Graduating soon? What you need to know for graduate registration as an optometrist

14 Sep 2020

Before you can start practising and using the protected title, ‘optometrist’, you must be registered with the Optometry Board of Australia (the Board).

Online registration for graduate applications is open from mid-September and you can submit your application up to three months before you expect to complete your course.

How do I apply?

1. Create your account using the online services portal and complete your application
2. Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documentation to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
3. Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Once we’ve received your graduate results from your education provider and we are satisfied that you have met all the requirements for registration, we will finalise your application.

When you are registered, we will publish your name to the online national register of practitioners, and you can start working as an optometrist!

How can I help ensure I’m registered in time to start work?

You’ll find advice on how to apply as well as tips for avoiding common causes of delay on the Graduate applications page on the Ahpra website.

Check out Ahpra’s new video and accompanying information flyers all designed to help you when applying for registration.

A common cause of delay is when the name you use on your application for registration does not match the name your education provider uses for your graduate results, or your name on your identification documents (such as licence or passport). Make sure your names match, otherwise it will cause delay.

What do I need to do for registration?

When you apply for registration, your application is carefully assessed against the Board’s requirements for registration.

For graduate registration as an optometrist, you need to prove that you meet the following standards:

• English language skills, and
• professional indemnity insurance.

We will also ask you to disclose any criminal history and to declare whether you have any health impairments that may affect your ability to practise.

We cannot register you until we are satisfied that you meet the standards for registration and are suitably trained and qualified.

You can also check out the Board’s video for graduating students which introduces you to the Board, outlines the standards that must be met to become registered and the professional standards expected of the profession in order to stay registered.

How can I make sure my Photo ID documents are certified correctly?

It’s important that you provide correctly certified photo ID documents with your application. We need to meet the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s requirements for photo ID checks. The wording they require is very specific and may look different to wording you’ve seen before, so double check you’ve got the wording right before submitting your application. Incorrectly certified documents will cause delay.

Getting it right the first time

Get your photographic identity documents signed by an authorised offer and make sure they use the correct wording:

‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’

To get it right the first time download the guide Certifying Documents: Instructions for applicants and authorised officers from our website and take them with you to the authorised officer.

The guide includes a full list of professionals in addition to JPs, that are authorised to certify photographic ID documents. These include various registered health professions, public servants, teachers, lecturers and members of the legal profession.

How long does it take to assess my application?

We can’t finalise your application until we receive your graduate results from your education provider.

If you’ve submitted everything you need to prove you’ve met the requirements for registration, we aim to finalise your application within two weeks of receiving your graduate results.

We recommend that you submit your application before you graduate so that it’s ready to finalise when we receive your results.

For more information

For registration enquiries, difficulties in accessing the online application form, or if you are experiencing financial hardship: 1300 419 495 (within Australia).

For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200