Frequently Asked Questions

Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) allows doctors and other health professionals to work anywhere in Australia, subject to any restrictions or conditions as listed on your registration. 

All doctors working in Australia must register with AHPRA, which may be Limited, Provisional, General, or Specialist. Wavelength can assist you in determining the correct registration type.

New Zealand-trained General Practitioners with their Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP) are highly regarded by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). 

First time registration with AHPRA generally takes 6-8 weeks to approve and requires you to meet several Registration Standards, including English proficiency, criminal history checks and recency of practice. Wavelength will work with you throughout this process. 

We highly recommend you provide us with proof of your immunisation status for our records to ensure you can easily and quickly secure and start locum positions.   

There are various ways in which you can provide proof of vaccination such as: 

• A copy of your vaccination record, 
• Results of a blood test showing the required level of immunity, 
• A letter from a GP or occupational health department with details of immunisation status. 

Some placements specify particular immunisation requirements.  Your dedicated recruitment consultant will be able to offer further details regarding these. 

All locum doctors on a hospital payroll (PAYG employees) will be covered by the hospital’s State Medical Indemnity Policy. Some hospitals also offer indemnity cover to contractors (sole traders and Pty Ltd companies) for the duration of their locum. 

However, this is at the discretion of the hospital or practice and Wavelength is unable to insist on this cover for you. Ultimately it is your responsibility to understand your level of medical indemnity coverage for the locum appointment before it commences.  

Regardless of the level of medical indemnity cover provided by the client throughout your locum, we strongly recommend that all locum doctors working in Australia have their own private medical indemnity cover at all times. 

For further advice and information on Australian medical indemnity coverage please visit the MDA National website or call 1800 011 255.

Our recruitment consultants always work on your behalf to negotiate the best possible remuneration, travel and accommodation package.   

No matter your specialty, sub-specialty or seniority we keep you up-to-date every step of the way regarding working conditions and the level of support you will have, so you can be fully informed before accepting a position.  

We are also happy to arrange for you to speak directly to a member of staff at the location where you are considering a role, to ask further questions should you wish. 

No. The 457 visa was replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) – Subclass 482 visa on 18 March 2018. 

For more information, please get in touch with our in-house Regulatory and Migration team here.

If you already hold a 457 visa, you may continue to work in Australia under the conditions of this visa until it expires.  

If your occupation is on the skilled shortage immigration occupation list, you can apply for a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) program visa. 

Our registered migration agents can assist you with any specific questions about your visa requirements.

Visa validity depends upon the number of years a position is nominated by a sponsor, and which list your occupation sits on. If you work in an occupation on the medium to long-term strategic skills list, then you may be eligible for a TSS visa valid for up to 4 years.  If you work in an occupation on the short-term skilled occupation list, then you may be eligible TSS visa valid for up to 2 years.  

Our registered migration agents can provide further assistance based on your specific situation.

Yes. You will need to provide evidence that you have worked in the nominated occupation or a closely related field for at least two years. Our registered migration agents will be able to offer further assistance regarding visa requirements based on your individual circumstances. 

Generally speaking, 482 visa holders must undertake full-time employment, however, Home Affairs may approve you to work on a part-time basis to accommodate situations such as locum roles or medical practitioners working as independent medical practitioners.

No. There are no upper age limitations in relation to the TSS – Subclass 482 visa. 

Yes. Most permanent residency programmes have an upper age limit and applicants will not be eligible once they reach the age of 45.

However, if you are applying for an employer nomination, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent visa using an age exemption. 

If you are a medical practitioner, you have an employer willing to nominate you and you meet one of the age exemptions listed criteria below, you may apply for a permanent visa: 

1. You are applying through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, and have been working in the nominated occupation as the holder of a TSS or subclass 457 visa for the last three years, and your earnings were at least equivalent to the Fair Work High Income Threshold for each year over that period; 

OR 

2. You are a medical practitioner, and you meet all the below: 

• You have been working as a regional medical practitioner while holding a TSS or subclass 457 visa for at least three years immediately before applying; 
• For two of those three years, you were employed in a designated regional Australia location.
• The nominated position is in a designated regional Australia area. 

The Australian Government announced that measures will be introduced from 1 July 2022 to improve access to permanent residence for certain temporary work visa holders. This includes individuals who were in Australia for at least 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 holding a subclass 482 visa in the short-term nominated occupation.

You must have held the 482 visa as a primary visa holder, worked in the nominating occupation for at least 3 years and the nominating hospital or practice is willing to support an application for permanent residency via the Employer Nomination Scheme. Our registered migration agents will be able to offer further assistance regarding eligibility requirements based on your individual circumstances. 

You can find relevant visa information on the Department of Home Affairs website. 

There are 4 ways in which you can meet AHPRA’s English Language policy:

1. Primary Language Pathway:
   

   Choose this pathway if:

   - Your primary language is English, and,

   - All your primary and secondary education was taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, and,

   - Your tertiary qualifications in the relevant professional discipline were taught and assessed solely in English.

2. Combined Secondary and Tertiary Education Pathway:
   

   Choose this pathway if:

   - You have at least two years of secondary education, taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, and,

   - Your tertiary qualifications in a relevant professional discipline were taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country.

3. Extended Education Pathway:
   

   Choose this pathway if:

   - You have completed at least six years’ full-time equivalent (FTE) continuous education taught and assessed solely in English, in any of the recognised countries, which includes tertiary qualifications in the relevant professional discipline.

4. Test Pathway:
   

   Choose this pathway if:

   - You achieve the required minimum scores in one of the approved English language tests.

There are seven recognised countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Republic of Ireland
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• United States of America. 

There are six tests you can take:

• IELTS Academic Module
• OET
• PTE Academic 
• TOEFL iBT
• NZREX
• PLAB part 1&2 

IELTS Academic Module: a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components

OET: a minimum score of B in each of the four components

PTE Academic: a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills

TOEFL iBT: a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test: 24 for listening, 24 for reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking.

NZREX: Pass

PLAB: Pass

Test results from any of the listed English language tests are valid for two years. Results from tests completed more than two years ago will be accepted: 

• if you have been in continuous employment as a registered health practitioner in the medical profession (which commenced within 12 months of the date of the test) in one of the recognised countries where English was the primary language of practice, and, 
• if you lodge your application for registration within 12 months of finishing your last period of employment. 

July 2015.

Yes. You are exempt if you have previously been registered in Australia and have used English as your primary language within the past five years. 

The policy also does not apply to non-practising registrations or to students. 

There may also be other exemptions depending on the circumstances. Please refer to the policy for further details.

No. You must meet the AHPRA English language requirements via one of the pathways.

Please refer to the English Language Standard on the AHPRA website for further information. 

There are a number of reasons why Wavelength pays our on-hire doctors as employees even when they are set up as sole traders with an ABN. Our answers below to frequently asked questions about this topic may help, and we encourage you to discuss this with your expert recruitment consultant should you have any further questions. 

As a labour-hire company, Wavelength is legally bound by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to tax your wages. This legal requirement applies to all on-hire agencies operating in Australia. 

As such, we withhold Pay As You Go (PAYG) tax from payments to individual workers, contractors and employees.  

Labour-hire can be called different names, including:

• On-hire,
• Employment agent/agency,
• Contract management company,
• Recruitment service,
• Group training organisation.

Regardless of the name by which the labour-hire company refers itself, if a labour-hire company such as Wavelength supplies workers to another business, it must withhold tax from payments made to those individual workers. 

Unfortunately, this is a common story we hear. If another labour hire agency is on-hiring your services and not taxing your wages, they are breaching tax law. This applies whether the individual is an employee or an independent contractor. 

In the event of an audit or inquiry from the ATO, an agency undertaking this practice could be subject to fines, tax recovery or interest charges.  

If you are operating as either a company (Pty Ltd or Ltd) or a trust, you may provide us with your ABN and be paid via invoice. In this instance, we will not deduct PAYG tax or superannuation.   

You can find more information on the ATO website, or by speaking to your expert recruitment consultant.

Unfortunately paying tax is one of the few certainties in life and there is no way to avoid your tax responsibilities.   

Here at Wavelength, we’ve invested heavily in internal training and audits and we are proudly meeting our tax obligations.   

We strongly encourage you to seek independent financial advice from an accountant regarding your own tax obligations, and to speak with your expert recruitment consultant should you have any further questions. 

There are a number of factors determining how locum doctors are paid, such as the options provided by the client and their on-hire practices.   

If there are multiple options available, you will be able to select which is most appropriate for you.   

Possible options include: 

• PAYG Wavelength employee 
• Pty Ltd Wavelength contractor 
• Sole trader with an ABN, paid directly by the client 
• PAYG client employee 

If the client does not provide payroll services, Wavelength will be able to offer either the option of payment as a PAYG Wavelength employee or a Pty Ltd Wavelength contractor.   

PAYG Wavelength employees are paid wages and taxed at the time of payment, and superannuation (if applicable) is paid as per the legislative requirements. Wages are paid fortnightly and you will receive a pay slip via email.   

Pty Ltd Wavelength contractors are required to submit a tax invoice and a timesheet and will also be paid on a fortnightly basis.   

If you have worked previously for a client under one option there is no guarantee that this same option will be available to you, should you move to another assignment with another client. 

The law prohibits Wavelength on-hiring sole traders with an ABN.

All doctors working in Australia are required to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN). This number is used by the ATO to identify you in the Australian taxation system.  

It is important to note that: 

• You can only apply for a TFN after you have arrived in Australia, 
• TFNs may take up to 28 days to be approved, 
• You may be charged at a higher tax rate until your TFN application is processed and approved. 

All doctors working as contractors are required to apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN).  You may apply for an ABN before your TFN is approved.   

For specific tax advice, we encourage you to speak to an accountant, who can provide financial advice based on your individual circumstances.

Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 restricts an Overseas Trained Doctor (OTD) or a Foreign Graduate of an Accredited Medical School (FGAMS) from accessing Medicare benefit arrangements for a period of 10 years from the date of their first Australian medical registration. You may see this in documentation referred to as the “10-year moratorium”. 

Medical practitioners who first registered in Australia after 1 January 1997, and meet the definition of an Overseas Trained Doctor (OTD) or Foreign Graduate of an Accredited Medical School (FGAMS), are restricted under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973. 

An OTD is defined as someone who did not obtain their medical qualification from an accredited medical school located in Australia or New Zealand. 

A FGAMS is defined as someone who obtained their primary medical qualification from an accredited medical school located in Australia or New Zealand but was not a permanent resident or citizen of Australia or New Zealand at the time of enrolment. 

Under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973, if you obtained your qualifications outside Australia or New Zealand, and are applying for initial registration in Australia, you are required to work in a District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) area for a period of up to 10 years from the date of your first medical registration. 

A District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) area is defined as a geographical area where the local population has less access to Medicare-subsidised medical services when compared to the national average.  

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data and Medicare billing statistics are used to determine the DWS areas.  

For GPs, the geographical areas for DWS classifications for general practice are referred to as SA2 boundaries. For specialities other than general practice, they are referred to as SA3 boundaries. 

If an area loses DWS status while you are in the process of applying to work there, you will still be eligible for an exemption if you provide the necessary documentary evidence with your application. 

Our expert team are on hand to guide you through this process.

There are a number of possible s19AB exemptions including: 

After-hours exemption – the after-hours period is considered an Australia-wide DWS for all medical specialties and is defined as 6pm to 8am Monday to Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday, and on public holidays. As such, you are generally able to obtain an s19AB exemption to access Medicare benefits during these times, Australia-wide. 

Locum exemption – you may be eligible for an s19AB exemption to access Medicare benefits in a non-DWS location for a maximum of six months. After the six-month period is reached you will no longer be able to work at that particular location while still subject to s19AB. 

Replacement provision – you may be able to replace a restricted medical practitioner who held an s19AB exemption if they ceased practicing in that local area within the last 12 months. 

Spousal exemption – you may be able to access Medicare benefits in a non-DWS area if your spouse is already doing so, or is a skilled migrant who is employed in an occupation (other than a medical practitioner) which is listed on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) or the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).  

Academic provision - if you have been offered an academic appointment with an Australian medical school, you may be eligible to access Medicare benefits at the university health clinic tied to that institution. 

Class exemption – The following specialties are covered by a class exemption and considered are DWS Australia-wide: 

• General medicine 
• Cardiothoracic surgery 
• Dermatology 
• Endocrinology 

• Otolaryngology – head and neck surgery  
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology 
• Haematology 
• Intensive care medicine 
• Neurology 

• Medical oncology 
• Orthopaedic surgery 
• General paediatrics 
• Paediatric surgery 
• Plastic and reconstructive surgery 

• Nephrology 
• Thoracic medicine 
• Urology 
• Vascular surgery 

If you obtained a full-time ongoing s19AB exemption to practice at a particular location, you are generally also able to access Medicare benefits at another location in the same area, on the basis that you are already contributing to the Medicare billing statistics within the area.

For further information on DWS, DPA (Distribution Priority Area) and s19AB exemptions please refer to the DoctorConnect website. Our expert recruitment consultants are also on hand to assist you with any questions you may have.