Overseas qualified practitioners

Registration

To work as an Occupational Therapist in Australia, you need to apply for and be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.

You may also need to apply for a visa in order to work and live in Australia. We cannot advise you on matters related to visa eligibility - please visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website for further information.

The visa application process and the Board registration process are separate and success in one does not automatically guarantee success in the other. For this reason we recommend that you do not apply for work or set up a practice until your registration eligibility is assessed and confirmed. Please note Ahpra and the Board cannot assist you in seeking employment or influence employment outcomes.

New pathways to registration and changes to international qualification assessments coming soon for occupational therapists

From late 2025, the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (the Board) will launch three new streamlined pathways to general registration for internationally qualified occupational therapists.

This will include assessing international qualifications against new criteria. The criteria will determine whether a qualification is considered substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification, or relevant to the profession.

Qualification assessments will no longer be undertaken by the Occupational Therapy Council (OTC). Instead, candidates will apply directly to Ahpra for qualification assessment. Assessment of your qualification is required before you apply for registration.

These changes will make the process of qualification assessment and registration more streamlined for international occupational therapists who meet the new criteria.

Until the new pathways are launched, you can still apply to the OTC for Stage 1 desktop assessment. This is followed by a period of 3-6 months supervised practice under limited registration. Alternatively, you may choose to wait until the new pathways are launched.

Under the new pathways, if you hold a qualification the Board considers to be substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification, you will be able to apply for general registration without having to complete supervised practice. If you hold a qualification the Board considers to be relevant to occupational therapy, you will need to complete a Practical Assessment of Competence before applying for general registration.

To register as an Occupational Therapist in Australia, you must meet all of the eligibility requirements, including Board’s registration standards.

New pathways and features

Qualification Assessment Pathway

International qualifications in occupational therapy will be assessed against revised criteria. If your qualification(s) are assessed as substantially equivalent to an approved qualification, you can apply for general registration as an occupational therapist.
If your qualifications are assessed as relevant to the profession of occupational therapy, you will need to apply for limited registration to complete a Practical Assessment of Competence, administered by the OTC. The practical assessment of competence must be completed before you are qualified to apply for general registration as an occupational therapist.

Recognised Qualification Pathway

The Board will publish a list of international qualifications (with specified dates) that have been recognised as either substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved Australian qualification.
You should check your qualification (including date of graduation) against the published list of qualifications and apply for general registration if your qualification has been recognised by the Board as substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved Australian qualification.

Comparable Regulator Pathway

The Board will publish a list of ‘Comparable Regulators’. Qualifications awarded in that country or jurisdiction and recognised for the purpose of registration by that regulator, in a specified date range, will be considered by the Board to be substantially equivalent to an approved qualification.
If your qualification(s) are recognised by the Comparable Regulator you can apply for general registration.

The Board is working towards launching these pathways in late October 2025 (subject to confirmation). It will publish detailed information about the pathways and the new qualification assessment criteria in July 2025.

During this transition, internationally qualified occupational therapists seeking assessment of their qualifications should carefully consider their individual situation and select the most appropriate application process.

Anyone migrating to Australia will still need to apply to the OTC for skills recognition.

New Zealand applicants

Occupational therapists who have current registration and a current practising certificate that allows them to practise as an occupational therapist in New Zealand can apply for general registration as an occupational therapist in Australia under the Commonwealth Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

Applicants should complete an online application for general registration.

Applicants for registration under Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition must also ensure they are familiar with the Board’s registration standards and codes and guidelines.

Applicants with qualifications and/or practice experience from New Zealand but who do not currently have the right to practise in New Zealand cannot register under Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition and must meet the requirements for other overseas applicants.

Fees

Applicants are required to pay an application fee and a registration fee. All the Board's fees are published on the schedule of fees.

The Occupational Therapy Council of Australia Ltd also charges fees to assess qualifications obtained overseas and the Council publishes a schedule of fees here

Recommended pathway to application for overseas qualified occupational therapists

Overseas-qualified occupational therapists wanting to practise in Australia are required to undertake an initial assessment to determine whether their qualification(s) are suitable for registration with the Board, and then undertake a period of supervised practice before they may apply for general registration.

This process is for you if you:

Qualified as an occupational therapist outside of Australia or New Zealand, and
You want to practise as an Occupational Therapist in Australia

	Action by applicant	Action by Occupational Therapy Council of Australia (OTC)	Action by Ahpra and Occupational Therapy Board of Australia
Step 1	Complete the Stage 1 Application for Desktop Assessment form and return to OTC with all required documentation, and applicable fee. All forms and explanatory notes are available in the assessment section of the OTC website.	OTC will assess whether your qualification is suitable for registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia OTC will contact you if further information is required. An application may take approximately two weeks to assess, provided all required documents have been received. If your Stage 1 assessment is successful, OTC will issue to you a formal acknowledgement letter	Nil
Successful completion of the Stage 1 Desktop Assessment is required to progress to limited registration and practice
Step 2	You need to: Find suitable employment (must be a position requiring registration as an occupational therapist) and identify a supervisor and Complete the application for limited registration form (ALPS-96) and provide all supporting documents. This must include: Your Stage 1 assessment outcome letter (issued by OTC as above) Relevant employment documents including a Supervised practice plan form SPPA-00 Curriculum vitae of your nominated supervisor Ensure any documents provided are appropriately certified and translated if not in English Submit to Ahpra using the online upload	-	Ahpra staff will assess your application on behalf of the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia and will contact you if further information is required. Your application cannot be finalised until all information is provided The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia will grant you limited registration if your application meets the eligibility and suitability requirements. Ahpra will advise you and OTC when limited registration has been granted (including advising OTC details of the approved supervisor(s)).
Step 3	You must advise OTC and Ahpra when you will commence supervised practice.	-	-
The period of supervised practice cannot commence until you have been granted limited registration.
Step 4	Within two weeks commencing supervised practice, you must Submit to OTC the following documents: Stage 2 application form Position description Your CV Supervisor(s) CV Supervised Practice Implementation Plan using the OTC template Payment. The OTC will monitor your progress in completing compulsory cultural awareness and responsiveness training via the IAHA portal (please see below for further information).	When all documents are received, OTC will assess the Stage 2 application, including the Supervised Practice Implementation Plan. OTC will contact you if further information is required. If OTC is satisfied with your Stage 2 application and approves your Supervised Practice Implementation Plan, they will issue to you a formal confirmation letter. A copy of this confirmation will be forwarded by OTC to Ahpra.	-
Step 5	You must submit to Ahpra using the online upload evidence of successfully completing Orientation to the Australian Healthcare System - Appendix 5	-	Ahpra will contact you to acknowledge completion. A copy of this correspondence will be provided by Ahpra to OTC.
Step 6	At the midway point of your period of supervised practice, you must submit to OTC your: Stage 2 midway progress report, and Stage 2 supervision log	OTC will assess your mid-way report and supervision log and provide feedback to you.	-
Step 7	At the end of your period of supervised practice, you must provide to OTC: Stage 2 final report, and Any other information specified in the midway feedback The OTC will monitor your progress in completing compulsory cultural awareness and responsiveness training via the IAHA portal	OTC will assess your final report and other information. If approved, OTC will issue to you a Certificate of Practice Completion (COPC). OTC will advise Ahpra of your COPC number. Note: A COPC will not be issued until Level 3 of the cultural responsiveness and awareness training has been completed successfully.	-
Successful completion of Stage 2 (i.e. obtaining a COPC) is required to apply for general registration
Step 8	You may apply online to the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia for general registration.	-	-

More information

For more information about the competencies required for registration, please refer to the Accreditation Standards for occupational therapy programs.
For more information about applying for general registration.
Further information is also available on the fact sheets and on the internation health practitioners page.
Contact registration15@ahpra.gov.au if you require further information.

It is a requirement for all internationally-qualified practitioners, seeking registration to practise in Australia, to complete successfully a cultural responsiveness and awareness training programme developed by Indigenous Allied Health Australia Ltd (IAHA) on behalf of OTC. The IAHA training is comprised of three levels:

Levels 1 and 2 are accessible on-line and practitioners need to complete both levels successfully before moving on to Level 3.
Level 3 can be completed as an online module or, via an on-line webinar “yarning” session hosted by IAHA personnel, which would be the preferred module. These yarning sessions are held on a regular basis and accessed by the IAHA portal.

Upon successful completion of the OTC Stage 1 skills assessment, a link to the IAHA portal will be provided by OTC.