Speech Pathologist (Aus) / Speech Language Therapist (NZ) – ANZSCO 252712

Speech Pathologists provide diagnostic assessment and management of disorders of communication and swallowing through direct intervention, education, consultancy, advocacy, or a combination of these approaches.
Skill Level
1
Alternative Titles
  • Speech Therapist
Skills Assessment Requirement

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Speech Pathologist is Speech Pathology Australia (SPA). To have a positive skills assessment you must meet the following criteria:

  • There are two pathways for skills assessments:
  1. Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) Application
    • Applicant must hold certification from or have membership to one of the signatory MRA Associations
    • Applicant must have completed professional education to become a speech pathologist in a country that is a signatory to one of the following MRA Agreements:
Association Qualification
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence – Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP)
Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) Certified Speech-Language Pathologist (S-LP(C))
Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (RCSLT) Certified Member (Cert MRCSLT)
Irish Association of Speech & Language Therapist (IASLT) Full Member
New Zealand Speech-Language Therapist’s Association (NZSTA) Full Member (with the exception of those who graduated prior to 1993, who are ineligible to apply)
  1. Overseas Qualification Competency Assessment Application
    • If the applicant fails to meet the requirements for the MRA Application, they can apply for this stream. The applicant must be able to demonstrate competence as a speech pathologist
      • Qualification comparable to trained speech pathologists in Australia;
      • Ability to use English effectively in the Australian speech pathology context; and
      • Practised as a speech pathologist for at least 1000 hours in the last five years
      • Provide a portfolio of evidence demonstrating your skills and knowledge are equivalent to the competency standards determined by the Competency Based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathologists (CBOS)
    • Applicant must have a qualification at the level of an Australian bachelor’s degree or higher (AQF Level 7) or a comparable qualification
      • It must be specific to speech pathology
      • Include supervised clinical practice
    • English Language Requirement
      • Applicants are required to demonstrate ‘competent’ English
      • Applicants who hold a valid passport from the countries below automatically satisfy the English language requirement:
        • United Kingdom
        • Canada
        • New Zealand
        • United States of America
        • Republic of Ireland
      • CBOS Competency Standards
        • Applicants must be able to demonstrate competence in the CBOS units that cover the following areas:
          • Language
          • Speech
          • Swallowing
          • Voice
          • Fluency
          • Multi-modal Communication

Important

SPA provide an example application to assist applicants in putting together the necessary evidence that supports their skills assessment in seeking to practice as a Speech Pathologist in Australia.

Potential Visa Pathways for Speech Pathologist
ANZSCOOccupationSkills Assessment189190485 491 (State)491 (Family)186 (Direct)407 (Training)494 (regional Sponsored)482 (TSS Medium
Term)
252712Speech PathologistSPA

Group: 2527 Audiologists and Speech Pathologists/Therapists

Description
AUDIOLOGISTS AND SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS/THERAPISTS provide diagnostic assessment, treatment, rehabilitative services and management of human hearing defects, and communication and swallowing impairments.
Tasks
Tasks Include:

      • Administering and interpreting a wide range of audiometric tests to determine hearing efficiency and locate sites of detected hearing problems
      • Interpreting audiometric test results alongside other medical, social and behavioural diagnostic data
      • Evaluating total response pattern and acoustic tests to distinguish between organic and non-organic hearing loss
      • Planning, directing and participating in counselling, speech reading and other rehabilitation programs
      • Prescribing appropriate hearing aids and instructing patients in use
      • Administering tests and observing patients to determine nature and extent of disorders
      • Planning and conducting programs of remedial exercise to correct disorders such as stuttering and abnormal articulation
      • Administering individual and group therapy for rehabilitation of patients with communication problems caused by defective hearing, cerebral palsy, surgery and injury
      • Advising on treatment for children with difficulties in learning to speak
      • Counselling and guiding language-handicapped individuals, their families, teachers and employers
Skill Level
Occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).
Occupations in this Group
  • 252711 Audiologist
  • 252712 Speech Pathologist (Aus) / Speech Language Therapist (NZ)
How to calculate your points (skilled visas)

To apply for a skilled visa, you need to know how many points you can score. The minimum score to be eligible for application is 65 points. However, depending on your occupation, the competitiveness, and the states you are applying to, you might need to score more points to get an invite.

Points will be given to you based on the following:

Click here to calculate your points.

189 visa – Skilled Independent Visa

This 189 visa allows you to live, work and study in Australia permanently. It is a points-tested visa. The minimum score to apply is 65 points. However, based on previous invitation rounds, you would need to achieve a higher score to have a better chance of obtaining an invitation.

In short, to be eligible for visa 189, you need to meet the following criteria:

Immigration Points

Must score at least 65 points. Due to the competitive nature of this visa, a pool mark does not guarantee an invitation to apply.

English

Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

Age

Must be under 45 years of age. There is however no age limit for the 189 NZ stream.

be invited

Must lodge the EOI and be invited by the Department of Home Affairs to apply for the visa.

Skills assessment

Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.

HEALTH AND CHARACTER

Must meet health and character requirements.

Subclass 190 visa– Skilled Nominated Visa & Subclass 491 visa – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa

To apply for visa subclass 190 and visa subclass 491, you need to have a nomination from the state/territory government where you want to live and work. Each State and Territory have individual requirements that must be met in order to receive nomination. (See below)

While the 190 visa is a permanent visa, subclass 491 visa gives you right to live and work in regional Australia for 5 years with a pathway to permanent residency through the subclass 191 visa.

Another difference between the 190 and 491 visa is that you can only apply for visa subclass 491 if you are living and working in regional areas in Australia, while it is not a requirement if you are applying for the 190 visa.

In summary, to be eligible for 190 visa, you need to meet the following criteria:

Immigration Points

Must score at least 65 points, or higher points if the state or territory requires.

English

Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, or higher if the state or territory requires.

Age

Must be under 45 years of age.

be invited

Must lodge an EOI and be invited by the state or territory and then apply for the visa.

Skills assessment

Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.

HEALTH AND CHARACTER

Must meet health and character requirements.


To check if the state/ territory government requirements for your occupation, refer to the following links

State/ Territory
Links to requirements
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Tasmania
Queensland

485 Visa – Graduate Temporary Visa (Graduate Work Stream)

The 485 visa is a work visa available to international students who have completed two years of study in Australia. It is an 18-month visa that has full work rights and full study rights. It also allows you to travel freely to and from Australia throughout the validity of the visa.

To be eligible for visa 485, you need to meet the following criteria:

Age

You must be under 50 years of age.

Education

Must have completed a two-year CRISCOS registered course(s).

Subclass 491 Family Sponsored visa – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

This 491 Family sponsored visa requires you to have a family member who is living in regional area to sponsor you. This visa offers pathway to permanent residency through visa subclass 191.

English

Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

Age

Must be under 45 years of age.

be invited

Must lodge an EOI and be invited by DHA to apply for the visa.

Skills assessment

Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.

HEALTH AND CHARACTER

Must meet health and character requirements.

Subclass 186 visa – Employer Nomination Scheme

If you have an employer who is willing to sponsor you, you may be eligible for a Subclass 186 visa. This visa is permanent and will allow you to live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. To be eligible for this visa, you need to have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and a positive skills assessment. Alternatively, if you are a holder of a Subclass 457 or TSS visa, you can apply for Subclass 186 after working for your employer for at least 2 years under the Temporary Residence Transition stream.

Experience

At least 3-year full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.

English

Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

Age

Must be under 45 years of age, unless exempt.

Be Sponsored

Must be sponsored by an Australian employer.

Skills assessment

Must have a positive skills assessment. Exemptions apply for the 186TRT.

HEALTH AND CHARACTER

Must meet health and character requirements.

407  Training Visa

The 407 visa a short stay visa for individuals to participate in occupational training or professional development in Australia. This visa is generally valid to stay in Australia for 2 years. Please note this visa is subject to condition 8102 which forbids work apart from the training that is specified in the visa application. You are also required to maintain health insurance whilst in Australia.

To be eligible for visa 407, you need to meet the following criteria:

GTE

You must prove that you genuinely stay in Australia for training and will depart when you complete the training.

English Level

Must have Functional English, i.e. IELTS overall 4.5 with no band less than 4, or equivalent.

Age

Must be over 18 years old.

Be Sponsored

You must be sponsored by an approved temporary activities sponsor – Can be an employer or a commonwealth agency

Health and Character

Must meet health and character requirements.

Subclass 494 visa – Skilled Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa

You can apply for subclass 494 if you have a regional employer who is willing to sponsor you. To be eligible for this visa, you must have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and have a relevant skills assessment. With this visa, there is a requirement that you must work for the employer who is sponsoring you.

This visa provides pathway to permanent residency through the 191 visa.

Experience

At least 3 years full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.

English

Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

Age

Must be under 45 years of age, unless exempt.

Be Sponsored

Must be sponsored by an Australian regional employer.

Subclass 482 visa – Temporary Skill Shortage (Medium Term) visa

The Subclass 482 visa is a Temporary Skill Shortage visa that requires a sponsorship from an Australian employer. This visa allows to your live and work in Australia for up to 4 years. You may apply for as many 482 visas as you want, as long as the employer is willing to sponsor you.

English Level

Must have IELTS overall of atleast 5.0 with no band less than 5.0.

Age

There is no age requirement for this visa.

Health and Character

Must meet health and character requirements.

Job Outlook

  • $1,827 AUD

    Weekly Earnings

  • 56%

    Work full time hours

  • Very Strong

    Growth expected in the next 5 years

  • 97% female

    Gender share

  • 41 hours

    Average full-time

  • Very High Skill

    Skill level rating

Study Pathway to Speech Pathologist

Speech Pathologists provide diagnostic assessment and management of disorders of communication and swallowing through direct intervention, education, consultancy, advocacy, or a combination of these approaches. To become a speech pathologist you usually have to complete a degree in speech pathology at university. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Prerequisite subjects, or assumed knowledge, in one or more of English, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics are normally required. Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements. It should be noted that registration with Speech Pathology Australia is also required.

Bachelor in Speech Pathology or Bachelor in Speech and Communication

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Total Course Cost Approx: $162,624 AUD
  • Completion of Australian Year 12 or equivalent – academic score requirements may apply
  • English proficiency requirement – IELTS 8.0 with no band less than 8.0 or equivalent
  • Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences
  • Master of Speech Pathology
  • Master of Rehabilitation

Book a consultation with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find out more about your visa options and your path to Australian permanent residency or applying for citizenship.