AHPRA - People Medical Consulting

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Date Updated: 2026-07-22

What is AHPRA?

AHPRA stands for The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Along with the Medical Board of Australia, AHPRA will be the one to grant you your medical registration, assess IMGs before practicing in Australia, and create the guidelines necessary for the medical field.

What are the AHPRA Registration Levels?

There are 4 different AHPRA registration levels:

Limited AHPRA Registration
Provisional AHPRA Registration
General AHPRA Registration
Specialist AHPRA Registration

Limited AHPRA Registration

This is for Doctors who have their AMC Part 1 only (not AMC Part 2).

There are two types of Limited AHPRA Registration-

Limited AHPRA Registration for Post Graduate Training & Supervised Practice which you are eligible for with AMC Part 1.
Limited AHPRA Registration for Area of Need, which you are eligible for with AMC Part 1 & 3 years assessed GP experience.

You will be required to work under supervision, with this level of registration.

For Limited AHPRA Registration, Area of Need you will require 3 years of GP experience equivalent (which is interpreted to mean assessed). Limited AHPRA Registration, Postgraduate Training & Supervised Practice has no experience requirements, although we suggest caution as AHPRA may still consider your experience in their decision.

Provisional AHPRA Registration

This is for Doctors who have completed their AMC Part 1 & AMC Part 2, or who are entering via the Competent Authority Pathway.

You will be required to work under supervision, with this level of registration.

Provisional AHPRA registration has no experience requirements, although we suggest caution as AHPRA may still consider your experience in their decision.

General AHPRA Registration

There are multiple ways to General AHPRA. This is for Doctors who:

Completed AMC Part 1 & AMC Part 2 in a hospital job, completing the mandatory rotations in Medical, Surgical & ED, Or;
Completed AMC Part 1 & AMC Part 2 in a GP job, and have 12 months of supervised practice, Or;
Completed AMC Part 1 & WBA, Or;
Are on the Competent Authority Pathway by applying for Provisional Registration and completing 12 months of supervised practice
Are Australian medical graduates who completed accredited internship in Australia
Are Australian medical graduates who completed medical internship in another country, and have 12 months of supervised practice in Australia
GPs who have previously held General Registration in Australia

Doctors may want to get General AHPRA as they will no longer require a supervisor, or to apply to AHPRA for registration to work in a different job. Additionally, AHPRA only allows 3 renewals of Limited AHPRA, so General AHPRA is an option in case it takes you longer to get Fellowship.

Specialist AHPRA Registration

This is for Doctors who have completed Fellowship Exams & Requirements, or completed the Specialist Pathway and its requirements. Read more about the Specialist Pathway here.

This is also for the Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) who have specific accepted qualifications in general practice from one of the following countries: Ireland, New Zealand, or United Kingdom, can be eligible for the fast-track pathway. If you qualify and meet the registration requirements, then you can directly apply for Specialist AHPRA registration. The Specialist Registration will have conditions like passing 6 months of supervised practice and having an orientation to Australian healthcare and cultural safety education. Read more about the Expedited Specialist Pathway here.

Do I need to sit an English Language Test?

There are 4 pathways in meeting this standard, including the Test pathway. If you don’t meet the first 3 pathways, then you will need to sit an English Language Test. You can also check the English language skills pathway selection tool here to see which pathway is eligible for you.

Combined education pathway
- Successfully completed at least 2 years of secondary education solely in English in a recognised country
- Your qualifications were taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country.

School education pathway
- Successfully completed at least 10 years of your primary and secondary school education solely in English in a recognised country
- Your qualifications were taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country.

Advanced education pathway
- Successfully completed at least 6 years in total of FTE education all taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country which includes:
  - Your qualifications
  - Advanced education (tertiary) at a degree level (AQF level 7 or higher) which requires you to read, write, listen to and speak English
  - Note: A maximum of 2 years break while obtaining your qualifications and advanced education will be accepted, but the last period of education must have been completed no more than 2 years before applying for registration.

Test pathway – (This pathway is for you if you don’t meet the requirements of the options above)
- Successfully achieved the required minimum scores in one of the following English language tests and meet the requirements for test results:
  - Cambridge (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency)
    - C1:
      - Overall: 178
      - Listening: 175
      - Reading: 179
      - Writing: 180
      - Speaking: 194
    - C2:
      - Overall: 185
      - Listening: 185
      - Reading: 185
      - Writing: 176
      - Speaking: 185
  - International English Language Testing System (Academic) (IELTS)
    - Overall: 7
    - Listening: 7
    - Reading: 7
    - Writing: 6.5
    - Speaking: 7
  - Occupational English Test (OET)
    - Listening: 350
    - Reading: 360
    - Writing: 350
    - Speaking: 360
  - Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
    - Overall: 63
    - Listening: 58
    - Reading: 59
    - Writing: 60
    - Speaking: 76
  - Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT)
    - Overall: 91
    - Listening: 22
    - Reading: 22
    - Writing: 23
    - Speaking: 24
  - Other English language tests approved by the National Boards from time to time
- Note: The Medical Board of Australia also accepts completion of the NZREX or PLAB test, and will accept test results from:
  - One sitting, or
  - Two sittings within 12 months (if all requirements, including timing, test type, and minimum scores, are met)

You can see the list of recognised countries and read more about it on our blog here.

Which English Language Tests does AHPRA accept?

AHPRA accepts the Cambridge, IELTS, OET, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic. For profession-specific tests, they also accept the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) and Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test (PLAB test). Based on experience, they will only accept results from these exams if they were obtained within 2 years before the date you lodge your AHPRA application, unless you lodge your application for registration within 12 months of finishing your last period of employment.

The tests will have four components which are focused on Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

Cambridge (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency): The tests are taken through paper or computer at the test centre and you will need to find an exam centre to book an exam.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): There is an academic module which is a paper or computer test that will be done in a testing venue including IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR). Your score will depend on the institution since they set their own IELTS score requirements. You can check your organisation here.

Occupational English Test (OET): The tests are paper or computer-based (OET CBT) and will be taken at a testing venue.

PTE Academic or Pearson: The tests are taken via computers at the testing centre.

Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT): AHPRA advised to check the Department of Home Affairs website for test updates, because, to ensure your TOEFL iBT result is valid for Australian visa purposes, you must select ‘Taking TOEFL for Australia’ when registering for your test. Results not registered under this pathway may not be accepted for Australian visa purposes.

Do I need supervision?

Yes – If you have been granted Limited or Provisional Registration with AHPRA, you’ll be required to complete a minimum of 12 months supervised practice in Australia.

No – So long as you hold General AHPRA Registration.

Who can provide supervision?

In our experience, AHPRA can be very strict with regards to their Supervision Guidelines. As a general rule, supervisors should be Vocationally Registered, have current Specialist AHPRA Registration, and have at least 3 years of experience with General and/or Specialist AHPRA Registration in the field of General Practice.

Let’s get technical! Principle Supervisors & Co-Supervisors must not:

have conditions imposed on their AHPRA registration or undertakings accepted by the Board as a result of health, performance or conduct issues
be a relative or domestic partner of the IMG, and
be an employee of the IMG.

If your either supervisors have been grandfathered – i.e. Weren’t required to sit for GP Fellowship before being granted Specialist Registration with AHPRA, this will need to be noted in the SPPA-30 Supervision Plan. It’s also recommended to provide evidence of the grandfathering by way of an advice letter or email confirmation if possible.

If your AHPRA Registration is approved and the supervisors have not previously offered supervision, they will need to complete the Board’s online education and assessment module.

If your Principal Supervisor or Co-Supervisor only has General AHPRA Registration, it is unlikely that your Supervision arrangements will be approved.

How many supervisors should I have?

AHPRA prefers two supervisors, both a Principle and Co-Supervisor, to be nominated to ensure the appropriate level of supervision and support is provided to enable safe practice.

However, if the clinic cannot possibly provide 2 supervisors, 1 primary supervisor may oversee the IMG with the right supervision plan.

Are there limits to how many GPs can be supervised at any time?

Yes, a supervisor, who is concurrently consulting their own patients, can supervise up to 4 IMGs. However, they are only permitted to supervise 1 IMG under level one supervision.

If a supervisor is not consulting their own patients whilst the IMG is practicing, they can supervise up to 4 IMGs across all supervision levels.

If your Supervisor is planning on offering Supervision to more than four IMG’s must provide the AHPRA board with a proposal outlining how they plan to provide supervision to each IMG.

Please note that, the ideal supervisor to registrar ratio is 1:3, especially for those who will be in a 3GA GP Training Program. A supervisor can only oversee up to three registrars over time, regardless of training fraction and training program (e.g. AGPT, PFP, IP, & FSP)

What are the different Supervision Levels?

Supervision can be offered from Level 1 to Level 4. AHPRA generally prefers for most IMG’s to start at Level 1 Supervision for at least the first 3 months to ensure safe practice and support for the IMG. The Supervision Levels have the following requirements:

Level One Supervision

In our experience, IMG’s gaining registration for the first time are likely to get level one supervision.

Under level one supervision, the Principle Supervisor and Co-Supervisor are directly responsible for each individual patient the Supervised GP consults with.

A supervisor must be physically present in the practice at all times while the supervised GP practices (Supervision via phone or any other telecommunication is not acceptable).
The supervised GP must consult with their supervisor about the management of each patient before concluding the consultation and before the patient leaves the practice.

Level Two Supervision

Under level two supervision, both the supervised GP and supervisors share the responsibility of each individual patient. For this reason, the supervisors are to ensure the level of patient management undertaken by the supervised GP is based on their knowledge and level of competency.

Supervision via phone or any other telecommunication is acceptable, however a supervisor must be physically present in the practice for a minimum 80% of the time the supervised GP practices.
The supervised GP must consult with their supervisor daily about the management of individual patients.

Level Three Supervision

Under level three supervision, the supervised GP is primarily responsible for each individual patient.

A supervisor must ensure that there are measures in place that enable the monitoring of the supervised GP and safe practice.
The supervised GP is permitted to work alone, so long as a supervisor is contactable via phone or video link.

Level Four Supervision

Under level four supervision, the supervised GP is fully responsible for each individual patient.

A supervisor must oversee the supervised GP’s practice and must be available for consultation should it be required.
A supervisor must periodically conduct reviews of the supervised GPs practice.

Please note that Indirect 2 means “Accessible” where the practitioner must talk to their supervisor about how to manage patients. The supervisor must be:

reachable by phone or other communication tools
able to come to the workplace to watch the practitioner if needed.

Formal and Informal Supervision Requirements

The type of Supervision provided will depend on the IMG’s Level of Supervision and their individual needs.

Formal Supervision is scheduled time for in-depth discussion and reflection on the IMG’s practice. This meeting will provide time to review and provide feedback on the performance of the IMG, identify weaknesses, discuss difficult or unusual cases and conduct medical record reviews.

Informal Supervision involves day-to-day observation of the IMG’s practice and discussion of management plans. The Principal Supervisor will provide guidance, support and advice during this time.

We Can Help You

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!

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Information from this blog has been taken directly from: