Home   Australia Immigration   Employer Sponsored visa   Medical Practitioners

This visa allows foreign medical practitioners to work in Australia for a sponsoring employer for a period between 3 months and 4 years.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for:

• overseas-trained doctors
• overseas students who have completed their medical degree in Australia.

What does this visa let me do?

With this visa:

• you can work in Australia for a period of between 3 months and 4 years
• you can bring any eligible family members with you to Australia where they can work and study
• after entering Australia, you and your eligible family members have no limit on the number of times you travel in and out of Australia.

You must be sponsored by an approved Australian employer to be eligible to apply for this visa.

You should not lodge your visa application until you have received confirmation that your sponsorship has been approved.

Application process

The process for applying for this visa is outlined below.

Sponsoring organisations

Sponsoring organisations can be:

• direct employers from the health industry
• state and territory health authorities
• deputising services and locum agencies
• community bodies such as local councils, government health organisations and medical centres in regional areas.

Work rights

While in Australia you can work:

• for the employer who sponsored you in the position nominated in your visa application
• for multiple unrelated employers
• as an independent contractor.

Bringing family

The following people may be included in your application:

• your partner
• your or your partner's dependent children
• other dependent relatives.

Family members who are granted a temporary visa are entitled to work and study in Australia.

Visa validity period

The validity period of the:

• sponsorship is 12 months
• temporary visa is between three months and four years.

Extending your stay

If you currently hold Medical Practitioner (Temporary) visa and decide to apply for a further visa to extend your stay, a new sponsorship and visa application must be lodged.

Other visa options

Doctors and their sponsors should consider applying for the Subclass 457 – Business (Long Stay) visa instead of the Subclass 422 – Medical Practitioner (Temporary) visa as the Subclass 457 visa now supports the same flexible working arrangements of medical practitioners that are available under the Subclass 422 visa.

Business visa offers the following advantages:

• it can be lodged online
• it allows organisations to make multiple nominations for doctors under the same sponsorship
• organisations can nominate other health professionals such as nurses, radiologists etc under the same sponsorship.
• it allows doctors to work for the employer who sponsored them, for multiple unrelated employers or as an independent contractor.
  
  

Eligibility

These pages outline the requirements that must be met by all parties.

• Sponsor Eligibility
• Doctor Eligibility
• Family Member Eligibility

Sponsor Eligibility

To be eligible for approval as a temporary resident sponsor you must:

• be a lawfully established and actively operating organisation in Australia
• be willing and able to comply with sponsorship undertakings
• have a satisfactory record of compliance with immigration laws of Australia.

Who can be a sponsor?

The following organisations may apply to sponsor overseas doctors:

• direct employers from the health industry
• state or territory health authorities
• deputising services and locum agencies
• community bodies such as local councils, government health organisations and medical centres in regional areas.

Supporting documentation

To be approved as a sponsor of an overseas doctor, you must provide a letter confirming:

• the position you want to fill is full-time
• the salary for the position meets current Australian market rates and employment conditions
• the qualifications and essential skills required for the position.

Doctor Eligibility

This visa is for:

• overseas-trained doctors
• overseas students who have completed their medical degree in Australia.

To be granted this visa, you must have approval for registration to practise as a medical practitioner in the state or territory where you will be employed.

You must also have been offered full-time employment with an approved sponsor such as a hospital, medical practice, area health service or similar body.

Sponsorship requirements

You must be sponsored and employed by an approved sponsor for this visa.
Health requirements

You must meet a number of health requirements for your visa to be granted.

You will be required to undergo a medical examination and chest x-ray, plus HIV/Hepatitis B and C blood tests.

If you are outside Australia, a health examination must be conducted by an approved overseas doctor.
Character requirements

You must be of good character to enter Australia.

Limitation on applications

If you are already in Australia, you may have a condition on your current visa that prevents you from making an application for another visa.

Australian Values Statement

All visa applicants aged 18 years or over, must declare that they will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. For applicants of this visa, the values statement is included in the general declaration section of the application form. By signing the form applicants will also be signing the values statement. Applicants for this visa will not be required to have read the Life in Australia book, but may do so if they wish.

Visa applicants are also encouraged to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for this visa.

Family Member Eligibility

The following family members may be eligible to accompany and stay with you in Australia:

• your partner
• your dependent children
• other dependent relatives living with you.

These family members must intend to remain members of your family unit.

Sponsorship requirements

All eligible family members who intend to accompany or join you later in Australia should be included in the sponsorship application.

If any of your family members apply after the sponsorship application has been finalised, your sponsor will need to lodge a new sponsorship application including paying the sponsorship application charge.

Your sponsor must also accept responsibility for compensating the Australian Government for any costs incurred by your accompanying dependent family members arising out of their stay in Australia and their compliance with visa conditions and legislation.

Health requirements

All accompanying dependent family members must meet certain health requirements and may need to undergo a health examination.

Character requirements

All accompanying dependent family members must be of good character to enter Australia.

Australian Values Statement

All visa applicants aged 18 years or over, must declare that they will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. For applicants of this visa, the values statement is included in the general declaration section of the application form. By signing the form applicants will also be signing the values statement. Applicants for this visa will not be required to have read the Life in Australia book, but may do so if they wish.

Visa applicants are also encouraged to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for this visa.

Obligations

Obligations are the responsibilities that each party must meet when the visa is granted.

• Doctor Obligations
• Family Member Obligations
• Sponsor Obligations

Doctor Obligations

If your visa application is approved, the following work conditions will apply.

You must not:

• stop working for the employer who sponsored you for the visa either by becoming unemployed or changing employer
• work in a position or occupation that is inconsistent with the position nominated in your visa application
• cease employment unless it is for a period of 28 consecutive days or less.

There may be other conditions of your entry and stay in Australia. If so, these will be explained to you when you are granted your visa.

Change in circumstances

If your circumstances change you must inform the department in writing as soon as possible.

If your employment cases, you must either:

• find another employer who is willing to sponsor you and apply for another visa
• apply for another type of visa
• leave Australia within 28 days.

Private health insurance

Private health insurance is a condition for your visa to remain valid while you are in Australia, but it is not a requirement for visa grant. You will need to hold adequate private medical and hospital health insurance cover for the entire time you are in Australia. You should ensure your insurance will provide at least the level of coverage required for your purpose of stay. Your health insurance cover does not have to be held with an Australian insurer, arrangements made in your home country may be assessed as being acceptable.
This requirement may not apply to you if your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, and you are enrolled with Medicare.

Taxation requirements

You must meet Australian taxation obligations while you work in Australia.

It is important that you read information on your taxation obligations on the Australian Taxation Office's website.

Family Member Obligations

Family members must abide by all Australian laws and intend to remain a member of your family unit while in Australia.

Your family members can:

• enter Australia with, or after you
• leave Australia with, or before you

Change in circumstances

If your family's circumstances change you must inform the department in writing as soon as possible.

Private health insurance

Private health insurance is a condition for your accompanying dependent family member’s visas to remain valid while they are in Australia, but it is not a requirement for visa grant. All accompanying dependent family members will need to hold adequate private medical and hospital health insurance cover for the entire time they are in Australia. They should ensure their insurance will provide at least the level of coverage required for their purpose of stay. Their health insurance cover does not have to be held with an Australian insurer, arrangements made in their home country may be assessed as being acceptable.
This requirement may not apply to you if your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, and you are enrolled with Medicare.

Sponsor Obligations

As a sponsor you are responsible for:

• compensating the Australian Government for any costs incurred by the doctor and all sponsored accompanying family members arising out of their stay in Australia
• compliance by the doctor with all relevant legislation and awards in relation to any employment entered into by the doctor in Australia
• compliance by the doctor and all sponsored accompanying family members with the conditions under which they were allowed to enter Australia, unless the department otherwise decides.

Applying for this Visa

If the sponsor and doctor are eligible, and are willing and able to meet their obligations, then the sponsor can commence the two-step application process.

Step 1 - Organisation applies to be a sponsor

The sponsoring organisation must lodge a sponsorship application.

A separate sponsorship application must be lodged for each position to be filled.

Step 2 - Doctor applies for the visa

The doctor must lodge a visa application.

Renewing a visa

If you currently hold a Medical Practitioner visa and decide to extend your stay, new sponsorship and visa applications must be lodged.