Dear Lorraine,
You are right, it took my employer and myself 9 months to get a 457 visa.
On arrival as i am an old bastard 48 years on arrival i had to sit a competency exam at the UNI.
Then get a CPR/Anaphylaxis cert and then get reg with the NSW Health Registration Board. This was challenging in itself but hey i have been working nearly 2 years now and will be applying for permanent residency after 18082008.
So it can be a challenging process.
Make sure you are about 25-30 with a degree and at least 5 years experience then it is a much easier process.
If you are a bit long in the tooth, remeber Aus has enough oldies of its own and doesnt really want any more.
It is about $350 pa for NSW and CPD is mandatory annually and failure to do hours and get points means loss of registration very very quickly.
Then you have to have Indemnity ins here which is expensive.
I maintain my membership of SOCAP as an overseas practicing member as it is cheaper. When i get residency i will have to give that up and join NSW APODA and use their ins.
If you like it cold come to Sydney it is ever so very terribly cold here and the houses are somewhat very much colder.
So boily bot bed socks 2 duvets are required in an effort to try and stay warm.
I have seen Ulcers here chill blains too all because the devils here do not know how to heat their houses. Even seen one case of frostbite. Today had a lady with two ulcerated chillblains
regards David