Migrate by occupation / General Practitioner

MLTSSL

Migrate to Australia as a general practitioner

General practice is in acute shortage, particularly regionally, and doctors have some of the strongest migration prospects of any occupation. The complexity is the assessment: the Australian Medical Council pathway is the longest in the system and can run well over a year, so sequencing against your age-point bands matters enormously.

The essentials

Occupation
General Practitioner
ANZSCO code
253111
Occupation list
MLTSSL — Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List
Visas it supports
Subclass 189, 190, 491, 485
Assessed by
MedBA
Assessment cost
varies - check the authority directly
Assessment time
commonly 2 to 4 months

Which visas actually fit

Subclass 189strongHealth occupations fare comparatively well in independent rounds.
Subclass 190strongNominated almost everywhere, often with concessions.
Subclass 491strongRegional health shortages are acute; this is where nomination is most achievable.
Subclass 482strongEmployer sponsorship is routine in the sector.

Check your points and pathways →

Your skills assessment

Before you can apply for any skilled visa as a general practitioner, MedBA must assess your skills. They generally need:

  • A qualification recognised as comparable to the required Australian level.
  • Documented employment in the nominated occupation.
  • Evidence that your duties match the ANZSCO description, not just the job title.
Confirm the assessor before you pay

Some occupations have more than one possible assessing authority depending on your qualifications, and assessors occasionally change. Check the Department of Home Affairs occupation list, which names the correct authority per occupation, before lodging.

Where general practitioners are nominated

Every state and territory nominates health occupations, and several give them priority or concessional treatment. This is the category where regional programs are most welcoming.

Worth knowingRegistration is the real bottleneck, not the visa. AHPRA registration runs separately from your skills assessment and often takes longer.

Compare state nomination programs →

Data sourceOccupation, list membership and assessing authority from LIN 19/051, the compilation in force 28 March 2026, read on 21 July 2026. Occupation lists and assessment requirements change - confirm the current position before you pay any fee.

Registered migration agents

We are building a directory of MARN-registered agents and immigration lawyers. Listings are checked against the public register before they appear.

How the directory works

Placement shown on the general practitioner migration page.

General information, not migration advice. myPRJourney summarises publicly available information about Australian visas so you can understand your options. It does not assess your case, and it is not a substitute for advice from a registered migration agent (MARN) or Australian legal practitioner. Migration rules, occupation lists, income thresholds and state nomination criteria change frequently and sometimes without notice. This page was last reviewed on 21 July 2026. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Department of Home Affairs at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.