Immigration for International SIMG GPs Moving to Australia in 2025

Doctors moving to Australia on the AHPRA Expedited Pathway, or the RACGP PEP Specialist Pathway will qualify for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) Specialist Skills stream visa. This visa is for organisations that have been unable to find suitably qualified doctors from within Australia, which is currently the situation in regional Australia.

The Three Stages of Immigration:

Stage 1 Business Sponsorship Application

The practice applies to the Department of Home Affairs. When submitting this application, the employer registers as a business sponsor. The application is valid for 5 years and is the employer’s responsibility and at their cost.

Stage 2 Nomination Application

This is specific to each GP and their family and is the employer’s responsibility and at their cost. This stage includes running suitable job advertisements for labour market testing, and a signed contract. The practice then submits the details of the person and their family to the Department of Home Affairs, and they are then issued with a sponsorship Transaction Reference Number TRN for that GP.

Stage 3 Visa Application and Visa Medicals

Using the AHPRA registration, the GP will prove they have the skills and experience required. A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is needed to lodge this application. GPs must meet the medical and character requirements to be granted a visa, a police check and a visa medical. Visa Medicals can be conducted when a HAP-ID number has been issued. The HAP-ID is in the Referral Letter downloaded from the ImmiAccount during application. Create an ImmiAccount and access Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) on the Department of Home Affairs website, in the Immi Account section. This will generate a Transaction Reference Number (TRN) from the ImmiAccount which is needed to book a Visa Medical.

To avoid delays in the visa process, the police check and a visa medical can be completed as soon as the AHPRA application has been lodged.

Permanent Residency

There is a clear path for General Practitioners and their families to gain Permanent Residency (PR). This is a positive way to ensure a strong General Practice workforce for the future. It is a good idea to have a strategy for PR as part of the migration plan. For other professions, PR normally requires the applicant to be under 45 years of age. The good news is that, even in the case of partially comparable, if GPs over the age of 45 work in a regional area for 2 years, they become eligible for PR.

Costs*

The General Practitioner themself will usually pay the Department of Home Affairs visa application fees

• Business Sponsorship Application fee – $1800+GST (Paid by the Practice)
• Nomination application fee: $2500+GST (Paid by the Practice)
• Visa Application – $3,115.00 for the main applicant and for each dependant 18 years and older; $760.00 for each dependant under 18 years of age.

*Subject to change

Note: We are not able to offer specific immigration advice. However, we can connect you with Immigration Solicitors who are experienced in working with general practitioners. There will be an additional cost if you use an Immigration Solicitor to process the Immigration application paperwork.