Under 30/35’s – The Working Holiday/Work and Holiday Visa is a popular initial visa option for certain age groups/passport holders. This visa allows you to work for 12 months and costs AUD $635 (plus proof of AUD $5000 in savings).

From July 2024, UK passport holders are eligible for x3 WHV, without needing to complete specified/farm work

Looking to stay long-term/bring family/not eligible for the WHV – the most popular options are gaining a Sponsorship or Skilled visa
Sponsorship/482 – visa linked to an employer. Sponsorship requires you to have 1 year of physiotherapy experience and once you have your Australian physio registration approved, we can introduce you to our partners who can offer this. The fees are: $3035 (adult) and $760 (child). This visa has a pathway to permanent residency after 2 years (conditions apply).
Skilled Visa – If you want to gain a permanent residency visa which is not employer supported, you can look at applying for your own Skilled Visa (189/190/491).

The main fees you need to be aware of are for your Visa (above) and gaining your Australian physio licence (AUD 2210)

– We will secure you a full-time role for when you arrive, the salaries are usually between AUD $60-95k plus super (pension)
– If you are working in a community role, you will likely need to buy your own car
– The service we provide is completely free for those that would like to be placed in a role with one of our partners

WHV – We work with employers who are happy for you to start on the WHV, ideally with the plan to then change to a more long-term visa after e.g. Sponsorship or Skilled visa

Sponsorship – the sponsorship visa is expensive for employers so the availability of roles/companies who can offer these visas, depend on the job market at the time. Currently, it is difficult (but not impossible to gain sponsorship offshore), if you can gain your own visa, that would be better!

Once you have read through the role/visa eligibility information (available on the website/booklets) – please let us know which role/visa you are interested in and the university you attended/graduation year, we will then send through more information about the registration process

We will support you throughout the registration process including free guides and unlimited phone/email support, we are experts and here to help!

– Allowing for around 7 months would be ideal!
– The registration process timeframe can vary depending on how long it takes to source the documents required, we would suggest you allow for at least 4 months
– Once your registration has been approved, we find 3-4 months is an ideal timeframe for the next steps (securing a role + visa/handing in your notice/getting organised, etc!).
– SA trained physios applying for additional checks e.g. police and medical checks may need to allow to additional time

We will arrange interviews once your registration has been approved and ideally, maximum 3-4 months before your planned start date – this gives you enough time to hand in your notice/get organised to leave/apply for your visa etc. and also means that the role is not left open for too long for the employer.

We can also organise interviews nearer to your start date depending on which visa you hold/are looking to apply for.

We do not currently work with hospitals in Australia, as they are typically unwilling to offer full-time roles to Working Holiday Visa holders or provide visa sponsorship in high-demand locations

We have partnerships with employers all across Australia!

Once you have your Australian physio registration approved, we can help you choose a location which is a good fit for you – we can also provide you with location guides

Our team is from the UK and have lived in Australia so we can provide you with honest feedback and help you find the best fit!

Experience Levels:
Our suggested experience levels are based on employer feedback and are intended as a guide, so that you have the best chance of securing a role.

We do not currently have roles available for new graduates. However, if you don’t meet the full recommended experience level, we’re still happy to see what may be available once your Australian registration is approved.

For junior physios, we strongly recommend having your registration approved and being ready to interview during the Australian winter (May–August), as this is when the highest number of roles are typically available.

If you are applying for a sponsorship or skilled visa, children/partners can be added to your visa/they can apply for subsequent visas based on your successful application – conditions apply.

If you are applying for a Working Holiday Visa – these are individual visas.

If possible, try to have your registration approved and be interviewing in the Australian winter (May-August) as this is when the most jobs are available.

We would highly recommend that you do not interview or arrive at the start of the year (January/February) as it gets very competitive for roles and also finding accommodation.

We work with employers who can offer a relocation allowance (e.g. upfront amount which can be used for flights/accommodation) for those who are moving on a long-term visa e.g. Sponsorship/Skilled Visa.

Community Support:
Healthcare Abroad has growing communities across Australia.

Our strongest community is currently in Brisbane, but we also regularly connect healthcare professionals in Perth, Melbourne,  Sydney and along the East Coast.

Once we’ve secured you a role, we’ll be happy to connect you with other healthcare professionals we’ve supported in your area. It’s a great way to build a network and feel settled more quickly.

Neuro physios on an initial Working Holiday Visa may want to consider General Community or NDIS/Disability roles, as securing a neuro-specific position on a WHV can sometimes be more challenging. Once your registration is approved, we can definitely review our available opportunities with you.

In New Zealand, there is particularly strong demand for neuro physios within Concussion and TBI services which we also recruit to!