Phne: +61-8-9368 2655 GPO Bx 959 Suth Perth WA 6951 Website: www.tcuncil.cm.au E-mail: admin@tcuncil.cm.au ABN 50 377 833 627 EXPLANATY NOTES (applicable frm 1 July 2015) STAGE 1 DESKTOP ASSESSMENT fr the RECOGNITION OF OVERSEAS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY QUALIFICATIONS Fr the purpses f MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA AND REGISTRATION TO PRACTISE IN AUSTRALIA ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE This desktp assessment has a dual purpse: i) fr verseas-trained ccupatinal therapy practitiners wishing t migrate and practise in Australia. Overseas-trained ccupatinal therapists wishing t practise in Australia must have their skills assessed by the Occupatinal Therapy Cuncil (Australia & New Zealand) Ltd (OTC) in rder t apply fr registratin with the Australia Health Practitiner Regulatin Agency (AHPRA) t practise as an ccupatinal therapist in Australia. ii) ccupatinal therapists wh have cmpleted an apprved prgram f study suitable fr registratin in Australia (please visit http://www.ccupatinaltherapybard.gv.au/accreditatin.aspx) requiring a qualificatin assessment fr skilled migratin purpses. OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 1 f 7
The Australian Gvernment s skilled migratin prgram is implemented thrugh a partnership between gvernment and industry. The OTC has been appinted by the Minister fr Immigratin and Barder Cntrl in accrdance with the Migratin Regulatins 1994 as the assessing authrity fr the ccupatin f Occupatinal Therapist ANZSCO Cde: 252411. Fr migratin purpses, ccupatinal therapy skills are assessed as suitable r nt suitable against the requirements established by the OTC. Overseas-trained ccupatinal therapists wh wish t apply t migrate t Australia under the skilled migratin prgram must have their qualificatins and skills assessed by OTC. iii) If a migratin agent is being used t assist with the prcess, please ensure the crrect address fr the assessment letter is included n the Stage 1 applicatin. Stage 1 is a desktp assessment f qualificatins and English language prficiency. The practitiner will be assessed against the fllwing criteria (all cpied dcumentatin must be certified crrectly in accrdance with the requirements belw): 1. Prf f Identity The practitiner must prvide phtgraphic identificatin (passprt r driver s licence) when submitting their applicatin. If the name f the practitiner has changed and is different frm that shwn n the qualificatin upn which they rely fr the assessment, then evidence/prf f this change f name shuld be prvided i.e. marriage certificate, Deed pll, divrce papers. 2. Qualificatins The practitiner must demnstrate successful cmpletin f a tertiary educatin prgramme leading t an award in ccupatinal therapy (undergraduate r graduate entry). This prgramme must: have been accredited by the Wrld Federatin f Occupatinal Therapy (WFOT) at the time f graduatin, and be cmparable t an Australian Bachelr r Graduate Entry Master degree in accrdance with Cuntry Educatin Prfiles prduced by Australian Educatin Internatinal - Natinal Office f Overseas Skills Recgnitin (AEI-NOOSR). A certified cpy f qualificatin papers must be prvided i.e. degree, diplma, certificate, tgether with assciated transcript. WFOT apprval must have been in place at the time f graduatin and cannt be cnsidered retrspectively (i.e. if the institutin r prgramme received WFOT apprval after the time f graduatin, this will nt be sufficient t meet the criteria fr assessment). An apprved WFOT prgramme is taken t mean thse curses listed n the WFOT website under Educatin Entry Level Educatinal Prgrams WFOT Apprved which at the time f graduatin was apprved. 3. English Language Prficiency High-level cmpetence in English language is essential fr the practice f ccupatinal therapy in Australia. The practitiner must submit evidence t demnstrate sufficient English language skills t wrk as an ccupatinal therapist in an English language envirnment. OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 2 f 7
Practitiners applying fr skilled migratin r registratin t practise in Australia must demnstrate yur English language cmpetency in ne f the fllwing ways: 1. English is yur primary language and yu have undertaken and satisfactrily cmpleted: a. all f yur primary and secndary educatin which was taught and assessed slely in English in a recgnised cuntry, and b. tertiary qualificatins in the relevant prfessinal discipline, which yu are relying n t supprt yur eligibility fr registratin under the Natinal Law, which were taught and assessed slely in English. Recgnised cuntries: Australia New Zealand United States f America United Kingdm Republic f Ireland Canada Suth Africa 2. Yu have a cmbinatin f secndary educatin and tertiary qualificatins, where yu have undertaken and satisfactrily cmpleted: a. at least tw years f yur secndary educatin which was taught and assessed slely in English in a recgnised cuntry, and b. tertiary qualificatins in ccupatinal therapy which were taught and assessed slely in English in a recgnised cuntry. 3. Yu have undertaken and satisfactrily cmpleted at least six years (full time equivalent) cntinuus educatin taught and assessed slely in English, in any f the recgnised cuntries, which includes tertiary qualificatins in ccupatinal therapy upn which yu are relying t supprt yur eligibility fr registratin. 4. Yu achieve the required minimum scres in ne f the fllwing English language tests and meet the requirements fr test results specified in this standard: a. the IELTS (academic mdule) with a minimum verall scre f 7 and a minimum scre f 7 in each f the fur cmpnents (listening, reading, writing and speaking). NOTE: i. frm ne test sitting, r ii. a maximum f tw test sittings in a six mnth perid nly if: yu achieve a minimum verall scre f 7 in each sitting, and yu achieve a minimum scre f 7 in each cmpnent acrss the tw sittings, and n scre in any cmpnent f the test is belw 6.5 OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 3 f 7
b. the OET with a minimum scre f B in each f the fur cmpnents (listening, reading, writing and speaking). NOTE i. frm ne test sitting, r ii. a maximum f tw test sittings in a six mnth perid nly if: yu are tested in all fur cmpnents in each sitting, and yu achieve a minimum scre f B in each cmpnent acrss the tw sittings, and n scre in any cmpnent f the test is belw C. c. the PTE Academic with a minimum verall scre f 65 and a minimum scre f 65 in each f the fur cmmunicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking). NOTE: i. frm ne test sitting, r ii. a maximum f tw test sittings in a six mnth perid nly if: a minimum verall scre f 65 is achieved in each sitting, and yu achieve a minimum scre f 65 in each f the cmmunicative skills acrss the tw sittings, and n scre in any f the cmmunicative skills is belw 58 d. the TOEFL ibt with a minimum ttal scre f 94 and the fllwing minimum scre in each sectin f the test: NOTE: 24 fr listening, 24 fr reading, 27 fr writing, and 23 fr speaking. i. frm ne test sitting, r ii. a maximum f tw test sittings in a six mnth perid nly if: a minimum ttal scre f 94 is achieved in each sitting, and yu achieve a minimum scre f 24 fr listening, 24 fr reading, 27 fr writing and 23 fr speaking acrss the tw sittings, and n scre in any f the sectins is belw: 20 fr listening 19 fr reading 24 fr writing, and 20 fr speaking e. ther English language tests apprved by the Bard frm time t time and published n the Bard s website with the required minimum scres. OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 4 f 7
Test results The fllwing requirements apply t the English language test results: 1. Test results will be accepted if they were btained: 1.1 within the tw years befre the date yu ldge yur applicatin fr registratin 1.2 mre than tw years befre the date yu ldge yur applicatin fr registratin if, in the perid since the test results were btained, yu: a. have been in cntinuus emplyment as a registered health practitiner as an ccupatinal therapist (which cmmenced within 12 mnths f the date f the test) in ne f the recgnised cuntries where English was the primary language f practice, and b. ldge yur applicatin fr registratin within 12 mnths f finishing yur last perid f emplyment 1.3 mre than tw years befre the date yu ldge yur applicatin fr registratin if, in the perid since the test result was btained, yu: a. have been cntinuusly enrlled in a Bard apprved prgram f study (which cmmenced within 12 mnths f the date f the test) and undertk subjects in each semester, with n break frm study apart frm the educatin prvider s scheduled hlidays, and b. ldge yur applicatin fr registratin within 12 mnths f cmpleting the Bard apprved prgram f study. An fficial certified cpy f the results relied upn fr assessment must be prvided. The Department f Immigratin and Brder Prtectin (DIBP) may require ccupatinal therapists t meet English language prficiency standards even thugh the OTC has assessed the practitiner as meeting all its requirements. 4. Statement f Service Certificatin Practitiners must include a brief curriculum vitae (n mre than tw pages) demnstrating their wrking experience as an ccupatinal therapist in the past five (5) years. Practitiners wh apply fr a Stage 1 assessment within three mnths f graduating may nt be able t prvide a wrking histry, and must advise the OTC f this when making applicatin. All cpied dcumentatin must be certified apprpriately as true cpies f the riginal by an apprpriate persn. In Australia, peple wh are authrised t certify cpies are: Justices f the Peace (JP). Legal practitiners. Persns eligible t sign statutry declaratins http://www.ag.gv.au/dcuments/statutrydeclaratin200602.pdf. Emplyees authrised by the OTC. OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 5 f 7
In cuntries utside Australia: Ntary public. Registered legal practitiners (slicitrs, lawyers, barristers). Australian Embassy r Australian High Cmmissin persnnel. Family members are nt able t certify dcuments. T have cpies certified the practitiner must present bth the riginal and the cpy t the persn carrying ut the certificatin. Each cpy f the dcument must be certified separately and must shw clearly: the wrds "certified true cpy f the riginal"; the signature f the certifying fficer; and the name, address, psitin and phne number (with internatinal dialling cdes) f the certifying fficer legibly printed belw the signature. It must be pssible, frm the details prvided, fr the OTC t cntact the certifying fficer if necessary. Translatin f Dcuments If the practitiner s qualificatin has been undertaken in a language ther than English, a translated dcument must accmpany the certified cpy f the riginal qualificatin dcument. In Australia translatin shuld be undertaken by an accredited NAATI (Natinal Accreditatin Authrity fr Translatins and Interpreters Ltd) translatr. Further infrmatin can be fund n its website at www.naati.cm.au An assessment will nt be undertaken unless translatins are prvided. Authenticity f Dcuments If the authenticity f dcuments is suspected they will be prvided by the OTC Executive Officer t DIBP fr an pinin. The OTC will nt prgress with the assessment until advice has been received frm DIBP. The assessment fee will nt be refunded. Dcuments Unavailable Practitiners wh cannt btain the required dcuments shuld attach a letter t the applicatin frm identifying which dcuments they cannt btain, and explaining the reasns fr this. Each case will be cnsidered, and a Statutry Declaratin frm the practitiner explaining why dcuments are unavailable may be required if the assessment utcme relies n unbtainable dcuments. Number f Attempts Practitiners may make an unlimited number f attempts fr a Stage 1 assessment. Each repeat applicatin must be accmpanied by the apprpriate fee. If the practitiner has previusly been fund t be unsuitable, the practitiner must prvide additinal evidence t demnstrate hw they meet the criteria. The practitiner has tw years in which t cmmence the Stage 2 perid f supervised practice befre they will be required t apply fr a review f the Stage 1 assessment. OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 6 f 7
Supprt and Feedback t Practitiners Practitiners cnsidering r preparing an applicatin fr the Stage 1 assessment may seek supprt frm the OTC Executive Officer. Where applicatins fail t meet the OTC requirements fr the Stage 1 assessment, practitiners are advised in writing giving reasns where their assessment fails t meet the requirements. They will be asked t prvide additinal infrmatin fr the assessment t cntinue. This dcumentary evidence must be received within 12 mnths f the OTC mailing the results. OTC Executive Officer is available at admin@tcuncil.cm.au OTC Stage 1 explanatry ntes reviewed Jan 2017 Page 7 f 7