Frequently Asked Questions for international health professionals considering working in WA Health - June 2022
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Frequently Asked Questions for international health professionals considering working in WA Health June 2022
Contents
Welcome to Western Australia (WA) Health 3
I have a job offer from WA Health, what now? 3
The visa application process 4
Before you apply for a visa 4
Skills assessment 4
English language proficiency requirements 5
Demonstration of relevant work experience 5
Other eligibility requirements 6
How do I apply for registration? 6
What else will I need before coming to Australia 7
Returning Australians 7
Proof of vaccination status 8
Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) 8
Pre-departure COVID-19 test Error! Bookmark not defined.
Quarantine and testing requirements 8
G2G Now Error! Bookmark not defined.
What else do I need to know about travelling to WA? 8
Travel restrictions and exemptions for Australia 9
Exempt categories 9
Individual exemptions 9
Apply online for an exemption and travel 9
Supporting letter/evidence for entry to WA 9
Travel 10
How can I apply for a G2G Pass? Error! Bookmark not defined.
How can I access the relocation incentive announced by the WA Government? 10
Eligibility 10
Value 10
Flights 11
Quarantine costs – Unvaccinated overseas health professionals 11
What if I have additional questions? 11
Useful links 11Welcome to Western Australia (WA) Health
WA Health recognises the value that international skilled clinical professionals add to our health
workforce. Working in WA Health will see you part of a 50,000-strong team that is committed to
providing world-class public health care and ensuring healthier, longer and better lives for all
Western Australians.
We are progressing initiatives to support international recruitment and expedite employment for
critical workforce shortages, including financial incentives to cover flights. Reimbursement of your
relevant costs under this incentive will be made upon commencement of employment with WA
Health and are not a direct or upfront payment.
Visa sponsorship opportunities may be available for specific vacancies and should be discussed
with the employing Health Service Provider (HSP).
Western Australians seeking to return home from outside Australia for employment will also be
supported and are also eligible for incentives and encouraged to apply for positions.
Before applying for jobs in WA Health:
• ensure professional registration (if applicable) is current and valid in Australia
• ensure evidence of appropriate residency and immigration approvals to work in Australia
• provide evidence of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with a TGA approved vaccine
• read the application guidelines carefully to ensure you meet the employment criteria and
will be able to provide all the required information.
Find out about careers in WA Health: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Careers
Job vacancies across WA Health are advertised on the WA Health Jobs Board.
To keep up to date on travel to WA’s, including conditions of entry please see:
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-
controlled-border
I have a job offer from WA Health, what now?
International applicants may require the following to work in Australia:
• a visa
• registration with the relevant professional body
Other requirements for entry to WA include:
• proof of vaccination status for COVID-19
• digital passenger declaration
• compliance with travel restrictions
• a letter from your employer to the WA Chief Health Officer (CHO) (for individual travel
exemptions only)As an employee of WA Health, you will also be expected to comply with WA Health’s COVID-19
Mandatory Vaccination and Vaccination Program Policy.
The visa application process
Your employing hospital can assist you with information about visas. The visa that you are eligible
for will depend on your work type.
If you are sponsored by your employer, you must be nominated for a skilled occupation position.
You can search the skilled occupation list here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-
australia/skill-occupation-list.
Before you apply for a visa
Before you apply for a visa you may need to organise the following:
• a skills assessment
• an English proficiency exam
• information to demonstrate sufficient work experience
• a health assessment
Skills assessment
A skills assessment is issued by a skill assessing authority or organisation that checks that your
skills meet the set standards to work in a relevant occupation. The type of visa you apply for will
determine if you need a skills assessment.
It is your responsibility to contact the relevant assessing authority for your occupation and obtain
a skills assessment, if required.
Obtaining a suitable skills assessment is mandatory for some visa subclasses (and streams) and
may be requested for others. You should read all the available information about the visa you are
interested in applying for. This will allow you to determine if you need to submit a skills assessment
and when you need to obtain it. Further information can be found here:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skills-assessment.
After you have successfully completed the skills assessment you will receive a scanned certified
copy which you will need to provide with your visa application.
Profession Education and skills assessment
Nursing and Midwifery Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC)
assess the skills, against 5 assessment criteria, of nurses and midwives
who want to migrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration
program. The ANMAC determines if an applicant has the nursing or
midwifery qualifications and experience needed for migration to
Australia.
More information:
https://www.anmac.org.au/skilled-migration-services/overview
Medical practitioners All overseas doctors must apply for primary source verification of their
medical qualifications through the Educational Commission for Foreign
Medical Graduates (ECFMG) Electronic Portfolio of InternationalProfession Education and skills assessment
Credentials (EPIC), regardless of which of the three assessment
pathways are being pursued.
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the verifications authority of
Australia and maintains the qualifications portal with information and
updates on the ECFMG.
The qualifications portal is used by the Medical Board of Australia for
registration purposes and by the specialist medical colleges for
assessment purposes.
More information:
https://www.amc.org.au/assessment/pathways/overview/
Allied health and health Skills recognition by the relevant professional body.
science professionals
More information:
https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Allied-Health-and-Health-
Science-Registration-Boards
English language proficiency requirements
Unless you are exempt, you may need to demonstrate that you meet certain minimum standards
of English language proficiency by taking and achieving a specific result in an English language
test. You can check exemptions by visa type here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-
a-visa/visa-listing.
If you are not exempt and are required to demonstrate proficiency, the following tests may be
used to assess proficiency.
Test Required result
International English Language Testing Overall band score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least
System (IELTS) 4.5 in each of the test components.
https://www.ielts.org/
Occupational English Test (OET) Score of at least ‘B’ in each of the four components
https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org
Test of English as a Foreign Language iBT total score of at least 35 with a score of at least 3 for
Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) each of the test components of listening and reading, and
http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/about a score of at least 12 for each of the test components of
speaking and writing
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic overall test score of at least 36 with a score of
Academic) at least 30 in each of the test components
https://pearsonpte.com/the-test
Cambridge C1 Advanced test Overall test score of at least 154 with a score of at least
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams- 147 in each of the test components.
and-tests/advanced/
Demonstration of relevant work experience
The length of required work experience may vary between visa types.Employer sponsored visas require you to have at least 2 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field. Such work experience must be completed while working in the nominated occupation or performing tasks at the same skill level in a related field. If the nominated occupation is a medical practitioner, you must have your qualifications recognised by the relevant authority in Australia for the registration of medical practitioners as entitling you to practise as a medical practitioner. Other eligibility requirements There may be further eligibility requirements for your chosen visa type. These may include: • adequate health insurance: • character requirements: • Australian Government specific requirements • agreement to sign the Australian values statement For more information: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/ Accompanying family members You can include other family members (called 'secondary applicants') in your visa application. The family members you can add will depend on the type of visa you hold. Applying for a visa The Department of Home Affairs has detailed information on visa types, eligibility and the application process: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/work. Assistance with the visa application process If you need help with your visa, please visit Home Affairs- support: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/who-can-help-with-your-application/overview How do I apply for registration? Additional registration requirements exist for clinicians who complete their qualifications in a country other than Australia. This may include an application for recognition of qualifications through the regulatory authority for your specialty/discipline. Find out about requirements to practise for your clinical area: • Nursing and midwifery • Allied health and health science • Dentistry (external site) • International medical graduates To work as a medical practitioner, dentist or nurse in Australia, you need to apply for and be registered with the relevant Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) National Board.
Overseas qualified applicants must meet the registration standards of their health profession
which includes the English language skills registration standard and the Criminal history
registration standard.
• Applying for registration: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-
Process.aspx
• Registration standards: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-
Standards.aspx
For some allied health and health science professions, registration is a statutory requirement and
the profession is regulated. Registration is normally with the relevant profession’s national board
through Ahpra or another association. However, some other Allied health and health science
professionals are self-regulated.
• Allied Health and Health Science Registration Boards and self-regulated professions list:
https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Allied-Health-and-Health-Science-
Registration-Boards
Profession Registration requirements
Nursing and Midwifery Assessed against the Nursing and Midwifery Board registration
standards
Medical practitioners Self-check on Medical Board website to determine eligible pathway
Dental practitioners Registration pathways for specific divisions
Allied health and health Assessed against the relevant Registration Board or self-regulated.
science professionals
What else will I need before coming to Australia
Travel restrictions are subject to change in response to the circumstances surrounding COVID-
19. The information in this document is correct at the time of publication, but you must always
ensure that you are informed of the latest information relating to Australia’s immigration and
border arrangements by checking the Department of Home Affairs website.
It is also your responsibility to ensure you meet any requirements of the airline you are travelling
with and any countries you transit through.
Further information: Inbound international travel | Australian Government Department of Health
Returning Australians
Fully vaccinated Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents do not need to apply for
an exemption to enter Australia.
Further information: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/australian-citizen-or-permanent-residentProof of vaccination status Under WA Health’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination and Vaccination Program Policy all employees of WA Health and those engaged under a contract for service arrangement, are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. You will need to provide proof of your vaccination status when you check-in for your flight. If you were vaccinated overseas and do not have an Australian International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate, you will need to present a foreign vaccination certificate. If you cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19 because of a medical condition, you will need to provide evidence. Further information: https://www.passports.gov.au/guidance-foreign-vaccination-certificates Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) All passengers arriving by air into Australia should complete the DPD (previously known as the Australian Travel Declaration). You will need to submit your DPD within 72 hours before departure and can download an app or submit it online. A completed DPD does not guarantee your travel to Australia. Once you have submitted the DPD, you will see a summary screen that you must show (either electronically or printed) before you board your flight and on arrival in Australia. Further information: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/digital-passenger-declaration and Digital Passenger Declaration frequently asked questions (homeaffairs.gov.au) Quarantine and testing requirements In Australia, states and territories are responsible for determining and managing quarantine and testing requirements. While quarantine is currently no longer required in WA for vaccinated returning Australians or vaccinated international travellers, this is subject to change. For the latest information on travelling into WA please see COVID-19 coronavirus: Travel to WA What else do I need to know about travelling to WA? Travel restrictions are subject to change in response to the circumstances surrounding COVID- 19. The information in this document is correct at the time of publication but it is your responsibility to ensure that you are informed of the latest information by checking the Federal and WA requirements for international travel. The following pages may be useful: What I need to do before I travel | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au) https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/coming-australia https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-controlled- border
Travel restrictions and exemptions for Australia
Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible visa holders can travel to
and from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. Unvaccinated visa holders will
require an individual travel exemption or belong to an exempt category.
Immediate family members of Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens
usually resident in Australia who do not hold an eligible visa must provide proof of relationship
before travel by submitting an exemption request through the Travel Exemption Portal.
All other temporary visa holders seeking to travel to Australia must apply for a travel exemption.
Exempt categories
The Department of Home Affairs - Travel Restrictions and Exemptions webpage outlines the
categories which automatically exempt people from the travel restrictions, whereby they can
enter Australia (without obtaining an individual exemption).
Individual exemptions
If you are not in an exempt category, you can request an individual exemption to Australia's
travel restrictions.
For information on applying for an individual travel exemption:
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions#toc-5
Apply online for an exemption and travel
If required, you can apply for individual exemption to Australia's travel restrictions using the Travel
Exemption portal on the Department of Home Affairs website.
In order to travel, both an exemption and a visa are required. To complete a travel exemption
request, you should hold a visa, or have applied for a visa, and provide information and
documents to support your request. Requests may be finalised without further consideration if
insufficient evidence is provided. The Department of Home Affairs - Travel Restrictions and
Exemptions webpage outlines what may be required.
Supporting letter/evidence for entry to WA
If you need to apply for a for travel exemption WA’s CHO is authorised under the Emergency
Management Act 2005 to approve a person to enter WA to provide essential medical services,
where the specialists skills are not otherwise reasonably available in WA. This authorisation
applies to all medical staff, nursing staff, medical practitioners and allied health staff.
If a supporting letter is required, the Chief Executive (CE) of the HSP will make a request on
your behalf. The CE must make application to the CHO providing the following minimum
information:
• Your name
• Role
• Job location
• Where you are travelling to WA from• Rationale for the request that you enter WA to “assist in the provision of health services”
during this state of emergency
• Length of employment
• Confirmation that you will undertake mandatory quarantine if required.
A response will usually be provided within 5 working days. The letter, where provided, must be
included as evidence/supporting information in applications for individual travel exemption.
Travel
If you are not granted an exemption you should not continue with travel plans, as you will not be
permitted to board a flight to Australia. If granted a travel exemption, you will need to take
evidence of that exemption decision to the airport.
How can I access the relocation incentive announced by the WA
Government?
The relocation incentive forms part of the $1.9 billion investment boost to health, mental health
and COVID-19 initiatives announced by the WA Government in August 2021 as part of the 2021-
22 State Budget.
Eligibility
The incentive is only available to eligible international health professionals who were issued with
a contract on, or after, 10 August 2021 and commenced work (i.e. completed their first shift) on
or before 30 June 2022. You must have been issued with a full-time or part-time contract; casual
contracts are ineligible (for example if you are employed through NurseWest). The payment is not
retrospective or upfront and may not be available beyond 30 June 2022.
Spouses and dependents who also travel to WA are not eligible for travel reimbursement.
There may be a requirement for you to complete a specific period of employment before costs
will be eligible for recoup so be aware that this process may take some time. Please liaise with
your employer for further clarification.
Value
The incentive is one-off payment designed to attract overseas health professionals to WA, by
covering up to a maximum value of $8,000 per new international employee. It is not a direct or
upfront payment and it is not expected to cover all relocation costs.
Travel reimbursement is strictly for flights only (journey to Perth) and is capped at $5,000.
As quarantine is no longer a requirement for vaccinated returning Australians or vaccinated
international travellers, the quarantine aspect of the incentive is no longer applicable.
The amount originally allocated towards quarantine under this incentive is not transferrable
towards your flights or any other relocation costs.Flights
You will need to organise and book your own flight. Please liaise with your employing hospital so
they are aware of your arrival and commencement plans and so that quarantine arrangements (if
required) can be made.
HSPs will have their own processes for the reimbursement of flight costs. Generally, costs will be
reimbursed once you have commenced working with your employing hospital and submitted
evidence of your flight cost (up to a maximum of $5,000) however there may be a requirement for
you to complete a specific period of employment before costs will be eligible for recoup.
Please liaise with your employer for further clarification.
Quarantine costs – Unvaccinated overseas health professionals
Accommodation under this scheme is capped at $3,000 and relates to hotel quarantine only. As
approved international travellers are no longer required to quarantine, this will only apply to
unvaccinated overseas health professionals.
Quarantine costs in a government approved facility (hotel quarantine) up to a maximum of $3,000
will be covered by the WA Department of Health. As unvaccinated international health
professionals will not be billed for this service it is not subject to reimbursement.
The amount originally allocated towards quarantine is not transferrable and cannot be re-allocated
towards the cost of flights or any other relocation costs.
Your employer will organise your hotel quarantine (if required) so it is important that you liaise
with them prior to booking your flight as there are limits on the number of available quarantine
places.
What if I have additional questions?
If you have any questions throughout the employment process, please contact your employing
hospital.
Useful links
• What I need to do before I travel | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)
• https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-coronavirus-
controlled-borderThis document can be made available in alternative formats on request for a person with disability. © Department of Health 2022 Copyright to this material is vested in the State of Western Australia unless otherwise indicated. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced or re-used for any purposes whatsoever without written permission of the State of Western Australia.
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