A Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) or Health Workforce Exemption Certificate (HWEC) were introduced under the Migration Legislation Amendment (Health Workforce Certificates Measures No. 2) Instrument (LIN 20/274) 2020. HWCs and HWECs must be provided when employers are seeking to nominate the following occupations:
Subclass 186 Visa
Subclass 186 Visa is an employer nomination scheme that provides a permanent residency visa pathway to applicants who are sponsored by an employer.
- If medical practitioner from one of the above occupations is nominated for a subclass 186 visa a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) is REQUIRED.
Subclass 482 or 494 Visa
Subclass 482 Visa is a temporary skill shortage visa that seeks to fulfill labour shortages in the Australian market where appropriately skilled Australians cannot be found.
Subclass 494 Visa is a visa that address identified labour shortages in regional areas of Australia and provides visa applicants with the ability to live, work and study in regional Australia
- If a medical practitioner from one of the above occupations is nominated for a position located in a hospital a Health Workforce Exemption Certificate (HWEC) is
- If a medical practitioner is nominated for a position not located in a hospital, a Health Workforce Certificate (HWC) is
Health Workforce Certificates
A HWC must detail the following:
- Name and date of birth of nominee
- Position that the nominee intends to work
- Location of the position
- Occupation
Health Workforce Exemption Certificates
A HWEC must detail the following:
- Occupation
- Name of the person who nominates the occupation in relation to the nominee
- Name and location of hospital
Jamie Lim
Jamie is an Australian Regulated Migration Advisor (RMA 1799460). Jamie has extensive immigration services experience across multiple visa subclasses and specialises in employer sponsored visas. He has a wide range of experience in corporate migration, including employer-sponsored visas and immigration compliance, and has managed small to large multinational corporate clients. Jamie also has specific experience with medical professionals, skills assessments, state sponsorships as well as partner visas. Book a time with Jamie here.
Jamie holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University. Jamie speaks Mandarin Chinese as a second language.
His specialities include but not limited to:
Australian Visa Changes from 1 July 2026: Higher Fees, New Income Thresholds and Working Holiday Updates
Federal Budget 2026–27: Key Migration and Visa Changes for Australia
Skilled Partner Points and Changes in Marital Status for Subclass 190 Visa Applicants
Partner Visa Processing Update (April 2026): What Applicants Must Know
Iranian visa holders temporarily barred from travelling to Australia from 26 March