Expedited Specialist Pathway - People Medical Consulting

This is a FAQ BLOG and you can refer to our Getting Started as a General Practitioner in Australia blog here.

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Date Updated: 2026-02-16

What is the Expedited Specialist Pathway and how does this work?

This pathway is for the Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) who have specific accepted qualifications in the list here. One of the specialties is general practice from one of the following countries: Ireland, New Zealand, or United Kingdom.

If you qualify and meet the registration requirements, then you can directly apply for Specialist AHPRA registration. The Specialist Registration will have conditions like needing to pass 6 months of supervised practice and having an orientation to Australian healthcare and cultural safety education, before you can obtain an unconditional specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia.

According to AHPRA, “the Expedited Specialist pathway is safe, faster and cheaper for eligible SIMGs.” This is because you won’t need to apply for any comparability assessments or be on a training program from a specialist college in Australia for this pathway, reducing the cost and making the process faster.

If you’re not sure which pathway to go for, you can take the AHPRA Registration Self-Assessment tool here to help you decide which pathway you are eligible for registration.

What are the accepted qualifications?

If you have any of the following accepted qualifications in general practice, then you may apply for the Expedited Specialist Pathway:

Ireland
- Qualification: Membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners (MICGP), together with a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training (CSCST).
- Qualification specifications: Qualification awarded under any ICGP curriculum from 2009 following satisfactory completion of a general practice education and training requirements in Ireland

New Zealand
- Qualification: Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP)
- Qualification specifications: Qualification awarded under any RNZCGP curriculum from 2012 following satisfactory completion of the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP)

United Kingdom
- Qualification: Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP), together with a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).
- Qualification specifications: Qualification awarded under any RCGP curriculum from 2007 following satisfactory completion of a GMC or Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board approved general practice specialist training program in the United Kingdom

As of 9 February 2026, the other specialties with accepted qualifications in the Expedited Specialist Pathway include Anaesthesia (Ireland & UK), Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Ireland & UK), Paediatrics and child health – General paediatrics (Ireland & UK), Physician – General medicine (UK), and Psychiatry (UK). See the qualifications list here.

How do I apply?

Apply to ECFMG to have your qualifications verified via EPIC: https://www.ecfmg.org/psv/
Apply to AMC to have a portfolio established: https://account.amc.org.au/sign_in
Check if you have an accepted qualification
Apply to the Medical Board for specialist registration
- You need to submit a supervised practice plan with supervisor and appropriate specialist position details, but this can be done when you apply for registration or after registration has been granted.
- You must meet the same registration standards as all other specialists and doctors – including English language, criminal history, recency of practice.
- You can also opt to become a member with RACGP and have them as your CPD Home. If you also applied to be a member before you go to Australia, you can learn about Australian general practice before you arrive.

Please note you can nominate an authorised representative and we can help you with your application documents!

You can also refer to AHPRA’s flowchart below:

How long will it take to review my AHPRA application?

It will take around 4 – 8 weeks once you submit your completed application. Please note that turnaround times may vary based on the time of year and the current workload of AHPRA. We’ve listed the usual timeline range, but it’s always a good idea to check with your consultant for the most up-to-date info!

Please note AHPRA recommends that you apply for specialist registration at least 3-6 months before your intended start date.

What is the evidence required for applying for registration in this pathway?

Here are the evidences required per country in general practice:

Ireland
- Supervised practice plan with supervisor and appropriate specialist position details, but this can be done when you apply for registration or after registration has been granted.
- A letter from ICGP confirming that the qualification was awarded under any ICGP curriculum from 2009 after completion of the 4-year general practice training program (or Recognition of Prior Learning scheme) under an approved GP training scheme in Ireland.
- Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training (CSCST) issued by the ICGP.

New Zealand
- Supervised practice plan with supervisor and appropriate specialist position details, but this can be done when you apply for registration or after registration has been granted.
- A letter from RNZCGP confirming that fellowship was awarded under any RNZCGP curriculum from 2012 following satisfactory completion of the General Practice Education Programme (GPEP).

United Kingdom
- Supervised practice plan with supervisor and appropriate specialist position details, but this can be done when you apply for registration or after registration has been granted.
- Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) awarded by the GMC or the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board.
- Confirmation of Specialist or GP training from the GMC (see Confirmation of UK training and acquired rights).
- Additional evidence to confirm the completion of one of the eligible training pathways, if not indicated in the documents above.

What are the fees for this pathway?

Here’s a list of the fees below:

AMC Portfolio: $642 AUD
EPIC: $130 US
AHPRA Specialist Application: $1,594 AUD
AHPRA Specialist Registration: $1,058 AUD
Workplace-based Assessments, Multi-Source Feedback Assessment, and other assessment costs
CPD homes charge a joining fee. See relevant CPD home here.
If you choose to get Fellowship, there will be college fees.

What do I need to do while on this pathway?

Here is a step-by-step process of what you are required to finish:

Once you have Specialist Registration, complete an orientation to the Australian health system within the first 3 months of supervised practice.

After 3 months of practice, submit a orientation and supervised practice report.

Complete 6 months of supervised practice including:
- Cultural safety education
  - Completed during supervised practice
  - Appropriate cultural safety education courses will be approved by the Board highlighting cultural awareness course, cultural safety education, and CPD. See the approved courses here.
  - Individuals must provide evidence of completion of cultural safety education through a course completion certificate or transcript issued by the training provider. See the approved courses here.
  - Note: If you are currently registered or have been previously registered in Australia within the past 3 years, you will be exempt from the orientation and cultural safety education requirements.
- After 4-5 months, complete the required work-placed based assessments which are:
  - Multi-Source Feedback Assessment (MSF)
  - 1 other additional assessment that must be appropriate for the specialty from the following list:
    - Mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX),
    - Direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), or
    - Case-based discussion (CBD)
    - Note: You will need to specify the additional assessment to be undertaken as part of your Supervised practice plan

Have a CPD home and do 50 hours of CPD each calendar year.
- You can also opt to become a member with RACGP and have them as your CPD Home. They are currently Australia’s largest CPD home (50,000+ members). This is mainly for access to orientation, resources, professional support and 3000+ approved activities.

At the end of the 6 months of practice, submit a final supervision report, form for the WBA you completed, MSF report, and an application for review of conditions or undertakings.

Apply to the Medical Board to have the conditions removed.
- You can also apply to be a Fellow with RACGP. See it here.

Please note visa can take up to 6 weeks and Medicare takes 4 weeks.

If you want Fellowship, you can apply to the relevant specialist medical college. You can also directly apply to be a Fellow with RACGP once you complete the Expedited Specialist Pathway and hold unconditional specialist registration in general practice.

How do I apply for Fellowship?

You can allow AHPRA to share your contact details with a specialist medical college when you apply for specialist registration. The colleges will be the ones to reach out to you for the Fellowship process.

You can also directly apply to be a Fellow with RACGP once you complete the Expedited Specialist Pathway and hold unconditional specialist registration in general practice. You should become a fellow to:

Be recognised as a specialist GP
Use the post-nominals FRACGP
Enhance your career with opportunities as a supervisor, medical educator, examiner, committee member
Enjoy a lifelong learning and ongoing support
Be part of a strong, professional community

You can check out more details on RACGP Fellowship here.

Do I need a job offer to apply for this pathway?

You can apply for specialist registration before getting a job offer, but you can’t start working until the Medical Board approves your position. Please note that you must complete 6 months of supervised practice in an approved role if you’re on the Expedited Specialist pathway.

Does the 10-year moratorium still apply to me?

Yes, the 10-year moratorium will apply to SIMGs on the Expedited Specialist pathway. Read more about the 10-year moratorium here.

What if I’m currently in the Specialist Pathway?

You can still apply for the Expedited Specialist Pathway, but the process will depend on your registration type you have:

Limited Registration – you can apply for Specialist Registration through the Expedited Specialist pathway OR wait to apply until your Limited Registration is due for renewal and surrender your Limited Registration when your Specialist Registration is approved.

Provisional Registration – you can stay on the Specialist pathway with Provisional Registration OR apply for Specialist Registration through the Expedited Specialist pathway

Please note if you haven’t finished the supervised practice requirements, your specialist registration will have conditions, then when all requirements are met, you may be eligible for both General and Specialist Registration.

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Here at People Medical Consulting, we have a passion for guiding medical practitioners through their career pathways to Australia. We have extensive experience in assisting medical facilities in recruiting doctors from local and overseas who will best suit their requirements.

We provide Document Assistance for those requiring support for their PESCI with IME, ACRRM or RACGP, registration and all other mandatory AHPRA requirements, fellowship program related forms and letters, application for Medicare provider and prescriber numbers, application for 19AB or 19AA exemptions and preparation of employment documents.

If you want to talk to someone about your pathway or practice management—book a consultation with us below, or if you need Recruitment or Document Assistance, contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au or click the buttons below. We’d be glad to help you!