by the time you are registered and ready to move; however, rest assured that Wavelength is committed to supporting you and your family throughout and will keep you on top of any changes as they happen.

Getting registered as a Doctor in Australia

The first step to registration for overseas-trained doctors is to have your qualifications verified through a process called EPIC. This can be done electronically using a Notary-cam service to verify your passport, so you do not need to leave your home to complete this initial step.

The second step for specialists or GPs is usually to apply to the relevant Australian specialist college for specialist assessment. The actual requirements will depend on your medical speciality, educational background and medical training. Some medical specialties will be required to secure a job first - one of our medical recruitment consultants will be able to help you with this.

Other medical specialities can apply to the college straight away. By getting your outcome first, you may improve your chance of securing your dream job as a doctor in Australia. One of our regulatory consultants will be able to guide you through the process and assist you with all the paperwork to help speed up the process and get a better outcome.

The Specialist Assessment process is and has always been comprehensive, however, several changes have recently been introduced to make it easier:

  • Some colleges have switched to an electronic application process in light of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Many colleges offer an interview via video conference, so you no longer need to travel to Australia to complete this step
  • Most colleges are starting to accept applications again now and interviews resume from June – so now is a great time to dig out that paperwork.

Make sure you get in touch with our experienced in-house Regulatory and Migration team first to save you time and money on unnecessary documentation.

AHPRA application

Once you have a job and a college outcome, you will need to apply to AHPRA for registration. Eligible Junior doctors can also apply (without going through the College step). Again, COVID-19 has simplified the registration process so that it has never been easier to apply. For details on the steps that AHPRA has taken to simplify the process, read more from AHPRA here.

Visa application is now online

The final step is to obtain an appropriate working visa. This is generally the subclass 482 visa which is entirely online. You will need to seek a travel ban exemption (also online) on lodgement of the visa application to facilitate its grant and be allowed entry into Australia. Currently, health workers generally qualify for an exemption on the basis that they are assisting in the COVID-19 response. Note that the 482 visa won’t be granted without AHPRA in-principle approval.


When you partner with us to help you find your ideal job in Australia, you will benefit from the expertise of our in house Regulatory & Migration team for free.

Our Regulatory & Migration experts can also guide you through the whole process if you have already found a job in Australia. Get in touch to find out more.

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