Australia's Reliance on International Health Worker Immigration

Running head: HEALTH WORK FORCE 1
Health work force 1
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HEALTH WORK FORCE 1
Executive Summary
The report has analysed the dependence of Australia on the immigration of health
workers, and discusses various policies governing the immigration of health workers into
Australia. The report has also offered recommendations to support workforce supply
improvements in Australia thus bringing evidence on the trends and direction on the
migration of health care workers into Australia. It has been found out that despite
experimentation over a decade, immigration to Australia by international healthcare workers
has remained a key distribution strategy for the supply of medical practitioners into the
country. Various policies discussed which affect the immigration of health workers include
the application of work permits, scrutiny of immigrants and the limitation on the number of
immigrants entering the country. Recommendations provided include implementing the
privatization of skilled work force migration, increase the presence for temporary clinical
personnel instead of focusing on the flows of permanent migrants, and the development of
new and innovative strategies for the registration and practice of immigrant health care
practitioners.

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HEALTH WORK FORCE 1
Table of Content
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................1
List of Figures............................................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Australia’s Reliance on International Health Worker Immigration to Meet Workforce Supply
....................................................................................................................................................4
Current Australian Government Policies on International Health Worker Immigration...........6
Reasons Historically For This Development within Australia..................................................6
How the Current Policies are Sustainable..................................................................................7
Changes the Australian Government Should Consider Implementing To Reduce the Negative
Effects of Health Worker Migration..........................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8

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HEALTH WORK FORCE 1
List of Figures
Figure 1: Employed Foreign-trained registered Nurses in
Australia.................................4