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From 11 March 2019, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will regulate the number of doctors entering Australia to work in Primary Health care on a TSS (Subclass 482), Employer Nominated (Subclass 186) or Regional Sponsored (Subclass 187) visa.
The initiative aims to funnel doctors into rural, remote and regional areas where access to medical care is lower than in the urban areas of Australia.
The following Medical Practitioner occupations are affected by the new rules:
- General Practitioners (ANZSCO 253111).
- Resident Medical Officers (ANZSCO 253112) e.g. Medical Intern.
- Medical Practitioners Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC) (ANZSCO 253999), e.g. Sports Medicine, Nuclear Medicine.
All employers seeking to nominate Medical Practitioners in the ANZSCO Categories above, will be required to provide a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) at the time of the employer’s nomination.
HWC are issued by Rural Workforce Agencies, after the verify that there is a genuine need to fill a primary health vacancy at a particular rural, remote or regional area.
What is a Rural Workforce Agency (RWA)?
RWA’s are government funded agencies and there are seven of them throughout Australia. According to the Rural Health Workforce website,
“The agencies attract, recruit and support health professionals needed in rural and remote communities.”
This assistance is necessary to maintain viable health services in remote and rural areas. A quick perusal of the agencies shows medical practitioner vacancies including salary and location information.
You will find all the agency sites via the Rural Health Force main website which you will find here.
Are there alternative Australian visa pathways for General Practitioners, Resident Medical Officers and Medical Practitioners NEC?
Yes!
- General Practitioners may also consider the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) Visa.
- Resident Medical Officers and Medical Practitioners may consider obtaining a state or territory nomination and applying for a Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) Visa.
Both Visas require you to pass the points test, lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) and obtain a Skills Assessment (Registration), prior to lodging the EOI.
Need to find out more? Why not book a consultation with us and explore all your options? We have assisted many Medical Practitioners to migrate to Australia.
