UK Physiotherapy student looking to emigrate to Australia in July: help needed with Registration Process!

Hi!

I am a final year physiotherapy student studying in the UK. I am looking to emigrate out to Australia when I qualify which will be in June.

I have done a lot of research on the registration process however the process is confusing my little head a lot!

From what I can gather so far.. to be able to practise physio in Oz, you need to be registered by the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC). To do this, you need to wait until you are qualified and then register (which can take up to 12 weeks).

I am struggling with the costs of it all..

There is a list of assessment fees on the APC website (see below):
1. Skills Assessment for Migration Purposes = $550 or $ 1650
2. Assessment to qualify General Registration: Part 1 = $1100
Part 2 (Written) = $1900
Part 3 (Clinical) = $3465
3. Assessment of Equivalence of Qualification = $2200
4. Certificate of Equivalence = $1500
+ Admin fees.

Can someone tell me I'm not crazy and that we don't have to pay almost $10,000 to work out in Australia.. this seems slightly ridiculous!

Has anyone been through this process and can give me some guidance on this?
Is there any sponsorship available to help pay for these fees?

I understand another way to get to Australia is to go through New Zealand.. which I have also researched. This option is cheaper as you only have to pay approx $1500 fees to gain an equivalent qualification in NZ and then use the Trans-Tasman registration process to transfer the NZ qualification to Aus. This seems like a good idea however to be able to apply for registration in NZ, you need a 3 year physiotherapy degree + 1 year full-time work experience which I unfortunately will not have in July.

Basically, I am looking for the cheapest/fastest way to work as a Physiotherapist out in Australia as it seems like following these routes I will be about 50 by the time I get out there and I'm not keen on that idea.



Any information would be massively appreciated,


Becky

Quote:

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This option is cheaper as you only have to pay approx $1500 fees to gain an equivalent qualification in NZ and then use the Trans-Tasman registration process to transfer the NZ qualification to Aus. This seems like a good idea...

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To apply for registration in NZ, you have to sign a statuary declatration that you intend to work in NZ. So, I mean, you can try, but it's a legal document, so I wouldn't risk it....

Hi Becky,

No you are not going crazy it really does cost that kind of money to register here in Australia. The system here is very thorough however in my opinion the costs are uncalled for and need some regualtion. Looking at your list you don't need to do everything on there though and it also depends where you have completed your degree. If you're studying in Scotland then it is a 4 year degree as far as I know so you can apply for equivalence rather than going through the whole assessment process.

As I understand it if you are going to qualify from an English uni. When you qualify you need to register with the APC assessment process 'Assessment to qualify General Registration: Part 1 = $1100' pass this then you can sit the written exam that they offer overseas 'Part 2 (Written) = $1900'. Pass this and you can apply to register with AHPRA (our equivalent to the HPC) for limited registration, with limited reg you can be employed in Aus but you have to meet certain supervision criteria with your employer. You then need to pass 'Part 3 (Clinical) = $3465' the catch with this part of the process is that you have to actually be in Australia to complete the three exams (neuro, MSk, CVR) you have to pay upfront and if you fail any of them then you have to reapply to do all 3 again i.e. you could pay $3465 fail the first exam then you have to pay $3465 again and to add to that the exams could be in any of Australia's capital cities so you could be working in Perth but you might have to go to Melbourne for one exam, Sydney for one and Adelaide for the other. So that's where the costs can potentially start adding up. Once you pass all three parts of the assessment you get a certificate to say that and you can apply for full registration with AHPRA. It is an expensive lengthy process but based on your current experience it may be your only option.

The second option that people use is the NZ reg then transfer it. This is cheaper but it's still a lot of work. You do need to work for at least a year first and have to be able to prove competence in the core practice areas and after applying it can still take 6months to a year depending on number of applications they have to process etc. And once you have that you still need to sort out registration with AHPRA/ NZ authoroties and that will take another month or two.

This is a fantastic place to live and work. I spent four years working in the UK before I took the leap and I've not regretted it once however you have to put some work in to get here.

Hi Becky,

Would you have a contact number in the UK we can ring you on? Our agency can answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Amelias Healthcare

Hi Guys,

We run an APC Clinical Exams course that is designed to prepare oversea Physiotherapists for the Physiotherapy professional entry registration (Australia).
This course has been designed for overseas physiotherapists who have successfully completed the APC theory examination. Our aim is to prepare you for the APC clinical assessments. By sharing our experiences, we will demystify the process and help you to gain the most from your study sessions, enabling you to demonstrate your true clinical skills on the day.

The course is broken down into 4 easy to digest sections;

• How to Workshop
• Musculoskeletal
• Neuro
• Cardio Respiratory

Venue: The University of Notre Dame Australia, Building no 46 (on the corner of Philimore and Henry streets) Fremantle, Western Australia 6959

Duration: 3 days (Friday 3 October – Sunday 5 October)

For more information follow the below link or email [email protected]. We are happy to help with any questions. :D
APC Clinical Exam Preparation for Physiotherapists