Global awareness on the importance of mental health has risen considerably in the last decade or so. This has spurred a massive rise in demand for qualified psychologists in many parts of the world. With the ongoing pandemic, the need for psychologist professionals has multiplied even further.

In Australia, there are numerous job opportunities that await even fresh psychology graduates. In fact, there are so many openings that the local workforce is not sufficient to fill them all. If you are an overseas psychologist who is willing to take on the chance of working in Australia, you will be glad to know that there are a lot of prospects waiting for you.

What Are the Requirements?

Needless to say, there are a number of requirements that you have to complete before you can start working in Australia as a psychologist.

Registration with the Psychology Board

Before you can be a clinical psychologist in Australia, the very first thing that you would have to do is to sign up with the Psychology Board of Australia and obtain a valid registration. In other words, you need to be a licensed psychologist in Australia. It doesn’t matter if you are already duly registered in your own country or in any other country. It is strongly advised that you accomplish this first before looking for a job opening or applying for a visa.

Registration is not as simple as listing your name in the database. After the initial assessment which is done by the Board, you will have to finish at least 3 months of practice where you will be observed by the approving body. This is also called a transitional program. During this period, you will be registered as a provisional psychologist.

National Psychology Exam

You will also need to successfully pass the National Psychology Exam. Only then will you be granted the approved registration. This exam may be taken only in Australia. Upon signing up for the exam, you will be asked to specify which of the many Kryterion testing centres you prefer for sitting the exam. The centre you choose need not necessarily be in the same state where you completed your transitional program.

English Language Skills

As with all other professionals hoping to gain employment in Australia, a candidate for a psychology position should meet the common standard for English language skills. There have also been some recent additions to this common standard, which can be seen in this revision that includes a public consultation. This is very important especially in the field of psychology where clear communication is necessary between the practitioner and the clients.

Criminal History Check

It is also very important that you pass a criminal history check to make sure that you possess a suitable and safe character fit for the Australian work environment. As part of the criminal history check, you will be asked to disclose all your criminal history in all countries.

In particular, you will have to declare if charges have ever been filed against you for an offense that merits a punishment of at least 12 months of imprisonment, regardless of whether you were found guilty or not. You also have to inform the Board if you have been found guilty of any offense that merits a punishment of any length of imprisonment in any country, including Australia.

Valid Working Visa

This brings us to the matter of securing a working visa, which you can get from the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. There is a completely separate set of requirements for the visa, and you can get more information about it at the website of the Department of Home Affairs.

Fees

Applying to be an overseas psychologist comes with some expenses. During the registration process with the Board, you will have to pay a fee for overseas assessment and another for the actual registration. These fees are subject to change at any time but you can always see them posted on the Board’s schedule of fees.

As you can see, there are quite a few things you need to do before you can become a psychologist in Australia, but all the effort will definitely be worth it in the end.

If you need assistance in finding job opportunities that are the perfect fit for your qualifications, we have a lot of specialists here at Medfuture that can help you out. We have a wide range of openings that you can choose from. With our numerous permanent positions and locum and ongoing contractual work, we are sure that we can find the perfect position for you.