How to start the ball rolling to work in Auz

[kayebaker83]

Hello!
I am 8 months qualified and am looking to go and work out in Australia (Perth hopefully) in the future and i was just wondering what the process was. When do i need to start doing things, how long does it take, how easy is it to get a job etc etc?
Any help/ info gratefully received!
Many thanks

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[janembenson]

Hi. I worked in NZ first and then transferred my registration to Oz via the mutual recognition sytem this meant I didn't have to sit an exam, the NZ rego process is easier and had a great time working in NZ before Oz. I am still here in WA 3 years later!

[Mnagar]

Hi. I worked in NZ first and then transferred my registration to Oz via the mutual recognition sytem this meant I didn't have to sit an exam, the NZ rego process is easier and had a great time working in NZ before Oz. I am still here in WA 3 years later!

Hi
i recently arrived in Australia on student visa I have gone through your reply for some1 else regarding registration for physio I am an indian physio please can you help me in regards to this and u also mentioned there tht NZ registration is easy compare than Au please let me know the procedure and how come its easy can I heard they ask 7.5 in each than they give chance to set in written exam
will wait for your reply at [email protected]
thanks in advance
Malini

[clinicalpt]

How are you? My name is lee. I am an overseas trained physio.
I am gathering the do***ents for the assessment of the eligibility for the licence of physio in melbourne. I have a few more do***ents to prepare.

By the way, on the website of the physiotherapy council, I found a Q&A as below.
"Q:How does the role of the Australian Physiotherapy Council differ from the Registration Boards?
A:The Australian Phyisotherapy Council (formerly ACOPRA) is the gazetted Australian assessing authority for the occupation of Physiotherapist (ASCO code 2385-11).
The Australian Physiotherapy Council assesses your current clinical competency whereas Registration Boards assess and evaluate your application for registration and grant or withhold registration."

Re: registration in each state,
Do i need to register in Victoria in my situation?
I need to take the aecop exam first, don't I?
I can only register when i pass only if i clear the aecop exam. Right?
(If i pass the written exam, I can apply the registration for the Holders of the AECOP Interim Certificate. right? )

Re:temporary registration(TR),
I would like to work as a physio in Australia.
I hope to work as a TR physio in the northern VIC area if possible. In this case, do i need to register on VIC registration boards before finding a sponsor? Or after that? where i can find the info regarding TR? I found one pdf file but i don't know what i should do first.
For the temporary register, can i work as a part time job? or it should be full time job? I have a spouse visa.
I have a spouse visa which i can work in Australia. not able to work as a physio though.

could you give me answer on my questions?

Thank you for reading my long letter.

[clinicalpt]

Thank you for the people who read my post.
I have got the answer.
With TR, you need a letter from a sponsor which says "they need a physio due to lacks of physio","I am supervising the person".
With the letter, you can register each state physio board, that is TR.
I cannot register without the aecop except this way.

Thank you,

All the best for the candidates for the aecop exam.

Yours sincerely,
Eunju Lee

[kath]

Hi there! im also planning to take acopra exam this year. pls let me know if u have any info abt this exam process...especially relevant books/materials to review. tnks a lot!!!

[lmacbrown]

Hi there! im also planning to take acopra exam this year. pls let me know if u have any info abt this exam process...especially relevant books/materials to review. tnks a lot!!!

Hi Kath, I am doing the same taking ACOPRA exam in September any information from people who have done this before I would be very grateful. Cheers.

[michaeltakavarasha]

Hi I am taking the exam in march 2008.I would like to know how to get in touch with possible sponsors for 6 weeks clinical experience before attempting the clinical exam.Any information would help.

[clinicalpt]

Hi michael. i think you are confused between the limited registration policy and clinical practice exam after clearing written exam. For the limited registration work, you need to find sponsors who can supervise your work. For the clinical exam, you don't need to find the sponsors but you have to contact to the physiotherapy council with the insurance. The physiocouncil will arrange the clinical placement for you. It can be 6 weeks or 8 weeks depends on the hospitals. how much we pay is also different each hospital..oh... i forgot something... you might be in the state in which you might have to contact the hospitals individually... if you were in VIC and NSW, the council will arrange the placement but i am not sure the other state...Thank you..

[eugevruce]

hi all, are there any material i could read to prepare myself in the written exam? reviewers, books, manuals, etc.?

[gemini842k]

hi there...
I would like somebody to suggest me regarding some study materials for the exam.would be really helpful......
Thanks,
BINCY

[Pedroso]

hi,

I just finished Uni in last May and have worked in a private practice in IReland for the last four months. I have my NZ reg and my APC in NZ and am keen to come to OZ and gain a rotational graduate position in a hospital (in Melbourne preferably). Is is the case that I have to get a sponsor or do I apply for jobs to hospitals after I apply for my APC? Anyone know what the job prospects are in OZ for graduates? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[oclancy]

Hi there, I'm working as a physiotherapist in Ireland and I am interested in relocating to Australia. I was under the impression by registering with the New Zealand physiotherapy board first entitles you to automatic registration in Australia without the need to sit the exams. Is this the case? Also are you required to work in New Zealand for a certain period of time before applying to Australia?
Thanks

[Laura01]

Hi there, I'm working as a physiotherapist in Ireland and I am interested in relocating to Australia. I was under the impression by registering with the New Zealand physiotherapy board first entitles you to automatic registration in Australia without the need to sit the exams. Is this the case? Also are you required to work in New Zealand for a certain period of time before applying to Australia?
Thanks

I'm looking for the same information. I'm currently working in Scotland and would like to go to OZ first then NZ so would like to get NZ reg so that I have options. Is there a required working period in NZ before you can work in OZ?
thanks

[gcoe]

understand ( and I think I am right) that overseas trained applicants in most states in Australia (exempting Western Australia) who have obtained registration in NZ are entitled to apply for full registration under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997. In effect this means that Australia treats NZ as another state for this purpose. so just as if you have registration in one state you can then apply for registration in another state.

By applying for registration in an Australian State vie this route of mutual recognition, it is the registration that gives you grounds for acceptance of your qualification. So once you obtain full registration in NZ - away you go!

If you went through an Irish university you will have completed a four year degree (yes?) so that makes registration in NZ not too difficult. If you graduated from a three year degree then there are more hoops to jump through.

there was a bit of grumbling about this - a fear that too many physios were getting Australian registration by using NZ as a transit lounge and would the process be less exacting than sitting the ACOPRA exam. However, I can assure you by the time you have gone to the trouble of applying for registration to NZ you will have really earned it!

Have you had a read of the NZ board site and one of the Australia state board sites in the state you want to work?

[raglan86]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone could help me......i qualified from a 3 year degree in sept 09 and since then i have done voluntary physio work which turned into part time paid work on a 4 month contract of msk, hydro and community. I am looking to head out to aus around May time aiming to work for about 8 - 12 months. However as you all know very well is is not that easy just to go over and get a job. From sending countless emails i have gathered that my best option is to try and apply for temporary registration but thats if i can get it. Does anyone know much about this process as i cannot find too much on the net about it? From reading your posts though it may be better for me to try and obtain a NZ registration, what do you think?

Any help would be much appreciated

Many thanks

elise

[gcoe]

Hi Raglan86

If you only have a three year degree getting registration in NZ is quite difficult. As a back way of getting into Australia I don't think you would find it is very easy, particularly with your lack of experience. Our degrees are four year degrees, as in Australia, so when you apply that is the yardstick that you are being compared against.

Have you considered doing a year to upgrade you qualification in Scotland or Ireland? for example here is one at QME where you can do a Msc - 1 year part time or 2 years part time.

Physiotherapy Courses at QMU Edinburgh

I know it is more time and money but you working for no money anyway and at the end of it you would have a much more robust qualification that you can use for entry overseas.

[raglan86]

Hi gcoe,

Thank you so much for your reply, a masters would be a a really good option but i was thinking of doing one later on in my career when i know what area i would like to go into. The reason i wanted to head over to aus for 8months is because im awaiting an operation but due to the donor waiting lists i have been given atleast a years waiting list. I would like to get out of england to gain some more experience but because im not having much luck, maybe i should try and get some physio assistant work, what do you think? The only other thing to do is find a sponsor, do you know much about this?

Thanks again for all your help

elise

[Fyzzio]

Hi elise,
just wanted to support/ confirm gcoe's comments.
To be eligible to apply for NZ registration, you will need at least 12 months of further study or work experience (to make up for the difference in study length). That's the minimum requirement.
In Australia, anyone with a Physio degree can apply. Your application will be assessed and then you might be able to fit the criteria to sit exams - and will be able to get registered in the state in which you apply for this. There is no general "Australian" registration.

The Physio Assistant job sounds like the easy way out, however, these jobs are well sought and would require for you to show a work permit AND a medical certificate. ??? If you are awaiting an operation which requires a donor - well, for NZ you wouldn't get a certificate that confirms good health.

I would also recommend to go on with further study, or work as a research assistant.

Sorry, the news is not at all good.
Good luck!

Regards,
Fyzzio

[raglan86]

Thanks for your advice guys i have had no luck so far, i would really like to head out to oz anyway so i may just book my flights for may time. Physio assistant work would be the next best thing. I am fine to work health wise it is a voluntary operation as i currently cannot see out of one eye but i am fine working with one at the moment although 2 would be an advantage! If i am unable to find either i could always try to get some voluntary/work experience which would keep me in touch with physio and current practice.

Thanks again

Best wishes
elise

[Pico]

Hi, I have passed the assessment from the NZ board, thus have got the registration there and APC. My ultimate aim is to relocate to Oz within this year but I think I will need a work permit or an employer to sponsor me. As it will be a big move for me to a new country far away, I prefer a permanent job or one with longer contract rather than just a locum. I am worried that it's hard to find and switch from job to job if those jobs are just short-termed.

How's the physio job market there? I am willing to work in any state as long as the offer is favourble but which states have more job openings? Shall I look for a job first before I get registration in that state or shall I get registration in my preferred state first. Any suggestions about what I shall do to secure a job there?

Thanks in advance

Hi Elise,

If you are under 30, you will be eligible to apply for the holiday working visa. I don't know the full details. For such visa, I don't know if you are allowed to work full-time; however I don't think you need to pass any exam in Oz or complete any profolio in NZ before you go there. Maybe you can check this option before you head to Oz in May. Good luck.

[raglan86]

Hi Pico yeah i was thinking about that option so fingers crossed it works out! Thankyou for your advice.

Good luck with your move to oz x

[raglan86]

sorry to bother you guys again but i have been searching on our UK physiotherapy website which has a newly qualified forum and found that a girl on there went out travelling to oz and picked up a junior rotation job in one of Melbournes teaching hospitals. I have thought long and hard about this and i think i am going to book my flights to oz and then once im out ther try my hardest to find some physio work.

I would just like to know your thoughts on this?

Thank again for all your advice it has helped me so much! x

[physiobob]

There are always great jobs for travelling physio's down under. That's because many locals don't want to work in the outback (which is awesome) or even in Tasmania, which is spectacular. Darwin are always looking for people and the top end is also beautiful. Book the flight and check regularly on PhysioBob.com as these jobs are posted all the time.

[raglan86]

Hi physiobob thats brilliant news i cant wait to head over and find some work, i will keep my eyes on the physio bob website for jobs!

Thanks again

elise