A Healthy Future: Australia Welcomes Doctors and Nurses from Abroad

With an aging medical workforce and a growing need for new health care workers, Australia is looking to bolster its labour force with new recruitments from around the world. Despite efforts to recruit native Australians, future projections suggest a severe shortage of health care professionals in the decades to come. As the overall population of Australia becomes older and larger, an increased demand for health care will need to be met by a significantly larger health care workforce. 

Already confronting a serious shortage of nurses, doctors, nursing assistants, medical archivists, lab technicians, and therapists, Australia is offering an easier path for skilled immigrants looking to work in the fields of medical science. Under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) Program, immigrants with specific, high-demand skill sets are encouraged to work in Australia. Among other job listings, Australia's official Skilled Occupation List features positions for registered nurses, general medical practitioners and variety of other medical disciplines. 

   

With a current estimated shortage of 12,000 nurses, Australia welcomes skilled nursing professionals from overseas to apply for an Australian visa. Potential candidates who show an appropriate level of experience, are in good health, and pass assessment by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) can be granted a visa fairly quickly. 

Medical Practitioner Visas for doctors, radiologists, obstetricians, anaesthetists and a variety of other fields are also available on a temporary basis. Allowing hospitals, private practices and medical centres to sponsor doctors from around the world, Medical Practitioner Visas allow qualified doctors to work for up to 4 years in Australia. Furthermore, Australia is specifically encouraging younger health professionals to apply. Accordingly, doctors and nurses under the age of 45, who have at least six years of training and relevant work experience, are eligible to obtain a permanent visa.

Australia’s efforts to recruit foreign workers are beginning to see results. Now, over 25 percent of Australian health care workers are immigrants, with numbers only projected to increase in the future. Much to the government of Australia’s credit, they have identified an impending, nationwide health issue and are responding pro-actively with increased leniency.

If you would like to learn about working in Australia or New Zealand as a medical practitioner, nurse, doctor, or other related profession, please visit the following website: http://ochrerecruitment.com/