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ORTHOFELLOW GUIDE · 11 MINUTE GUIDE

Orthopaedic Fellowships Australia & NZ: AHPRA, Visas & Pay

In Australia and New Zealand, orthopaedic fellowships are supervised subspecialty posts taken after specialist training. You apply to the supervisor or the employing hospital, not through a national match. The Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) accredits Australian programmes and the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association (NZOA) accredits a smaller number in New Zealand. International fellows normally need temporary, training-only registration: the Medical Board of Australia's short-term training pathway, or the Medical Council of New Zealand's special purpose postgraduate training scope. They also need a visa that matches the post. This guide covers only what official regulator, government and professional-body pages say, with programme examples in Australian and New Zealand dollars. Rules and pay change, so confirm every detail with your host before you commit.

By Anissa Feby Canintika, Founder and Clinical EditorPublished · Materially updated
Educational guidance, not legal, immigration, licensing or admissions advice.

How fellowships work: accredited, non-accredited, research and observership

AOA describes Australian fellowships as short-term supervised training in a subspecialty, normally taken after you finish accredited orthopaedic training. They are not formal surgical training programmes, and the time may not count towards AOA training. AOA accreditation is voluntary and separate from RACS accreditation. Under AOA's policy, an accredited programme lasts at least six months, includes a research component, has a named Chief Supervisor and must not be a consultant post. Fellows must be employed under contract by the primary institution, not directly by one surgeon. In New Zealand, NZOA began accrediting fellowships under a policy its Council approved on 17 October 2024. Many New Zealand posts have not been through accreditation yet. NZOA stresses that fellowships are offered by the employing hospital, not by NZOA.

  • Accredited clinical fellowship (Australia): listed in the AOA directory and run under the AOA Accredited Fellowships Policy. At the end, both fellow and supervisor submit reports before AOA issues a Certificate of Completion.
  • Non-accredited fellowship: equally legitimate, but no AOA or NZOA quality review. Under AOA policy, AOA publications must distinguish accredited from non-accredited programmes when advertising them.
  • Research fellowship: AOA policy requires every accredited programme to include clinical, laboratory or comparable basic science research, and some posts are mainly research. The Medical Board also has a separate limited registration standard for teaching or research, and MCNZ has a special purpose research scope (maximum two years).
  • Observership: non-clinical. Monash Health, for example, says its observerships are strictly non-clinical and usually need no registration, but clinical fellowship activities may. Its observerships charge fees rather than paying a salary.
  • RACS role: in Australia, RACS assesses whether a short-term training post and applicant are suitable and advises the Medical Board. It does not award a qualification for the fellowship.

Finding a post and when to apply

In Australia, start with the AOA Accredited Fellowships directory. On 8 October 2026 it listed 160 programmes, searchable by subspecialty, supervisor and state. Each listing links to a one-page programme summary with the stipend, requirements and how to apply. Lead times vary widely, so read each summary and confirm with the supervisor. In New Zealand, NZOA publishes a list of accredited fellowships and a separate PDF of other New Zealand-based fellowships, updated July 2026. Applicants inside New Zealand apply like any hospital job. Applicants from overseas contact the person named for each post, and NZOA says interviews are by telephone.

  • Revision Arthroplasty and Complex Limb Reconstruction PlusLife Allograft Fellowship (WA0004): the post is often filled two to three years in advance. Apply at least 12 months before the start.
  • Victorian Hand Surgery Associates Hand Surgery Fellowship (VIC2302245): apply at least 18 months before the intended fellowship year.
  • Sydney Fellowship in Advanced Upper Limb Surgery (NSW17338): apply by email 12 months before the start.
  • Fellowship in Joint Replacement and Reconstructive Surgery (SA0003): applications close 30 July for a 1 July start the following year.
  • Upper Limb Fellowship, Royal Adelaide Hospital (SA2603461): advertised on iWorkForSA, typically closing in October for the following August intake.
  • Prince of Wales Spine Fellowship (NSW1543): advertised each August on NSW Health's JMO eRecruit.
  • New Zealand: Middlemore Hospital's hand fellowship says it is usually booked several years in advance. Waikato Hospital was already advertising a 2028/2029 orthopaedic trauma fellow in NZOA's July 2026 list.

Australian registration: the short-term training pathway

Most international orthopaedic fellows in Australia register through the Medical Board of Australia's short-term training in a medical specialty pathway. It is for specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs), and for specialists-in-training within two years of finishing, who want a short period of training in Australia, usually up to 24 months. You need a training-position offer before you apply. The pathway leads to limited registration for postgraduate training or supervised practice, or to provisional registration if you also qualify under the Competent Authority pathway. It does not lead to specialist or ongoing registration. The Board expects you to return home afterwards. RACS normally recommends up to two years and, in exceptional circumstances, an extension to a total of three years. AOA policy likewise says accredited fellowships are not a prelude to permanent registration.

  • Step 1: complete primary source verification of your primary and specialist qualifications. You apply to the Australian Medical Council, which uses ECFMG's EPIC service through a MyIntealth account.
  • Step 2: secure the position, then apply to RACS for an assessment of the post using the Board's AAMC-30 form. RACS also asks for a position description, supervision details, your CV, a signed statement that you intend to return home, two references dated within the last two years, and certified copies of your degrees. A fee applies.
  • RACS checks that the post is genuine supervised training that is not an accredited College training post, and that it suits your specialty.
  • Step 3: apply to Ahpra online at least three months before the start (up to six months ahead are accepted). Include the completed AAMC-30, a nominated supervisor, a supervised practice plan (SPPA-30) and a supervisor's declaration.
  • While registered: complete an orientation within 0–3 months. Submit orientation and work-performance reports at 3 months and again at annual renewal, and complete 50 hours of CPD each calendar year.
  • You must work only in the Board-approved position. If that job ends, you cannot practise until registration is granted for a new position.
  • If you want to stay as a consultant, the Board points to the Specialist pathway (specialist recognition or area of need) or the Expedited Specialist pathway instead. These are separate processes.

English language and document verification

Ahpra's English language skills registration standard applies to every applicant, and minimum scores changed for tests taken from 23 April 2026. Results are generally valid for two years before you lodge your application. Ahpra accepts results from one sitting, or from at most two sittings within 12 months, provided each component stays above set floors. You cannot combine results from different test providers. At-home and remotely proctored versions are not accepted. The exception is the computer-based OET taken at a test centre. For medical practitioners, the Board also accepts NZREX and PLAB. Some programme summaries set their own bar: the Clinical Knee Fellowship (VIC2503279) asks international applicants for IELTS 7 in every unit in one sitting.

  • IELTS Academic: overall 7, with listening 7, reading 7, writing 6.5 and speaking 7.
  • OET (tests from 23 April 2026): listening 350, reading 360, writing 350, speaking 360. There is no overall score.
  • PTE Academic: overall 63, with listening 58, reading 59, writing 60 and speaking 76.
  • TOEFL iBT: overall 91, with listening 22, reading 22, writing 23 and speaking 24. Choose 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when you register.
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced: overall 178. Cambridge C2 Proficiency: overall 185.
  • New Zealand (MCNZ): IELTS Academic 7.0 in speaking, listening and reading and 6.5 in writing, or OET medicine 350 in speaking, listening and reading and 300 in writing. Results are valid for two years. Other routes cover English-first-language graduates and recent practice in listed countries.
  • Both regulators use ECFMG's EPIC (via MyIntealth) for primary source verification. MCNZ has required EPIC since November 2017. Start this early, because registration cannot be finalised until verification is complete.

New Zealand registration: special purpose postgraduate training scope

MCNZ's special purpose postgraduate training scope is for doctors coming temporarily to gain experience and skills to take back to their home or sponsor country. It lasts a maximum of two years, MCNZ will not consider extensions, and it is not a pathway to permanent registration. To qualify, you must meet one of four conditions: sponsorship by a country or organisation you will return to, enrolment in a formal vocational training programme at home, a postgraduate qualification the Council accepts, or 12 months at an institution with a New Zealand exchange programme. You also need a primary degree listed in WDOMS, a fellowship or training job offer, at least one year of registered practice at home immediately before applying, and evidence of confirmed employment at home after the fellowship.

  • The hospital's Chief Medical Officer (or delegate) must confirm that the post is part of a fellowship or training programme whose main purpose is your postgraduate experience, not service delivery.
  • Your supervisor must provide an onsite induction and supervision plan. Training objectives (see MCNZ's PGT Objectives Guide) and checklist CHKL11 form part of the application.
  • Conditions: no night cover for the first three months, at least 2 hours of teaching a week, and reports to MCNZ every three months. Postgraduate trainees may make up no more than one in three doctors on a service.
  • Once MCNZ approves your application, it issues an 'eligibility for registration' letter you can use with Immigration New Zealand. All doctors new to New Zealand must then attend a registration meeting.
  • NZOA says MCNZ typically grants registration within 20 working days of a complete application. NZOA's page is older guidance, so confirm current timings with MCNZ.
  • If you hold an approved overseas specialist qualification and have a job offer of 12 months or less, MCNZ also has a special purpose locum tenens pathway. Vocational scope is MCNZ's permanent specialist registration.

Visas: Training visa (subclass 407), Skills in Demand (482) and New Zealand's AEWV

AOA's policy says Chief Supervisors must ensure SIMG fellows are processed on the Training visa (subclass 407), and that international candidates apply for it unless otherwise specified or approved. Home Affairs describes the 407 as a temporary visa for workplace-based occupational training. It can be granted for up to two years and cannot be extended. One of its three training types is workplace training required for occupational registration. Your sponsor must be an approved temporary activities sponsor. Unless the sponsor is a Commonwealth Government agency, it must also lodge a nomination, and Home Affairs must approve it before you apply. The Medical Board says to apply for your visa only after Ahpra registration is granted, and to include your registration number.

  • 407 requirements include functional English, adequate health insurance for your whole stay, and being a genuine temporary entrant. Home Affairs also states that all work done in Australia must be paid.
  • A 407 nomination lasts up to 12 months, so the timing of the nomination matters.
  • Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): an employer-sponsored work visa of up to 4 years, for positions the employer cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian. Use it only if your host and AOA (for accredited posts) agree it is appropriate.
  • New Zealand: NZOA says that once you have a firm fellowship offer you can usually apply for a work visa, sometimes only after MCNZ registration in principle.
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): needs a job offer of at least 30 hours a week from an accredited employer with an approved job check. You must hold occupational registration if the job requires it, and you can stay up to 5 years depending on the job and pay.
  • Visa fees and processing times change. Check the Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand pricing estimators and processing-time tools on the day you apply.

Pay: what orthopaedic fellows earn

AOA's Accredited Fellowships Policy recommends a base stipend package of $100,000 a year before tax, indexed annually to CPI, as the minimum for an Australia-funded fellow. The package may include accommodation and leave entitlements. Industry contributions to a single programme are recommended not to exceed $90,000 a year and must be paid through a third party at arm's length, never directly to the fellow. Fees for assisting at surgery, including Medicare assistant's fees, may form part of the income where your registration allows. If those fees are assigned to someone else, your contract must say so. In practice, the stipends published in AOA programme summaries vary widely.

  • Prince of Wales Spine Fellowship (NSW1543): $150,000 a year.
  • Upper Limb Fellowship, Royal Adelaide Hospital (SA2603461): $89,253–$144,291 a year plus superannuation.
  • Clinical Knee Fellowship (VIC2503279): $100,000 a year. Victorian Hand Surgery Associates Hand Surgery Fellowship: $95,000 plus $3,000 towards conferences.
  • Sydney Shoulder Research Institute Clinical Fellowship (NSW0042): $90,000, inclusive of tax and superannuation. Fiona Stanley Prosthetic Joint Infection & Revision Arthroplasty Fellowship (WA21863): base salary $70,000 plus paid leave, superannuation, and trauma on-call and penalty rates.
  • NSW Health (public hospital award, interim rates from July 2025): registrar $117,745–$147,664 and senior registrar $166,025 a year. These apply only if your post is employed under that award.
  • New Zealand (Health NZ–NZRDA resident doctors' agreement, from 3 August 2026): registrar salaries range from $95,209 (Year 1, 40–44.9 rostered hours) to $243,818 (Year 9, 65+ hours). A registrar not in a training programme leading to New Zealand vocational registration does not progress beyond Year 5. Confirm which agreement and step your post uses.
  • Some summaries say the fellow pays all registration and accreditation costs. Ask before you sign.

A realistic timeline, step by step

Plan backwards from your start date. Popular posts recruit one to three years ahead. Registration and visa paperwork then run in sequence, because each step depends on the one before. The order below follows the official guidance. AOA offers a paid Fellowship Administration Service that prepares and lodges registration and visa documents for supervisors and international fellows, so ask whether your host uses it.

  • Two to three years out (for competitive posts): shortlist posts in the AOA directory or the NZOA lists, and contact supervisors. Book an English test if you need one (results are generally valid for two years).
  • One to two years out: apply, interview and accept a written offer. Open your MyIntealth/EPIC account and start primary source verification.
  • Australia, once you have accepted the offer: your host lodges the RACS short-term training assessment (AAMC-30 plus supporting documents). The sponsor seeks temporary activities sponsorship and a 407 nomination.
  • Australia, three to six months out: apply to Ahpra for limited registration (the Board says at least three months ahead; applications can be lodged up to six months ahead). Once registration is granted, apply for the 407 visa.
  • New Zealand, once you have accepted the offer: the employer submits the position approval (REG3) and you submit the CHKL11 application. After MCNZ's eligibility letter, apply for your work visa and attend the registration meeting on arrival.
  • On arrival: complete orientation, supervision and reporting requirements. At the end, submit your AOA fellow report so you can receive a Certificate of Completion.
EVIDENCE AND ACTIONS

Sources checked and applicant checklist

Every rule, score and dollar figure in this guide comes from an official regulator, government, professional-body, employer-agreement or AOA programme page opened on 8 October 2026. Stipends are quoted as published in each AOA programme summary and may change between intakes. Queensland and Victorian award scales, Home Affairs visa fees and current processing times were not verified and are omitted. Confirm every requirement with your host hospital, the Medical Board of Australia or MCNZ, and Home Affairs or Immigration New Zealand before you act.

Before you act

  • Confirm the registration pathway with your host (Australia: short-term training, limited registration; New Zealand: special purpose postgraduate training scope) and that you meet its eligibility rules.
  • Check your English test date and scores against Ahpra's table for tests from 23 April 2026, or MCNZ's policy, and that results will still be within two years when you apply.
  • Ask in writing for the gross stipend, superannuation, on-call and assisting-fee arrangements, and who pays registration and visa costs.
  • Agree the visa type with the sponsor (407 unless otherwise approved for AOA-accredited posts; AEWV or another visa in New Zealand) and apply only after registration is granted or MCNZ issues its eligibility letter.

Official sources

Sources reviewed 8 October 2026. Recheck the linked source because cycles and regulatory requirements can change.
COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Do I need FRACS to do an orthopaedic fellowship in Australia?

No. Under AOA's policy, local fellows should hold FRACS (Orth) or be in the AOA 21 'Transition to Practice' stage. International fellows should be qualified orthopaedic surgeons in their own country, or no more than two years from completing specialist training there. They must also meet Ahpra's English standard.

Can a fellowship lead to permanent registration in Australia or New Zealand?

Not directly. The Medical Board says the short-term training pathway does not lead to specialist or ongoing registration. MCNZ says its postgraduate training scope is not a pathway to permanent registration and cannot be extended beyond two years. AOA also expects international fellows to return home. Specialist recognition is a separate process through RACS and the regulator.

Which visa do Australian orthopaedic fellows use?

AOA's policy says international candidates in accredited programmes should apply for the Training visa (subclass 407) unless otherwise specified or approved. The 407 allows a stay of up to two years and needs an approved sponsor and, usually, an approved nomination. Apply only after Ahpra registration is granted.

What English test score do I need?

For Ahpra (tests taken from 23 April 2026): IELTS Academic overall 7 (writing 6.5, other components 7), OET 350/360/350/360 (listening/reading/writing/speaking), PTE Academic 63 overall with speaking 76, or TOEFL iBT 91. MCNZ asks for IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5) or OET 350 (writing 300). Some programmes set higher bars.

How much do orthopaedic fellows earn in Australia?

AOA recommends a minimum base stipend package of $100,000 a year before tax, indexed to CPI. Stipends in AOA programme summaries range from about $70,000 base to $150,000. Some public-hospital posts pay on a salary scale, and some posts add on-call or assisting income. Confirm the gross figure, superannuation and who keeps assisting fees.

How far ahead should I apply?

Often 12 to 36 months. One AOA-listed post is usually filled two to three years in advance, another asks for applications 18 months ahead, and several ask for at least 12 months. Public-hospital posts in South Australia and New South Wales recruit on annual cycles. Registration and visa steps add months on top.

Is an observership the same as a fellowship?

No. An observership is non-clinical and usually short. Monash Health, for example, offers one- to four-week clinical observerships, charges fees and says registration is not usually required. A clinical fellowship involves supervised patient care, so you need registration and a visa that permits it.

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