International Recruitment Strategy (IRS)

What it does

The aim of the International Recruitment Strategy is to increase the number of appropriately qualified overseas trained doctors providing Medicare services in districts of workforce shortage across Australia.
Under this strategy, employers and overseas trained doctors will be provided support and assistance in the recruitment process.
The IRS is administered by Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA) and delivered by Rural Workforce Agencies (RWAs) in each state and the Northern Territory.

RWAs coordinate and help prospective overseas trained doctors (OTDs) through the various steps and processes they need to follow to gain registration and work in Australia.

Recruitment is mainly to fill job vacancies in regional, rural and remote locations.

Eligibility

An eligible vacancy is a vacant medical position or employment opportunity for a general practitioner or other medical specialist in a district of workforce shortage where the vacancy or employment opportunity has a minimum Medicare billing component.

Medical vacancies in the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Aboriginal Medical Services are also eligible vacancies.

Overseas trained doctors can only fill an eligible vacancy under this strategy if:

• they did not obtain their primary medical qualification in Australia,
• they have not worked in the Australian medical workforce within the last 12 months, and
• their skills and experience meet the requirements of the position.

Both temporary and permanent resident doctors are eligible. Usual immigration and medical registration requirements apply.

Want more info?

Rural Health Workforce Australia
Call (03) 9860 4700
or Go to RHWA website>
or Contact the Rural Workforce Agency in your state or territory:

Northern Territory
NT Medicare Local (08) 8950 4800

Queensland
Health Workforce Qld (07) 3105 7800

Western Australia
Rural Health West (08) 6389 4500

South Australia
Rural Doctors Workforce Agency (08) 8234 8277

New South Wales
Rural Doctors Network (02) 4924 8000

Victoria
RWAV (03) 9349 7800

Tasmania
Health Recruitment Plus (03 6334 2355