Medical practitioners with limited registration for area of need are working under supervision in an area of Australia where there is a shortage of medical practitioners. They are usually registered to practise in a rural or remote location.

These practitioners have been assessed as having the necessary skills, training and experience to undertake this practice safely. The state or territory Minister for Health (or their delegate) must declare that the area in which the applicant will work is an ’area of need’.

New applicants who are eligible for the competent authority pathway or who already hold the AMC Certificate apply for provisional registration (they are not eligible to apply for limited registration).

The requirements for this type of registration are defined in the Medical Board of Australia’s registration standard for limited registration for area of need. The requirements include:

evidence of eligibility for registration via one of the following assessment pathways:
- standard pathway
- specialist pathway – area of need.
if you are applying for registration to work in a general practice position, evidence of three years (full-time equivalent) experience in general practice or primary care
if you are applying via the standard pathway to work in a general practice position, successful completion of a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI). Before you arrange a PESCI, see ‘When should I arrange a PESCI?’.

The registration standard for limited registration for area of need also requires medical practitioners with this type of registration to:

comply with a supervision plan
comply with a professional development plan
authorise and facilitate the provision of regular reports from their supervisors about their safety and competence to practise
perform satisfactorily in the area of need position
provide evidence confirming satisfactory progress towards meeting the requirements required for general registration or specialist registration. Medical practitioners are exempt from this requirement if they will not apply for more than three renewals of registration.

Assessment of experience in general practice or primary care

Applicants applying for registration to work in general practice must provide evidence of three years (full-time equivalent) experience working in general practice or primary care. The Board will assess an applicant’s experience as part of their application for registration. If you have had your experience formally assessed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) for another reason, you will not require further assessment of your experience by the Board. However, you must provide with your application for registration, evidence from the college that confirms you have three years (full-time equivalent) experience working in general practice or primary care.

Applying for a change in circumstances

If you wish to change the circumstances under which your registration was granted, you must apply to the Board for approval of any proposed changes. For example, if you want to work in a new position, want to change or add work sites to your existing position, change supervisors or change supervision levels, you must complete the Request for change in circumstances for international medical graduates with limited or provisional registration form (ACCL-30) for the Board’s consideration.

IMGs who are on the specialist pathway who are participating in hospital based, college supervised exam preparation and/or fellowship exams, outside their approved registration location(s), do not need Board approval of the additional locations, provided the IMG has no patient care responsibilities and they do not interfere with or intervene in the management of any patients. IMGs will need to seek the approval of the hospital to participate in these activities.

For more information see:

Page reviewed 16/12/2020

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