The process for migrating to Australia as a Doctor / International Medical Graduate (IMG) can be quite confusing, In this article we look at the first part of the process which is the Skills Assessment and Registration. Note that there is no separate Skills Assessment outcome. The two processes are done together.
The Players
There are six players in the various skills assessment and registration processes:
- Australian Medical Board (AMB) – Registers all medical practitioners and students;
- Australian Medical Council (AMC) – is the Australian verifications authority for all medical qualifications and also conducts the Standard Pathway assessment examinations;
- Approved Competent Authorities are international authorities who are approved by the Australian Medical Board to assess, for medical registration, applied medical knowledge and basic clinical skills;
- Australian Specialist Medical Colleges – conduct the Specialist Pathway assessments.
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) – provide verification of medical qualifications through their Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service;
- The Applicant – You !
The Pathways
There are three different pathways for skills assessments leading to registration with the AMB, these are the:
- Competent Authority Pathway which can be used by non-specialists or specialists (including general practitioners) who are seeking general registration (not specialist registration) with the AMB. The Competent Authority Pathway is administered by the Australian Medical Board, which essentially recognises a combination of training and supervised work experience (internship equivalent or residency program) by approved authorities in the UK, Canada, USA, New Zealand and Ireland as being valid for provisional medical registration in Australia. Additionally the AMB requires that you have an offer of employment prior to applying for provisional registration. Applicants under this pathway may be required to undertake a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) prior to having their application for provisional registration considered by the AMB. You can find out more about this pathway here: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/Competent-Authority-Pathway.aspx
- Standard Pathway, which is administered by the AMC and is mostly used by medical practitioners who did not qualify in New Zealand, UK, USA, Canada or Ireland. There are two streams to this pathway. The first is the AMC examinations stream. In this stream the applicant needs to:
- Apply to the AMC for standard pathway and primary source verification (more details on this below)
- Pass the AMC CAT MCQ Examination
- Pass the AMC Clinical Examination and receive an AMC certificate
- Secure an employment offer
- Apply to the MBA for provisional registration
- On approval of provisional registration, complete 12 months supervised practice.
OR
-
- Apply to the AMC for standard pathway and primary source verification (more details on this below)
- Pass the AMC CAT MCQ Examination
- Secure an employment offer
- Apply to the MBA for limited registration
- On approval of registration, complete 12 months supervised practice.
- While completing the 12 months of supervised practice, Pass the AMC Clinical Examination and receive an AMC certificate
The second stream is the workplace-based assessment stream, in this stream the applicant needs to:
-
- Apply to the AMC for standard pathway and primary source verification (more details on this below)
- Pass the AMC CAT MCQ Examination
- Secure an employment offer
- Apply to the MBA for limited registration
- On approval of registration, complete 12 months supervised practice.
- While completing the 12 months of supervised practice, complete a workplace assessment and receive an AMC certificate
There are limited numbers of assessment programs, and as a result, relatively few applicants are assessed through this Stream
Applicants under the Standard Pathway may be required to undertake a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) prior to having their application for registration considered by the AMB. You can find out more about the Standard Pathway here: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/Standard-Pathway.aspx
- Specialist Pathway which is for specialists who fall into one of the following categories:
- overseas-trained specialists applying for assessment of comparability to the standard of a specialist trained in that specialty in Australia
- overseas-trained specialists applying for an area of need specialist level position in Australia
The assessment process for specialists varies by specialisation and is carried out by the College relevant to that specialisation. A list of colleges can be found here: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/News/Useful-Contacts.aspx
Specialist pathway applicants do not require a PESCI and the outcome of the assessment can lead to Limited Registration, Provisional Registration or Specialist Registration . You can find out more about the Specialist Pathway here: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/Specialist-Pathway.aspx
The PESCI
The pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) is an objective assessment of your knowledge, skills, clinical experience and attributes to determine whether you are suitable to practise in a specific position. The PESCI consists of a structured clinical interview using scenarios and may be required by the Medical Board of Australia as part of the information it needs when deciding whether to grant registration. More information on the PESCI can be found here:
http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/pesci.aspx
The Skills Assessment Process
Step 1. Confirm that your primary qualification is recognized by the AMC by checking here: http://www.amc.org.au/assessment/list-of-medical-schools. For standard pathway and specialist pathway applicants, your qualification must also be recognized by the World Directory of Medical Schools https://search.wdoms.org/ .
Step 2. Get Primary Source Verification on all your qualifications. You need to create an EPIC account and submit all your qualifications. You can do this here: http://www.ecfmgepic.org/physicians.html
Step 3. Once you have an EPIC Account, you need to nominate the AMC to receive verification status updates.
Step 4. Establish an AMC Portfolio. They will receive the verifications from EPIC which will be used for your skills assessment. You can apply for an AMC account here: https://account.amc.org.au/sign_in
Step 5. Start the skills assessment process via the relevant pathway:
- Competent Authority Pathway: submit an application directly to the Medical Board of Australia
- Standard Pathway: start the AMC examinations process by selecting the “AMC examinations” option on your AMC account. Once you have passed both AMC examinations, (or the AMC CAT ACQ examination and the workplace assessment) you will be issued with an AMC certificate to submit to the Medical Board of Australia for registration purposes.
- Specialist Pathway: Submit your Specialist application directly to the appropriate specialist medical college for assessment..
Registration
Once you have completed the skills assessment process, you will require registration to work in Australia. The Medical Board of Australia is responsible for registration and all applicants must meet registration standards for:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Criminal History
- English Language Skills
- Recency of Practice
- Professional Indemnity Insurance
Details of these requirements can be found here: http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx
There are four types of registration with the AMB relevant to skills assessment applicants:
- Limited
- Provisional
- General
- Specialist
Applicants who have successfully completed skills assessments under the:
- Standard pathway may be eligible for limited or provisional registration.
- Competent Authority pathway may be eligible for provisional registration.
- Specialist pathway may be eligible for limited, provisional or specialist registration depending on the outcome of their skills assessment.
Applicants who successfully attain provisional registration may be eligible to apply for general registration with the AMB following satisfactory completion of 12 months of supervised practice (minimum of 47 weeks of full-time service).
Next Steps
Migrating successfully to Australia as a doctor requires an in-depth understanding of the medical registration and visa application process. Engaging an experienced Australian Registered Migration Agent who is able to provide professional guidance on visa pathways and medical registration requirements can be an important first step. Once your pathway is clearly mapped out, an experienced agent can skilfully navigate you through the hoops and hurdles of the application process. Get in touch today to discuss your visa options and find out how we can help you come to, or remain in Australia
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am a radiologist by profession and I am working in Bahrain for last 5 years I wanted to ask what assessment pathway shall I choose for the purpose of skilled Immigration to Australia as a Radiologist
Hi Nadira
If you intend to register as a specialist, then you should contact the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists: https://www.ranzcr.com as they administer the registration process.
Hi ,
I am IMG Orthopaedic surgeon came to Australia in July 2015 on 402 visa.
I will apply for 407 visa and will be valid till December.
I will apply for RACS for specialist assessment by October.
After October it will take 5-6 months to get final recommendation so I can apply for a job.
What type of visa can I apply for so as to stay after December until I get the assessment result .
King Regards,
Hi Salah
Your question is quite complex, so we will email you directly to discuss your situation
Hi, I currently hold a limited /provisional registration for post graduate training in WA since February 2015. I am currently on a 457 Working Visa. I have sat for the AMC Clinical Part 2 and am awaiting the AMC Certificate. I have been working as a Paediatric Surgical Registrar/Fellow, if I get a general registration with conditions (Paediatric Surgery) – as my supervised practice has only been in paediatric surgery, am I still eligible to apply for skilled independant visa (point based stream)?
Also can I submit the EOI before I get the general registration?
Thanks
Hi GSiva,
General Skilled Migration visas – 189, 190 and 489
The policy guidance issued by the Department of Home Affairs states:
“For medical practitioners, the Department accepts evidence issued by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency of the applicant holding:
full/unconditional/general medical registration; or
conditional specialist registration – this registration allows the person to practise only in their particular speciality, with no further training or
supervision requirements
as a suitable skills assessment.”
You should submit an EOI when you are certain that can meet all visa requirements, including the AHPRA registration requirements. I hope this answers your question?
Hi Carol,
Thank you for that clarification. I have now been granted General Medical Registration by AHPRA with conditions to Paediatric Surgery. Am I eligible for application for the Skilled Independant Visa ?
Thank you
Hi GSiva,
The short answer is possibly.
We are unable to provide definitive advice on a person’s visa options without first undertaking a detailed examination of all relevant visa documentation. In addition, we require critical information about the proposed visa applicant and any accompanying family members. This is not a simple exercise!
If you require a full document review, please let me know. We charge $250 plus GST (per hour) and expect to take 3 to 4 hours undertaking a full review and providing a detailed letter of advice.
Hi,
I am MD Internal Medicine working in India. I would like to know how should I get registered in Australia and work there. Kind request to guide further.
J.Parikh
Hello Jimi. Thank you for your enquiry. Please email your CV, passport, qualifications and medical registration documents to carol-ann@easivisa.com and she will contact you directly on this matter.
Hi! Im an IMG who currently doesnt have a visa for Australia. I have passed my MCQ and I have a job offer. My question is related to the visa I should apply to get a work permit via this pathway. Thank you!
Hi Juan. Without knowing more about you and your potential employer it is impossible to offer advice on visa options. Please email your CV, passport, qualifications, registrations etc and job offer to carol-ann@easivisa.com and she will advise on appropriate visa options.
I would please like to know more about process of securing a job offer first if I want to take the competent pathway. Must it be certain employers or hospitals? How do I go about securing the employment?
Thank you.
Hello Ola, we’ve just added a Blog to our website about finding jobs in Australia. The Blog is specifically for doctors.
Hi..i am nitin mittal.MD internal medicine working as a consultant in India.Can you please suggest How to get the Australian PR.
Iam a Family physisician trainee from Nigeria, how can i process and migrate ot australia
Sorry, to Australia
Hello ,
I am an IMG FROM India with MBBS ,currently in Australia on a student visa doing MPH . Is it possible i can apply for any other visa which has more working rights than student visa or any other temproray or permenant visa .
hi, I’m an IMG and I have less than one year experience of working .will I have any chance for job offer and finally general registration if I pass AMC MCQ and clinical exam or having more working experience is essential for them?
Dear Sir/MADAM
I have completed my MBBS and i want to do residency programme in pediatrics .
And i Dont wnt to write AMC Exam .
Without AMC how can i get residency in Austrlia.
Any pathway without AMC
Thanku.
Hi
I am am an IMG and currently working as GP in uae , I have more than 12 years of work experience , I have applied for my skill assessment through specialist pathway and got good result that is 75% substantial comparable to Australian GP practice , now after gaining one year Australian exp I can get direct specialist registration , but my question is that can I get PR on 186 visa from the beginning or 189 visa after one year ? as I am turning 45 years this August , I have got job offer as a gp from sydney ,but I am thinking if i dont get PR even after specialist registration after 1 year , should I come and work with 457 vis a?
Hello Sunny,
According to the policy guidelines issued by the Department of Home Affairs, certain IMGs can be nominated for permanent residence (by an eligible Australian employer) without general or specialist registration. However, the IMG will still need to meet a very specific set of requirements that directly relate to AMB registration. I don’t know enough about you or your employer at this point in time to be able offer advice on your particular situation. If you would like me to help you explore your visa options, please feel free to email me directly – carol-ann@easivisa.com
Hi Nitin,
The pathways to permanent residence are numerous for medical professionals. It is impossible for us to provide advice on your visa pathways without knowing more about you. Please send an email to carol-ann@easivisa.com if you would like us to help you explore your options.
I am a pathologist completed my specialization from India. I have total 5 year of experience in my specialized field. I want to migrate to Australia. Kindly advise me how to proceed and which pathway I should opt for.
Hi
i am working in saudi arabia as specialist in icu from las 2 year i did my below studies in India,
FNB- 2 year fellowship in critical care- from National board of examination
1 year Diploma in critical care from indian society of critical care
DNB- Anesthesia
MBBS
now i am looking to migrate to Australia plz suggest the pathway/process/time/money and type of visa for me
thanks
rajeev
Hi, I am Specialist Obs and Gyne and working as a Specialist Doctor in Pakistan.
I am fellowship of college of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan in Instead n Gyne. Kindly confirm in Specialist Pathway I need to complete IELTS 1st or I can apply prior to complete IELTS?
Good day. I just want to ask how do I get registered here in australia as a doctor (area of need)? Ive been in private practice for almost 5years in the Philippines as a GP and currently here on a student visa. Is there, by any chance I can bypass AMC exams?
Hi,
I am working in the US as a Nephrologist and wanted to know if I can move to Australia as a Nephrologist.
Med School – Ukraine
IM Residency and Fellowship in USA
US Board Certified in IM and Nephrology
Citizenship – Canadian
Thanks
Hi there, Nephrologist is an occupation that can be used in connection with an employer sponsored visa and/or a general skilled visa. Happy to discuss and apologies for the delay in responding!
Hi,
Can I get 5 points of partner qualification for 189 visa if my partner has limited registration with AHPRA?
TIA
Sajjad
Hi Sajjad,
Limited registration is not equivalent to a full skills assessment for an IMG and so you will be unable to claim 5 points for your partner at this point.