The Australian Council of Professions’ policy on the recognition of overseas professional qualifications is as follows:
- each profession has the sole responsibility for setting and maintaining its standards within Australia;
- each profession should recognise the qualifications of an overseas trained professional only if that person is as competent to perform in the profession as a person trained in Australia;
- each profession has the sole responsibility for assessing qualifications gained overseas, together with other relevant factors, in order to determine whether an immigrant or potential immigrant is to be granted professional status within Australia;
- professions may defer recognition of an overseas qualification which is otherwise acceptable until the person concerned has a sufficient command of English for effective practice in Australia;
- professional recognition should be given to all who meet recognition requirements;
- professions should apply their tests based on the professional status, standing and competence of a person rather than on the route taken by that person to achieve this standing; and
- professions should keep under review their procedures of assessment of qualifications gained overseas and the basis on which assessments are made.
The Australian Council of Professions:
- encourages the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition in its publication of the “Compendium of Guidelines for Assessment of Overseas Qualifications 1990” and supports any expansion which may give more specific guidance in respect of particular professions: and
- requests the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition to continue its support of professions in their obtaining of information about overseas qualifications and to continue to provide financial and other assistance where appropriate.
Adopted at the General Meeting, 5 November 1990