As of the 18th December 2023, AHPRA will no longer require overseas applicants to present in-person to finalise their registration applications.
We welcome this news as it is something we have campaigned to change for years, especially since the location of these ID checks were changed from AHPRA offices to the medical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is one of the positive changes that has come out of the long-awaited Kruk Report. In the report, Robyn Kruk has acknowledged the duplication of a number of paperwork requirements such as the identity check. Applicants have long been frustrated with proving their identity to their prospective practice, EPIC, AMC, RACGP, AHPRA, the Department of Home Affairs and then again to the Department of Health.
Identity checks are duplicated by AHPRA and DOHA, imposing needless costs and delays on applicants. Some requirements are also onerous. Historically, applicants have been required to complete an in-person identity check in Australia before their registration could be finalised, and applicants who have never been to Australia have been required to provide an Australian residential address.
This change will mean that GPs are no longer required to make a trip out to Australia for the purpose of an ID check. This will not only save money, but reduce processing times and remove uncertainties when moving to Australia.
If you are a GP looking to more to Australia and want to learn more about the process, contact Alecto at [email protected]