More than 200 internationally qualified GPs, psychiatrists and anaesthetists – including several trained in New Zealand – have joined the Australian workforce under a new expedited specialist registration pathway introduced in late 2024, according to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

The pathway enables eligible medical specialists from comparable health systems – notably the UK, Ireland and New Zealand – to apply directly to the MBA or Ahpra, rather than be assessed by an individual specialist college. It opened to GPs in October 2024, psychiatrists and anaesthetists in December 2024 and obstetricians and gynaecologists in March 2025.

By the end of July 2025, 229 specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) had been registered – 208 GPs, 12 psychiatrists and nine anaesthetists – with 87% qualified in the UK, the MBA reported. Most of these doctors were allocated to communities experiencing workforce shortages, with 86% practising in fast-growing outer metropolitan areas and 20% in regional and rural locations.

MBA chair Dr Susan O’Dwyer said the pathway was striking a careful balance between safety and supply. “We’re registering highly qualified doctors from similar health systems quickly, so they can start caring for patients in Australia,” she said. Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner added that expediting applications from candidates already living in Australia helped ease shortages sooner.

Ahpra’s six-month data showed most SIMG applications were finalised within six weeks of submission. Each doctor is supervised for six months by an Australian-registered specialist and completes orientation to Australia’s health system and cultural safety education.

The expedited pathway aligns with recommendations from the Kruk review to improve regulatory efficiency while maintaining high standards. In November 2024, the review was criticised by Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) president Dr Peter Sumich, who said it "disempowers our colleges”. The pathway is part of Ahpra’s broader workforce strategy, which also includes the April 2025 launch of the Registration Standard: General Registration for Internationally Qualified Registered Nurses, streamlining entry for experienced nurses from comparable jurisdictions.

Ahpra and the MBA said they will continue publishing monthly summary data and annual reports on the pathway’s outcomes.