• Are you a qualified veterinarian?
• Under the age of 45?
• Fluent in English?

Then emigrating to Australia could be an option for you! Keep reading to find out:

• How do I emigrate as a veterinarian?
• Do I meet the requirements?
• What’s the process I should follow?

Introducing ANZSCO

ANZSCO is short for ‘Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations’.

ANZSCO publishes the skill shortage lists and thus plays an important role in your emigration.

One of these lists is the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). Only 176 occupations are on this list at the moment. If your occupation is not on the list, then skilled independent migration to Australia is unfortunately not going to happen for you.

Here’s the good news – veterinarians are on the MLTSSL
Veterinarian is an eligible occupation! Not so fast though. Each occupation on the MTLSSL has a code, skill level and assessing authority assigned to it. You have to meet various requirements attached to each of these qualifiers in order to be eligible for migration to Australia.

Let’s look at each of these in detail, shall we?

ANZSCO Code

Many people start their emigration journey by looking for a job in Australia. This is understandable, since emigrating with a job already secured makes emigrating less daunting.

However, this is not the way to do.

When you start with the job search, you’ll be applying as an ‘unqualified’ applicant – someone who is not licensed to perform the job you are applying for. Unfortunately, most employers will be put off by this.

Rule number 1? Start your emigration by getting your qualification assessed and get licensed before applying for jobs.

Description of Role

This part of the ANZSCO criteria lays out a broad description of what a veterinarian is supposed to be able to do:

Diagnose, treats and prevents animal diseases, ailments and injuries.

Required Skill Level

Veterinarians, along with most occupations in this unit group, are an occupation at Skill Level 1.

Occupations at this Skill Level must have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification.

At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. In some instances, relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification.

A veterinarian emigrating to Australia is also expected to have experience in certain tasks associated with being a veterinarian. 

Tasks

When applying for emigration as a veterinarian, you must be able to demonstrate or prove that you can perform the majority of the tasks below:

• Treating animals medically and surgically, and administering and prescribing drugs, analgesics, and general and local anaesthetics.
• Determining the presence and nature of abnormal conditions by physical examination, laboratory testing and through diagnostic imaging techniques including radiography and ultrasound. 
• Performing surgery, dressing wounds and setting bones. 
• Rendering obstetric services to animals. 
• Participating in programs designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of animal diseases.
• Inoculating animals against, and testing for, infectious diseases and notifying authorities of outbreaks of infectious animal diseases. 
• Performing autopsies to determine cause of death. 
• Advising clients on health nutrition and feeding, hygiene, breeding and care of animals. 
• Providing professional services to commercial firms producing biological and pharmaceutical products. 
• Specialising in the treatment of a particular animal group or in a particular specialty area such as cardiology, chiropractic, dermatology or critical care.

Important to Note

Unless you qualified in Australia or New Zealand, you’ll have to register with the relevant professional bodies and acquire the necessary licensing in order to be able to work in Australia.

In other words, you can’t just go to Australia and start working. You’ll have to be formally assessed to prove to the Australian authorities that you meet Australia’s immigration criteria.

Job First?

Many people start their emigration journey by looking for a job in Australia. This is understandable, since emigrating with a job already secured makes emigrating less daunting.

However, this is not the way to do.

When you start with the job search, you’ll be applying as an ‘unqualified’ applicant – someone who is not licensed to perform the job you are applying for. Unfortunately, most employers will be put off by this.

Rule number 1? Start your emigration by getting your qualification assessed and get licensed before applying for jobs.