I am a twenty three year old general radiographer and have been working for two years since graduation. I qualified in the UK at Leeds University. I hope to travel to Australia in the near future on a working holiday. What would you suggest?
There are numerous short term locum positions and longer term contract opportunities in Australia and being so young you have two choices! Since you are under 30, you can apply for a working holiday visa, which would be ideal if you don’t wish to come for more than 12 months and you are keen to travel and work, as required. If you wanted to come for longer and would prefer to have consistent employment and salary, you could consider a sponsorship visa, which would guarantee a position in a specific location for a minimum of 12 months. To be considered for either of these you will need to be accredited with the Australian Institute of Radiography. As a graduate of Leeds you are not required to apply for assessment and can apply directly for accreditation once you have 12 months post graduate experience, saving you time and money.
Having visited Australia and New Zealand on a working holiday visa a couple of years ago, I’m really keen to return to Australia. I know that since I’ve already had a working holiday visa I can’t apply for another one and anyway, I’m over 30. Is there another way? I’m an experienced physiotherapist and don’t have any particular preferences regarding location although it would be nice to live near the coast.
Since you have already worked in this country, you may have maintained registration in at least one state of Australia. This is a necessity should you wish to gain employment here under any visa category and depending on where you qualified the process will vary. If you have not maintained an Australian registration you may be required to sit the examination set by AECOP. Business sponsorship, allowing temporary residence, would be the category which seems most suitable for you. In this instance you must commit to one employer for a specific period, which would be indicated on an employment offer, should you be successful.
If you are flexible and willing to consider a variety of different locations, there are usually several opportunities available year round. Generally, although there are clients willing to undertake sponsorship in both the public and private sectors, the majority of employment is to be found in large regional centres and country destinations in public hospital environments. There is often less opportunity for long term work in cities although these do present from time to time for physiotherapists.
There are also numerous positions offering work permits in New Zealand.
I’m a South African Speech Therapist with more than 10 years experience and I would like to relocate to Australia, long term with my family. Is this possible? If so, I have two questions? How long are the contracts? If I’m successful, is it possible for my partner, who’s not in the health professions, to work under the terms of my visa?
Provided you meet the necessary criteria for a position, and are successfully assessed by Speech Pathology Australia prior to travelling, a business sponsorship visa will allow you to travel with your dependants and will also make it possible for your partner to work in their preferred profession for the period of your visa. This visa gives you and your dependants temporary residency status. You may apply for permanent residency once you have been in Australia for a minimum period. You will need to be aware of specific requirements in relation to health insurance and education of dependants which vary according to your passport.
Alternatively you could apply for permanent residency before travelling to Australia. Several allied health professions are specified on the Current List as being occupations in demand in Australia and hence the process may be expedited. Global Health Source can also advise on specific visa categories which offer immediate permanent residency for minimum contractual commitments in certain locations.
I am a British qualified podiatrist with 2 years experience. I would like to relocate permanently to Australia, what are my options?
Overseas qualified podiatrists are required to have their qualifications assessed by the Australasian Podiatry Council. UK qualified candidates may be exempt from the Stage I and II theory and practical examinations. We often have a number of opportunities for podiatrists at any one time, at various locations throughout Australia. It is possible, once registration has been approved, to be sponsored by an employer to give you either temporary or permanent residency. Please contact us to discuss registration and visa options.
I’m a radiation therapist, currently working in the UK, who is absolutely skint and really wants to relocate to Australia. What kind of costs are involved with respect to your fee, visas, medical expenses etc. My decision to proceed will depend on this.
There is no fee involved should you wish GHS to assist you in securing employment.
Visa costs are dependant upon category and where you lodge your application. If you wish to travel on a working holiday visa you must apply for this yourself in your country of origin and take care of the costs. For candidates who successfully secure minimum 12 month contracts on business sponsorship, the visa process is initiated here and the bulk of the cost paid by the client. There is however, a nominal cost to have the visa incorporated in your passport prior to travel and expenses associated with the necessary medical examinations but these costs are not excessive. It is usually possible to negotiate reimbursed travel assistance and initial accommodation for sponsorship positions. You will also be required to pay for Australian accreditation, likely to cost AUD$220 or $605, depending on the process you will be required to undertake relevant to your qualifications.
My mother is trying to talk me out of my plans to work in Australia. I’m a junior physiotherapist hoping to secure a sponsorship contract in a rural location and I have already arranged registration. My family is very concerned that I will be committed to a dodgy contract in the middle of nowhere that I can’t get out of. Can you indicate the implications of breaking a contract ? If I do go ahead and am successful in gaining work is there any opportunity for career development? What is the minimum contract length and can I extend it?
One of our major objectives is to ensure that our candidates have as much information as possible regarding both the position they have been offered and the destination to which they will be travelling. We also do our best to encourage clients to be aware of the huge commitment you are making and to provide adequate orientation and support in the first few months when it is most needed. GHS will maintain contact with you upon arrival and encourages you to call us during your settling in phase with any queries you may have, or just for a chat. We have a national freecall number to assist you. Our aim is to be sure you will not want to break an arranged contract. In the unlikely instance that you are very unhappy or have to return home due to unforeseen circumstances, your visa will be cancelled and you are required to leave Australia.
If you are keen to stay beyond the end of your contract there is usually the potential to extend. In some cases candidates have gone a step further and applied successfully for permanent residency during their employ.
Most contracts specify a two year commitment although it’s possible, in some cases, to gain a 12 month contract. Generally, the longer you are prepared to commit the more likely it is that you will have an opportunity for further training. If you become a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association you will be eligible to participate in courses they convene.
If you have reservations and are eligible for a working holiday visa, you may wish to undertake a short term position before committing to a longer term sponsorship position.
I am a Canadian qualified physiotherapist with two years post graduate experience and have numerous friends in Australia. I am interested in working in various destinations and would also like to work in New Zealand. My friends have told me there is considerable locum work in Australia. Is there any benefit in using your agency?
Since you qualified fairly recently we assume you are under 30 and would therefore be eligible for an Australian working holiday visa. There have recently been numerous registration charges for Canadian physiotherapy graduates. Depending on where you qualified, you may still be eligible for registration in Australia. Contact us for specific information.
Your friends are correct in advising you that there are numerous positions for physiotherapists although the demand increases at certain times of the year and in specific destinations. Using an agency takes the hard work out of securing employment. We make the necessary phone calls, negotiate the rate of pay and can sometimes even assist you in sourcing accommodation! We regularly arrange positions for candidates before they arrive and market them for subsequent positions. If you can spend your limited time exploring your new location rather than hunting for work, why wouldn’t you!
There is a Canada/New Zealand Working Holiday scheme in place for applicants under 30, enabling you to undertake work to fund your travels within New Zealand. Like Australia, your stay must not exceed 12 months and must apply for the visa before leaving Canada.
If you decided you wanted to stay in Australia or New Zealand for more than 12 months there is the potential to secure a visa or work permit subject to your employment.
I qualified in Australia in radiography in 1980 and have been working in the UK for the last five years. I hope to return to Sydney to spend Christmas with my family. Are you able to assist me with locum work whilst I am home?
GHS can definitely assist you. Just complete our application pack and let us know the dates you’ll be available in your preferred location. We’ll then endeavour to match you with a position we have. GHS will maintain contact with you and keep you updated on progress. Once we secure a locum we will confirm details with you. We regularly assist candidates with short term positions to coincide with their holidays. Some positions offer accommodation if family life gets a little hard!
We are both physiotherapists. I qualified at Trinity College, Ireland and my friend qualified at University of Dublin. We are also travelling with a colleague who qualified at University of Cape Town in South Africa. We both have working holiday visas. Will be able to work in the same location?
Fortunately, as Irish graduates travelling on working holiday visas you can apply directly for limited registration in some Australian states, without having to sit the AECOP examination. The South African graduate, is no longer eligible to apply directly for registration and will either have to initiate the AECOP process, or have limited opportunity to work in some Australian states, dependent upon passport your colleague travels on. (The AECOP Screening Examination is held twice a year in March and September). We would suggest he/she contacts us to discuss their specific circumstances.
You will have to confirm whether your South African colleague is also eligible for a working holiday visa (This will depend on the passport he/she travel on). We would aim to identify positions in the same location, however given that many opportunities are in country areas and smaller departments there may not be a requirement for multiple physiotherapists simultaneously! If you are prepared to separate for some assignments the choices will be greater and accommodation can usually be arranged. In larger destinations the likelihood of sourcing work at different facilities is increased, enabling you to share accommodation and travel to your various assignments.
My long service leave is imminent and I have the opportunity to take six months on half pay from my position in Melbourne. I would like to use this time to travel around New Zealand and to do locum assignments where and when they are available. I am an experienced ultrasonographer who graduated years ago. I have current ASAR membership. Can you help?
You will need to have accreditation in the category or ultrasound with the NZMRTB. The procedure varies depending on where you graduated. GHS will be happy to advise the best path for your circumstances.
GHS has numerous assignments for sonographers in both metropolitan and country locations throughout New Zealand. They vary from as little as two weeks to as long as six months. It is usual to expect travel costs and accommodation to be covered.
I am a British qualified Occupational Therapist with 4 years post grad experience. I am considering working in Australia for 12 ⿿ 18 months, what are my options?
Depending on which state you secure work, you may need to have your qualifications assessed by the Council of Occupational Therapists Registration Board. This process can take up to 12 weeks so ensure you have initiated this well before you wish to travel. Alternatively, if you gain New Zealand registration you can apply for a state licence, except in Western Australia, through the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition agreement. It is possible to be sponsored in a metropolitan or regional location for the length of your contract. For further information please contact us.
I am a 35yr old Occupational Therapist, working in Canada, and want to take six months unpaid leave from my current position to explore New Zealand. I know that I am not eligible for a working holiday visa. Is there any opportunity for me to work for some of that time?
Provided that you hold current registration with NZOT Global Health Source can assist you with a short term contract in New Zealand and assist you to change your tourist visa to a visa with work rights. This is a relatively straightforward process but please call us in advance to ensure that you travel with the appropriate documentation you will require for a work visa.
I am a radiographer on a working holiday in Australia, from Canada, and hold accreditation with the AIR. I want to take a trip to NZ to work for three months before returning home but I don⿿t have NZ work rights or registration. Is it possible to arrange these, and if so, is this a long process?
You may be eligible to obtain NZ registration under TTMR which is a fairly quick process. Please contact GHS to discuss. We often have short term positions available in New Zealand and are very familiar with visa requirements. If we arrange a position we can assist with the visa process which generally does not take more than ten days in this instance.
I am an experienced radiographer and would like to relocate permanently, from South Africa. to New Zealand with my family. Can you help?
We place radiographers in positions throughout New Zealand in both public and private facilities and have many established clients. We can assist with questions you have regarding eligibility for NZMRTB which you must hold to work in NZ. Many of our clients will offer assistance with travel costs and initial accommodation upon arrival to make the transition process a little easier for you.
There are several different visa categories open to prospective migrants which you should consider before embarking on the process.
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