🌏 IMGs moving to Australia 🌏
A lot of admin is involved with moving abroad - both for work and general "life admin", which can become overwhelming!
To aid with this process, the RMO Society have created a time-based checklist to help organise your thoughts and ensure you have everything covered!
To aid with this process, the RMO Society have created a time-based checklist to help organise your thoughts and ensure you have everything covered!
Weeks 1-2 |
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"Life Admin"
✅ Obtain a Phone contract
✅ Look at Rentals/house shares/sub-lets
✅ Find ways to get around!
Tip: Don’t forget to update your addresses when you move into your more permanent rental.
This is helpful when receiving post from AHPRA / Medicare later on!
- Examples include: Optus, Telstra, Coles mobile. Some allow free calls to a number of countries.
- Take your passport to the bank to open your account
- Don't forget to give medical workforce your payment details to ensure you get paid on time!
✅ Look at Rentals/house shares/sub-lets
- Realestate, Domain, Facebook marketplace (sublets), Flatmates
- Most are unfurnished with a 12m lease.
- Submit an application asap...can use RMH MWU as a reference
✅ Find ways to get around!
- Check out our Cycling to Work Page!
- Myki card - for trams, buses, trains. PTV - to plan routes.
Tip: Don’t forget to update your addresses when you move into your more permanent rental.
This is helpful when receiving post from AHPRA / Medicare later on!
"Work Admin"
Medical workforce unit (MWU) are a great help if you have any queries. But check below here first:
✅ In-person AHPRA meeting
✅ Indemnity Insurance
✅ In-person AHPRA meeting
- For ID check, MWU will help to arrange this
- General and some have unit specific induction e.g. ICU
- IMG specific induction - this is organised by MWU for you to meet with Bronwyn Cooke &/or Lou Irving
✅ Indemnity Insurance
- If you are from the UK and have MPS then you can sign up for MIPS in Australia
- Other examples: Avant, MIGA, MDA national
Weeks 2-4 |
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"Life Admin"
✅ Apply for a Tax File Number
✅ Apply for Medicare Card
✅ Obtain private health insurance
- Visit: www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/ (then “Get a tax file number”)
✅ Apply for Medicare Card
- Allows subsidised GP and other appointments
- Can take 6-8 weeks for the card to arrive but you can usually access it online sooner
✅ Obtain private health insurance
- Even if you have Medicare - ensures you won’t have a bill (Medicare Levy) at the end of the tax year
- Ensure it fully includes ambulance cover
- Examples: NIB, Bupa, Avant
"Work Admin"
✅ Salary Packaging
✅ Supperannuation = Pension
✅ Look at your Roster (work schedule)
✅ Find out who your supervisor is
- Usually arranged with onboarding, but if you didn't sign up then you can do this at any time!
- Can save you over 3000 dollars per year!
- Pre-tax salary dollars are put aside to pay for certain living essentials
- Includes: rent/mortgage, meals, car, holidays, and more
- Go to the Maxxia website for more information
✅ Supperannuation = Pension
- Australia has a mandated pension savings scheme
- RMH has some preferred companies: Aware, Hesta. You can also nominate your own.
- Employer pays 10% (this is gradually being increased to 12%)
- If you leave Australia then you can transfer this money when you are overseas
✅ Look at your Roster (work schedule)
- You are allocated 5 weeks of annual leave per year (pro rata for shorter contracts)
- Leave is allocated in one-week blocks commencing Monday - Sunday 9pm (you may be rostered for a night shift on returning from leave on the Sunday night)
- Try to request this as early as possible with Medical Workforce to ensure you get your chosen weeks!
✅ Find out who your supervisor is
- They will complete your mid and end of term assessments, arrange a meeting early
Months 1-3 |
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✅ Arrange 3 month APHRA review meeting
- To complete WRIG-30 and ORIG-20*. Needed to meet the requirements for provisional/limited registration
- MWU will be able to help provide these forms, or they can be printed from the AHPRA Website.
- *These will become important when applying for general registration at 12 months
Month 3-6 |
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⭐ Now you're settling in, use this time to explore!✅ Think about your Tax Return
- End of the tax year is in June
- Some doctors use an accountant to help with this process and knowing what you can claim tax on
- E.g. AHPRA fees, Visa fees, work related items such as stethoscope
Month 6-12 |
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✅ Plan for your next year of renting
- E.g. express interest to agent/landlord if wanting to stay in current rental
Month 12+ |
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✅ Apply to AHPRA for General Registration (if you have provisional registration)
✅ Don’t forget about your VISA expiring!
- Must have worked for 47 weeks to apply, excluding annual/conference leave
- *Contact MWU regarding this as may be different processes to follow depending on your individual circumstance (e.g. continuing to work at RMH, moving employer &/or work location, returning overseas etc.)*
- Further WRIG-30 form and letter of recommendation usually required to be submitted to AHPRA
- Contact MWU, they will help arrange a meeting with Bronwyn Cooke &/or Lou Irving to complete the forms
- You can't complete the forms until after you reach 47 weeks of practice
- There is a one off payment to applying - check the AHPRA site for up to date information
✅ Don’t forget about your VISA expiring!
- You may need to apply for another VISA, depending on which type you arrived on
- Email: [email protected] for advice if unsure
- Ensure you are not out of the country when your visa expires, can cause problems re-entering
- After General Registration, you will be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency Visa if interested in staying longer term
