Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Graduate Applications
Look up a health practitioner

Close

Check if your health practitioner is qualified, registered and their current registration status

Graduate Applications

Find out what you need to do for graduate registration, including tips to help you avoid unnecessary delays.

How to apply for graduate registration

Watch our videos to help you get your application right the first time. 

Finished watching and want to know more?

Click here to watch the detailed video

Click here to download – Certifying documents

How do I apply?

  1. Create your account using the online services portal and complete your application
  2. Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documentation to prove you’ve met the requirements for registration, including certified copies of your proof of identity (see below for more information).
  3. Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra. 

We will let you know via email when we have assessed your application and are awaiting your graduate results. If we need any further information, we will contact you.

Once we’ve received your graduate results from your education provider and we are satisfied that you have met all the requirements for registration, we will then finalise your application.

To help you understand the application process and what information is needed, please

How do I certify my photographic identity documents?

It’s important that you get your photographic proof of identity documents certified correctly.

On documents with a photograph such as your passport or driver’s licence you must make sure the authorised officer writes or stamps:

‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’

To make sure your documents are certified correctly, please download or print the guide ‘Certifying Documents’  and take it with you to get your documents certified.

The guide provides a full list of authorised officers who can certify your documents (including teachers, bank officers, public servants, permanent employees of Ahpra and members of the following health professions: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner, Chinese medicine practitioner, chiropractor, dental practitioner, medical practitioner, medical radiation practitioner, nurse, midwife, occupational therapist, optometrist, osteopath, paramedic, pharmacist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, and psychologist).

How long does it take to assess my application?

Once we’ve received your graduate results from your education provider, we aim to finalise your application within two weeks. That’s if you’ve provided everything you need to prove you’ve met the requirements for registration. A few education providers submit graduate results in late October with the majority sending through their graduate results in late November to mid-December.

While we can’t finalise your application until after we’ve received your graduate results, we begin to assess your application beforehand so that it’s ready to go pending your results. That’s why we encourage you to submit your application early and to check whether you’ve provided everything you need to prove that you’ve met the requirements for registration. This is particularly important during end-of-year peak graduate period where we receive approximately 25,000 applications within a few months.

It may take longer to assess your application if:

  • your photo ID documents are not correctly certified
  • you have not provided all the information required
  • you have indicated you have a health impairment that requires more detailed assessment
  • you do not declare your criminal history, or
  • there is a delay in receiving the results of International criminal history checks from an Ahpra-approved supplier.

When should I apply?

You can start your application if you’re set to graduate within the next three months. While we want you to apply early, if you submit your application any earlier than three months you will be unable to apply online.

How can I track my application?

You can track the progress of your application from your online services account.

Can I provide my graduate results directly rather than waiting for my education provider to send them?

We need to receive your graduate results from your education provider. You don’t need to do anything as they send your results directly to us, however, if you are unsure if your education provider has provided your results or would like to know when they will be providing your results, you may want to contact them to confirm.

What do I need to tell you?

In your application, you need to demonstrate that you meet the requirements for registration (registration standards). While we receive your graduate results direct from your education provider, you may need to provide documentation regarding any health impairments, criminal history or how you meet your Board’s English language skills requirement with your application. It’s important that you provide as much information as you can when you submit your application because assessment of your application may be delayed if we need to contact you for further information.

Health impairments

You need to tell us about any impairments that may affect your ability to practise.

Impairment means any physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependence), that detrimentally affects or is likely to detrimentally affect your ability to safely practise the profession.

Having an impairment will not necessarily prevent you from practising. However, we need to know what you are doing to manage any impairment. We may require current documentation about your diagnosis and/or treatment plan and a statement regarding your current fitness to practise from your treating health practitioner. It’s important that you provide all details of any impairments and how you are managing them when you submit your application. Assessment of your application may be delayed if we need to contact you for further information.

Criminal history

In your application, you need to tell us about any criminal history.

Criminal history includes every:

  • conviction for an offence
  • plea of guilty or finding of guilt by a court for an offence, whether or not a conviction is recorded for the offence
  • every charge for an offence.

We conduct an Australian criminal history check on every applicant. This cost is covered in your application fee.

You need to supply a complete criminal history with your application irrespective of the time that has lapsed since the charge was laid or the finding of guilt was made. This is because under the National Law, spent convictions legislation does not apply to criminal history disclosure requirements. If you do not supply your full criminal history, your application may be delayed or refused.

Your National Board will decide whether your criminal history is relevant to the practise of the profession.

If you have lived overseas for a period of six consecutive months or more as an adult you will also need to complete an international criminal history check. It is your responsibility to request and pay for your international criminal history check through an Ahpra-approved supplier. The results will be passed to us directly.

We cannot register you until we have received the results of your criminal history checks.

English language skills

National Boards set requirements for English language skills to make sure all registered practitioners can provide safe care and communicate effectively in English with their patients/clients and other health practitioners. 

You must meet the registration standard for English language skills set by your Board.

There are four pathways for how you may meet the English language skills standard, including:

  • the primary language pathway
  • combined secondary and tertiary qualifications pathway
  • the extended education pathway, and
  • by sitting an English language skills test via an Ahpra-approved provider. 
Document name
PDF
Document date
English language skills pathways PDF
(71.0 KB)
4 October 2019
English language skills registration standard pathways -Nursing and midwifery
PDF
(74.1 KB)
4 October 2019

For graduates applying to be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner, your English language proficiency can be demonstrated through the completion of the Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care (Practice) or a qualification considered by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (the Board) to be equivalent. More information is available on the Board website

What happens next?

We will either register you, register you with conditions or refuse your application.

We will let you know the outcome and if registered, we will publish your name on the national register of health practitioners.

Once your name is on the national register of practitioners, you can start work as a registered health practitioner!

To help you further understand the application process and what information is needed, please read our frequently asked questions.

Graduate registration information video

This video provides detail about the things you need to provide with your application for registration.

We cover how to apply, what to include with your application, how to get your documents certified correctly, English language requirements, criminal history, what happens when you’ve lodged your application, the public register, and staying registered.

Download our PDF flyers to learn more about:

Quick guide: how to apply

Tips for graduates to avoid delays

Criminal history

English language skills

English language skills for nurses and midwives

 
 
Page reviewed 24/11/2022