Final-year students urged to apply for registration online now

13 Oct 2014

Final-year students who will soon complete an approved program of study can go online now to apply for registration before they graduate.

The online graduate application service on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website smooths the path from study to work by enabling final-year students to apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their course. All applicants are required to return some supporting documents to AHPRA by mail to complete their application.

Occupational Therapy Board of Australia Chair, Dr Mary Russell, said graduates who intended practising under the protected title of ‘occupational therapist’ must make an application for general registration.

Graduates of approved programs of study must also meet the National Board’s registration requirements, as detailed on its website, to be a registered occupational therapist.

Registration standards that relate to the new graduate are:

• criminal history 
• English language skills, and 
• professional indemnity insurance, and 
• an undertaking to meet the National Board’s continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, including a minimum 30 hours of CPD in each registration year.

‘Graduates need to be a registered occupational therapist before they can start practising,’ Dr Russell said.

‘To assist with the processing of their application, it’s important that graduates post supporting documents to AHPRA as soon as possible after applying online.’

There are five simple steps to registration for graduates: 

1. Students apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their program at Graduate applications on the AHPRA website. 
2. Applicants fill out an online application (if eligible) or download an application form. All applications require some documents to be sent to AHPRA by mail to complete the application. 
3. Education providers advise AHPRA when applicants are eligible to graduate. 
4. AHPRA finalises assessment, confirms registration, publishes new graduates’ names on the national register of practitioners and sends out registration certificates. 
5. New graduates registered with the National Board are eligible to start work as soon as their name is published on the national register.

For more information

• Go to Graduate applications on the AHPRA website for FAQ and links to more information 
• For registration enquiries or difficulties in accessing the online application form: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200