The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has confirmed that Australia has now enough supply of medical practitioners to meet its long-term needs. Alongside, AMA, in a Federal Government Review of the Skilled Occupation List (SOL), informed that all medical occupations should be taken out of the SOL.

SOL is a list of occupations used by potential migrants seeking to nominate skilled jobs in the basis of submitting Australian permanent residency application or temporary skilled migration. Further to the review, AMA saw a surge in the supply of medical graduates in the past decades that can fill in the available positions in the workforce.

Moreover, this decision made by AMA is to give priority as well to the increasing numbers of local medical graduates and many future doctors in the training pipeline as well. This is also to encourage local-trained doctors to work in their specialties and places where their service is needed.

In reality, many potential medical practitioner migrants tend not to use the General Skilled Migration pathway in the first place. This is because international medical practitioners must undergo a period of supervised practice, one of the requirements set by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) criteria.

Australia’s new fiscal year will take effect on 1st July 2017. In line with this, changes in the SOL will be implemented as well including possible removal of medical practitioners in the list.

Source: https://ama.com.au/gp-network-news/skilled-occupations-list-review