As Australia’s skilled migration pathways become tougher and fields that used to be niche gradually turn into popular choices, more and more students are turning their attention to niche allied health migration occupations, which are typically highly specialised and well paid, and, on the migration pathway, face fewer competitors.
We’ve already covered one of the biggest categories of allied health migration occupations — nursing: Steady long-term invitation rounds, a favourite for state nomination — no shortage of jobs or high pay! These postgraduate nursing programmes require no related undergraduate background!
Today we go into detail on two more up-and-coming allied health occupations, namely Physiotherapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT).
Compared with nursing,
these professions generally don’t involve round-the-clock rotating shifts or frequent emergencies and crises, so the work pressure is relatively lower; and the application and study requirements aren’t as forbiddingly high as they are for Medicine.
This article was written by a Newstars Sydney study consultant Jessica(Registered Education Agent QEAC No. O782), so feel free to add the QR code at the end of the article if you have any questions.
#PT & OT — what are they?
PhysiotherapistPhysiotherapy
Physiotherapists in Australia are highly specialised health professionals, whose responsibilities include assessing, treating and preventing movement impairments caused by injury or illness.They use physical modalities (such as electrotherapy, phototherapy, magnetotherapy, heat therapy, cold therapy, hydrotherapy, as well as ultrasound therapy and biofeedback therapy) to prevent and treat illness. Physiotherapists work to maximise, maintain and restore any aspect of a patient’s movement and function, partnering with patients to help them recover and stay healthy. Physiotherapists also work closely with GPs and other health clinicians to plan and arrange specialised treatment.Physiotherapy is a highly educated profession — 61.2% of practitioners hold a bachelor’s degree and 38.8% hold a master’s degree.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is likewise a respected profession in Australia, helping people of all ages overcome physical barriers that affect their everyday lives — including helping them deal with the life challenges caused by injury or illness, and restoring their ability to live independently and their confidence.It focuses on maintaining patients’ mental wellbeing and rebuilding their capacity for self-care.The course of study covers foundational knowledge from disciplines including physiology, social behaviour and psychology.
Both occupational therapy and physiotherapy fall under the health professions — the difference is that physiotherapy focuses on restoring a patient’s physical movement function; whereas occupational therapy focuses on restoring a patient’s cognition, ability to perform daily activities and capacity for self-care.
#PT & OT — job outlook
Currently, according to Joboutlook data from August 2021, the median weekly earnings for PT and OT are $1,250 and $1,247 respectively, above the all-occupation average of $1,230.As occupations with high market demand and high skill requirements,growth over the next 5 years is expected to be strong, with low unemployment.They also work across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centres, inpatient wards, mental health centres, community health centres, forensic mental health centres, schools, paediatric services and occupational rehabilitation centres.
Between 2014 and 2024, demand for occupational therapists in Australia is projected to grow at 27% per year, far outpacing the average 7% annual growth rate across all industries.
#PT & OT — skills assessment
On the MLTSSL, the assessing authorities for PT and OT are APC and OTC respectively. Under APC and OTC requirements, to get a migration skills assessment for OT or PT, you simply need to complete a course accredited by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). So, for international students studying in Australia, choosing an AHPRA-accredited university course is extremely important.
English requirements are:
IELTS 4×7 / PTE 4×65 / OET (Occupational English Test) 4×B
Language test results are valid for two years. You can combine two results, each valid within 6 months!
Note: applicants whose secondary school and university qualifications were all completed in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, South Africa, Canada or Ireland do not need to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
PT skills assessment:
You need to meet one of the following conditions:
Completion of an accredited course of study (applicable to most applicants who complete a relevant course in Australia)
Holding an APC-recognised certificate, usually issued after completing an APC qualifications assessment
Holding an APC Final Certificate, usually issued after completing an APC clinical assessment
Holding a current unrestricted registration certificate issued by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia
Holding an unrestricted annual practising certificate issued by the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand
OT skills assessment:
Qualification requirement: applicants need a relevant Australian qualification recognised by OTC.
Work experience requirement:If, at the time of application, the applicant graduated more than three months ago, they must provide a résumé of no more than two pages (listing relevant work experience as an occupational therapist over the past 5 years); if the applicant graduated less than three months ago at the time of application, they must provide a detailed statement explaining that they have no relevant work experience.
· Migration outlook
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PT and OT have long been listed by Australia as occupations in shortage, and recent migration policy shows Australia is very welcoming of applicants in the health field. Both PT and OT currently sit on the migration occupation list (MLTSSL), so you can apply for the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa, Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa, Subclass 482 employer sponsorship, and Subclass 186 employer sponsorship, among others.
State governments have also placed both occupations on their priority occupation lists, 1with South Australia, the ACT and Victoria being among the more recommended regions, among others.
If you’d like detailed advice on the above information,
feel free to contact me directly!
Next, taking into account application difficulty and local migration policy,
let’s move into the recommended universities section.
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Most PT and OT postgraduate programmes require, a related undergraduate degree, with an undergraduate average of at least 65%.Undergraduate study in related fields such as health, education, sociology, biomedicine or psychology.
Although both of these fields have relatively high English requirements, and most universities don’t offer an attached English language pathway, PTE scores are accepted — and given the current state of migration policy, IELTS 4×7 is now essentially the standard requirement.
Below we recommend some universities with more relaxed undergraduate background requirements and lower English requirements, and the following programmes are all AHPRA-accredited.
ACT — University of Canberra
Why we recommend it:A favourite for ACT state nomination, it has consistently featured on the ACT shortage occupation list, with few competing applicants, and local graduates have a big advantage. Suited to applicants without a biology or medical background.During the course, students complete more than 1,000 hours of clinical placement, with the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in real interactions with patients.
Programme name: Master of Occupational Therapy
Intake: July
Entry requirements: any undergraduate discipline, average of at least 65
English requirements: IELTS 4×7, PTE 4×65, or equivalent — no direct-entry English pathway
Places on this programme are limited and competition is fairly fierce, so students with strong undergraduate results and the required English scores should start preparing their application early!
Programme name: Master of Physiotherapy
Intake: July
Entry requirements: undergraduate degree in a health-science-related field, having studied musculoskeletal anatomy, advanced functional anatomy, exercise physiology and biomechanics
English requirements: IELTS 4×7, PTE 4×65, or equivalent — no direct-entry English pathway
The University of Canberra also offers 4-year PT and OT undergraduate programmes, with a February intake each year, both accredited by the relevant assessing authority. For specific entry requirements, message us directly for detailed advice based on your secondary school background.
VIC Swinburne University of Technology
Why we recommend it:No strict requirement for a related undergraduate background, low English entry requirements, and lower tuition at $37,360 AUD per year (compared with $40,000+ AUD per year at other universities).The Hawthorn campus is close to Melbourne’s CBD, making everyday life convenient.The health sector currently falls under Victoria’s Target sectors, making applicants eligible for Victorian state nomination (Subclass 190).
Programme name: Master of Occupational Therapy
Intake: June each year
Entry requirements: any undergraduate or postgraduate degree, with a final-year average of 65% or above; must have completed at least one anatomy and physiology course, or a relevant bridging course
English requirements: IELTS overall 7.0 with no band below 6.5; or PTE overall 66 with no component below 58
SA — University of South Australia
Why we recommend it:South Australia’s state nomination policy is a real advantage! Subclass 190 state nomination requires only 3 months of relevant work experience after graduation; Subclass 491 has no work experience requirement.The university has extensive teaching experience — the PT programme has 40 years of teaching experience, and the OT programme provides 1,000 hours of placement.
Programme name: Master of Physiotherapy
Intake: February each year
Entry requirements: any undergraduate discipline, GPA 5 or above
Having studied, at undergraduate level, 1 course in statistics and research methods, 2 courses in human anatomy (covering musculoskeletal anatomy, neuroanatomy and systemic anatomy), and 2 courses in human physiology (covering human musculoskeletal physiology, neurophysiology and systemic physiology).For applicants without an Australian undergraduate background, if you’re not sure whether your course weighting qualifies, you can provide your transcript to our consultants and we’ll work it out for you.
English requirements: IELTS 4×7, PTE 4×65
Programme name: Master of Occupational Therapy
Intake: February each year
Entry requirements: any undergraduate discipline, GPA 5 or above; must have studied human anatomy, human physiology, human psychology or sociology/anthropology, and research methods at undergraduate level
English requirements: IELTS 4×7, PTE 4×65
SA — Flinders University
Why we recommend it:Benefits from South Australia’s favourable migration policy; low English entry requirements; the programme’s biggest highlight: PT includes a 26-week placement, and OT includes 1,000 hours of full-time placement plus 3 clinical placements.This gives students’ professional skills a serious workout!Tuition isn’t expensive, at just over $40,000 a year.
Master of Physiotherapy / Master of Occupational Therapy
Intake: February each year
Entry requirements: undergraduate GPA 5 or above, having studied human anatomy, human physiology, sociology, research methods and communication skills at undergraduate level
English requirements: IELTS overall 7.0 with no band below 6.5; or PTE overall 66 with no component below 58
NSW University of Sydney
Why we recommend it: the university ranks in the world’s top 50 overall, and 28th in the world for this discipline.Located in Sydney, it’s a great option for students who love a bustling city and the prestige of a Group of Eight (Go8) university.The programme includes 800-1,000 hours of placement, and the University of Sydney’s OT postgraduate programme requires no related undergraduate background. An English language pathway is available, but the main programme only has one intake, in March each year, so students doing the language pathway need to start 3-6 months earlier!
Programme name: Master of Physiotherapy
Intake: March each year
Entry requirements: undergraduate average of 65 or above, having studied human anatomy, human physiology, neuroscience and exercise physiology.
English requirements: IELTS 4×7 or PTE 4×68
Programme name: Master of Occupational
Therapy
Intake: March each year
Entry requirements: any undergraduate discipline, average of 65 or above
English requirements: IELTS 4×7 or PTE 4×68
Overall, compared with PT, OT postgraduate admission standards are more flexible, making it better suited to students without a related background.
Note: the entry-requirement scores for the recommended programmes above all refer to an Australian undergraduate qualification. If your undergraduate background is non-Australian, message the QR code at the end of the article for a specific consultation and assessment.
If you’re interested in university selection, skills assessment or migration pathways for PT and OT, feel free to message us anytime for a chat.
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