Assessment of overseas qualified practitioner complaints

We assist with complaints about the assessment of overseas qualified practitioners seeking to become registered in Australia

Make a complaint

One of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme’s (the National Scheme) objectives is to “facilitate the rigorous and responsive assessment of overseas-trained health practitioners.”

Overseas qualified practitioners seeking to become registered in Australia must be assessed to determine whether they are qualified for registration in their profession, and meet the requirements to be registered in Australia. Generally, this includes:

  • having a Board-recognised qualification

  • completing an assessment/s or examination/s to demonstrate they can practise safely in Australia, and/or a period of supervised practice

  • meeting the 5 central registration standards’ requirements: the Criminal History Standard, the English Language Skills Registration Standard, the Recency of Practice Standard, the Professional Indemnity Insurance Standard and the Continuing Professional Development Standard (unless exemptions apply)

  • meeting any other requirements set by the National Board.
     

We are here to help you if you feel the assessment or registration process wasn’t fair.

Make a complaint

Find out how to make a complaint to the Ombudsman or Commissioner.

  • Find out more about how our office provides a free and independent complaint handling service for the public and health practitioners.

Download and share our fact sheet

This fact sheet has resources to assist overseas qualified practitioners through the registration process. It’s only fair. 

Download our fact sheet

About the assessment process

We know it can be challenging to navigate how to become a registered health practitioner in Australia.

Contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) with any questions before applying for registration. Reaching out early in the process can help ensure you are on the right path from the start.

Each health profession has different requirements that need to be met to become a registered health practitioner in Australia. We encourage you to check the requirements for the National Board that oversees your health profession. For example, if you are a medical practitioner, you will need to check the requirements of the Medical Board of Australia.

There may be different pathways to registration based on where you completed your qualification/s and where you have practised.

We can assist with complaints about the assessment process

You can make a complaint to us if you feel your qualifications or skills were unfairly assessed, for example:

  • you experienced an unfair examination process, including the delivery of an examination or the assessment of your qualification

  • you were dissatisfied with the reasoning for an examination or assessment-related process or outcome.

Remember, unless there is a reason not to, it’s best to first complain to the organisation who conducted the assessment or examination, so they have an opportunity to address the complaint.

Make a complaint

We can also assist with complaints about the registration process

For example, we can assist with complaints about an unfair registration process, such as if:

  • you’re experiencing delays in the process

  • you are concerned the application of the English Language Skills Registration Standard was incorrect

  • you think a decision to refuse, or place conditions on, your registration was unfair

  • you were charged incorrectly for your registration application or renewal.

Please remember that our office cannot force a National Board to change its decision or re-issue an examination or assessment result.

Download our fact sheet

You can access and share the information on this webpage via our PDF fact sheet.

The fact sheet has resources to assist overseas qualified practitioners through the registration process. 

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    Make an anonymous complaint

    We accept anonymous complaints, or you can contact us anonymously to learn about how we manage complaints. You can also make a confidential complaint, where your identity is withheld from the organisation you’re complaining about.

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    Our complaints process

    Our empathetic staff hear your concerns and consider the most appropriate way to address them. This may include asking you or the organisation you’re complaining about for more information, suggesting another early resolution process or deciding to investigate.

    If we decide that we cannot consider your complaint and there is an organisation better suited to considering your concerns, we’ll provide you with information about alternative ways to progress your complaint.

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    Responding to your complaint

    We seek to address complaints as informally and efficiently as possible by reaching an agreement with those involved. This may include, for example, the organisation providing an update on the progress of an application, or providing further reasons for their decision.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Give us a call on 1300 795 265