Health Practitioners: Visa Options to Travel and Work in Australia

Other Temporary options for Health Practitioners

Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage Visa

Subclass 482 is a temporary skill shortage visa that enables employers to supplement labour shortages with skilled workers from overseas. For an Health Practitioner to be eligible for the Subclass 482 Visa, the following criteria apply:

• Medical Registration
• Must work for the Sponsor Employer – except where your occupation is on the exemption list that allows medical professionals to work in a different capacity i.e. contractual arrangement, additional work in a private practice or working outside normal hours with Sponsor Employer
• No age limits

Subclass 417 or 462 – Working Holding Visa

Subclasses 417 and 462 are temporary working holiday visas that allow international travelers to travel to Australia on a short-term basis to work or study.

Subclass 417 has the following criteria:

• Must be from 18 to 30 years old – except for Canadian, French, and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 years old
• Must apply from outside Australia
• Must not have previously entered Australia on a working holiday visa

Subclass 462 has the same criteria as Subclass 417 except for the age limit exception. The Working Holiday Visa that you apply for is dependent on the country of passport you hold.

Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa

Subclass 485 is a temporary graduate visa that permits individuals who have studied in Australia for at least two years to extend their stay and gain valuable employment experience. Health Practitioners who have studied in Australia as international students and wish to remain in the country to improve their chances of obtaining a permanent or provisional skilled visa may find this visa suitable. For a Health Practitioner to be eligible, the following criteria apply:

• Must be under 50 years of age at date of application
• Must have held a student visa in the previous 6 months
• Must have a qualification in your nominated occupation and applied for a skills assessment
• Must maintain health insurance
• Obtain an AFP check
• Provide evidence of English language requirements

Partner Visa

If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, Health Practitioners may be able to obtain a partner visa. This visa allows you to live, work and study in Australia. There is no age limit requirement for a partner visa however you must meet the relevant requirements to prove your relationship is committed and genuine.

Age Exemption for Medical Practitioners

All general skilled migration categories require that visa applicants are under 45 years of age at the time of invitation to apply. However, Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa allows for an exemption to the age limit requirement for Regional Medical Practitioner Applicants if the Medical Practitioner meets the following criteria:

• Nominated in a position in a regional area of Australia
• Medical Practitioner in the ANZSCO Minor Group 253
• Must have been employed as a medical practitioner for the three years prior to lodging the application
• Must have spent at least two years during the three years above employed as a Medical Practitioner in a regional area of Australia
  • The two years are not required to be consecutive, this can be made up of several periods
• Must have held a subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa for most of the time throughout the three-year period

High Income Exemption for Medical Practitioners

Visa holders of Subclass 186 and 494 who earn an income that is above the High-Income Threshold are exempt from the age requirement. The current high-income threshold for 2022 is $162,000. The earnings that contribute to the high-income threshold are wages, fringe benefits and salary sacrifice amounts. This does not include superannuation. The following criteria must be met for the visa applicant to meet the high-income exemption:

• Throughout the three years prior to making the visa application the person was employed by the employer who made the nomination AND in the nominated occupation
• In each of those three years, the persons’ earnings were equal to or greater than the high-income threshold
• Must have held a subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa for most of the time throughout the three-year period

Medicare Provider Number Requirement for Overseas Trained Doctors and Foreign Graduates of an Accredited Medical School

10 Year Moratorium

Medicare forms part of Australia’s healthcare system, this is a public service that provides health insurance to eligible individuals in Australia. As an Overseas Trained Doctor or Foreign Graduate, you are required to provide a Medicare Provider Number to bill your work under Medicare. To ensure that Australia’s health services remain of high quality, there are Medicare Billing Restrictions in place if you:

• Obtained your medical degree outside of Australia or New Zealand; or
• Enrolled in a degree in Australia or New Zealand as a temporary resident

These Medicare Billing Restrictions and other regulations are set out under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) (“Health Insurance Act”). Under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act overseas trained doctors and foreign graduates of an accredited medical school are restricted from accessing Medicare benefits for a period of 10 years once registered. The effect of these restrictions are that overseas trained doctors and foreign graduates of an accredited medical school are required to work in Designated Priority Area (DPA) or a District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) for at least 10 years to ensure that the medical services rendered are covered by Medicare.

Exemptions

There are exemptions available under the Act that provide specific means by which you can reduce the 10-year caveat on your practice as an Overseas Trained Doctor or Foreign Graduate through scaling.

Indefinite exemptions are provided to Health Practitioners who work in a Designated Priority Area (DPA) or District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) location.

For Further Information: Doctor Connect

Doctor Connect is a government website that provides information to assist international medical graduates and employers in navigating the steps and regulations to work as a doctor in Australia.