Temporary Visa Options for Doctors
Australian organisations (businesses, communities or government agencies) can sponsor overseas doctors to work in Australia for up to 4 years.
Temporary visas are the usual pathway to permanent residence for doctors who do not yet hold full medical registration in Australia. Overseas trained doctors can commence a period of supervised practice and formal assessment in Australia to meet the requirements for full medical registration.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (Subclass 457)
The Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa is the preferred temporary visa pathway for doctors entering Australia. This is because it allows employers to take advantage of the following streamlined processing arrangements:
- employers and doctors are able to use a special online application form
- employers can have one sponsorship agreement to cover multiple doctors, nurses and other staff employed by the same employer
- once a sponsorship agreement has been approved, employers can nominate doctors through a nomination application that is much simpler than a full sponsorship application.
Subclass 422 - Medical Practitioner (Temporary) visa
Doctors should generally apply for a Subclass 457 - Business (Long Stay) visa where possible. However, the Medical Practitioner visa is an alternative visa for doctors registered to work in Australia. Employers must lodge a separate sponsorship application for each doctor sponsored.
In limited situations, such as where a rural community or local council is seeking to sponsor a doctor, this visa will be the most appropriate visa.
Occupational Trainee visa
Some doctors coming to Australia to undertake a supervised training program may be able to apply for an Occupational Trainee visa for up to 12 months. The doctor must be appointed to a designated training position that is not primarily service-providing in nature. Organisations providing occupational training programs must apply to nominate doctors for this visa.