Entry of Overseas Qualified Podiatrists into the Profession in Australia If you are an Australian qualified international student, please click here. Registration with the appropriate Podiatrists Registration Board is a mandatory requirement before a person can practise in the profession in Australia or New Zealand. In order for overseas-qualified podiatrists to be registered they are required to undergo examination procedures established by the office of the Australasian Podiatry Council. These procedures include a written examination in the multiple-choice-question format of about two hours duration in total (Stage One), and a practical and oral examination (Stage Two) which will require a full day to complete. The Stage Two exam is based upon competency standards and related assessment methods. Further information can be found in the Australasian Podiatry Council's, Recognition of Podiatry Qualifications in Australia (* in portable document format - pdf) or at the web site of the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition. The Stage One examination can be attempted in all Australian capital cities and wherever Australia has consular representation overseas; whereas the Stage Two examination must be undertaken in one of the Schools of Podiatry in Australia. In addition to completing the Stage II examination, candidates must produce evidence of a current Australian First-Aid/CPR certificate. An English test is also required for applicants whose first language is not English. Candidates passing these examinations and requirements will be issued with a certificate which is recognised by all Registration Boards in Australia. Fees and outlines Effective 1st February 2004. All fees in Australian Dollars. Initial Application fee is $650.00 if you reside outside of Australia when making your application. (If you live in Australia, please add 10% GST, i.e. $650.00 + $65.00 = $715.00.) Stage One. If the Stage One examination fee is conducted overseas, no GST applies and the cost is $800.00. Should the exam be taken at an Australian authority, the exam attracts 10% GST and the fee is therefore $800.00 + $80.00 = $880.00. This written examination is conducted twice a year, usually during the first week of March and September in Australia or overseas, with the closing dates for applications between 1st January and 1st July respectively. Stage Two. The Stage Two examination fee is $1300.00 + $130.00GST = $1430.00 This clinical examination is also conducted twice a year at one of the Australian Schools of Podiatry during the months of June/July or October/November. Please note: you should sit the examination in the state in which you intend to reside. To be eligible to undertake these procedures a candidate must have completed a three-year full-time tertiary course or its part-time equivalent. Applicants who have successfully completed one of the approved courses listed at that site are exempted from the Stage One examination. The Australasian Podiatry Council will consider other qualifications and experience on an individual basis. Candidates must also have current registration, or be eligible for registration, in the country where the qualification was granted. Some UK-registered applicants may be exempt from the examination process. In addition, applicants must also be eligible to migrate to Australia, or have permanent residence status, or be eligible to seek employment in Australia. Potential applicants who meet these eligibility criteria should download a copy of the application form by clicking here (pdf). You should also view the Guidelines for certification of documents (pdf) or contact the Australasian Podiatry Council for an application form. If you wish to migrate to Australia as a skilled person, you should first read the information in Booklet 6, General Skilled Migration, which is available on the website of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), www.immi.gov.au. If you are a podiatrist and you intend to migrate and work in this profession in Australia, you must have a skills assessment from the Australasian Podiatry Council to include with your visa application. Note : All migration decisions are made by DIAC. The Australasian Podiatry Council does not provide information on how to migrate, visa categories or the allocation of points under the General Skilled Migration program. Please direct questions about these matters to DIAC or to your nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Contact details are available on the DIAC website. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has a skills matching program to link potential employees with employers. For more information click here. The Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI) - website will help you find out how to get an assessment of occupational qualifications, skills or experience that you have gained overseas. You can also find state-specific licensing and registration requirements to practise your occupation in Australia. Click here for further details. Looking for work? Click here. (* In order to follow this link you must have the Adobe Acrobat reader available on your computer. If you do not have this program please follow this Adobe Acrobat Reader link to obtain a free copy.)