Assessment stages

Processing time

We will review your application to ensure the form is complete and we have received all supporting documents. We will notify you if there are outstanding or additional documents or information required. We do not start assessing applications until the form is complete and we have received all supporting documents.

The Board or its delegate carefully assesses your application and all supporting documents before making a decision on each application to ensure fair and consistent assessment of applications. This means that the assessment process takes time and the unique circumstances of your application will determine how long it takes us to advise you of the outcome.

Estimates of processing times can only be given for complete applications (i.e. where we have received all required documents). Processing times for incomplete applications are dependent on how quickly we receive any outstanding documents and may be considerably longer than the standard processing times.

If your application is not considered complete

This means Ahpra has not received all the information to complete an assessment. Refer to the relevant section of The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 ('the National Law'). A timeframe cannot be given here due to outstanding requirements. If you are unsure what is outstanding, please contact Ahpra to identify what is still required. Alternatively, forward all outstanding requirements to Ahpra so an assessment can take place.

You can help avoid unnecessary delays in processing your application by:

making sure your application form is complete.
making sure you include ALL supporting documents that we need with your application form, and
contacting your education institution in advance and requesting that they send the required documents directly to Ahpra because it often takes several weeks from the time of your request until we receive these documents. If you contact them in advance, we are more likely to receive these documents around the same time as your application.

Application process

If you are concerned about the status of your application, contact Ahpra directly. The customer service team can access information about the progress of your application to give status updates without the need to speak to registration officers. Please bear in mind we may not always have new information for you.

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Stage 1: Lodgement of application

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Once received, your application will be assigned to a registration officer, who will contact you if there are any outstanding documents relating to your application.

Once you have provided all necessary documents, your application will be reviewed and assessed.

Note: You will be given 30 days to provide the outstanding information.

If we do not receive this information within the timeframe stated in the notice we will assume that you have withdrawn your application and will close it.

We appreciate it can take time to gather the required information. If you anticipate any delay in sending us the additional information, you may ask your registration officer for additional time to provide the required information.

Stage 2: Review of applications by Ahpra

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In reviewing your application, we will consider all your psychology qualifications, as long as the only discipline name in the title of the qualification and program of study is psychology (or equivalent profession in the country where you completed your studies).

We will review the documents you submit with your application and prepare papers for consideration by the Board or its delegate when they assess your application. We will contact you if there are any outstanding or additional documents or information required to complete the assessment.

As in stage 1, if there are outstanding documents that we need to review your application, we will request the additional information and give you 30 days to provide it. If we do not receive a response in this timeframe, we will close your application.

Stage 3: Board decision

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The Board or its delegate considers and decides the outcome of all applications for registration. It takes into account the review and assessment of your application in making its decision.

Stage 4: Communicating the outcome

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Registration

If you are granted provisional registration, we will:

inform you by email if your residential address is in Australia and for applicants currently living overseas who cannot meet the local ID requirements a letter of ‘in principle’ approval of registration will also be sent.

All other outcomes

If the Board proposes to refuse your application, we will send you a letter communicating the proposed decision on your application and the reasons for the decision.

You can make a submission to the Board about the proposal within 30 days of receiving the communication. Submissions allow applicants to present any additional information or supporting documents that can be considered in making a final decision.

If you do not make a submission, the Board may uphold its decision after the 30 day period has concluded and the decision will become final.

Stage 5: Appealing final decision

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If you do not agree with the final decision of the Board to refuse your application, you have the right to appeal the decision and take your case to a tribunal for a decision.

How to lodge an appeal

This information is for overseas applicants who would like to find out about how to appeal a Board decision on registration. The document does not provide legal advice. None of its content is intended to be, or should be, taken as legal advice from the Board, Ahpra or any related body.

It is important that you obtain independent legal advice to inform any decision you choose to make based on the information that we provide.

Where to appeal

Your principal place of practice (PPP) or residential address in Australia will determine your responsible tribunal - i.e. where you should lodge your appeal. If your residential address is not within Australia, your responsible tribunal is based in South Australia.

When to lodge your appeal

As a general rule, you should lodge an application to appeal the Board’s decision within 28 days of the date that the decision was made. However, we strongly recommend that you contact the responsible tribunal to directly confirm the specific timeframe.

Costs

The responsible tribunal may make an order about costs. This may result in an order to the international applicant to pay the Board’s costs as well as their own costs, or the reverse.