In the year 2025, pharmacists who are educated abroad and have passed the OPRA (Overseas Pharmacists Registration Assessment) exam will be able to make a lot of significant moves that will help them build up their pharmacy career and also get their permanent residency (PR) in Australia.
Read further to understand what happens after the OPRA exam – PR pathways and more.
What is the OPRA Exam?
The OPRA exam is a test for foreign-trained pharmacists who want to register in Australia. It tests knowledge in fields such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences, with the main goal of ensuring that they are ready to work in the Australian healthcare system.
Step 1: Qualifications Assessment
First, the applicants must allow the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) to assess their eligibility to determine if the qualifications of the candidates are recognized in Australia. Degrees, documentation, and proof of previous registration should be submitted to the council.
Achieving success in the OPRA exam is only valid if there is a positive skills assessment from the APC, which is a precondition for taking other registration steps, as well.
Step 2: Provisional Registration and Internship
Once the performance assessment is taken care of, the candidates should file a request for provisional registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (AHPRA).
The Board-approved supervised internship (normally of 6 to 12 months duration, either in a hospital or a community pharmacy) is where pharmacy graduates are allowed to start.
During this time, the applicants must successfully complete both the intern written and oral examinations as set out by the board, which are the conditions for the internship.
Step 3: English Language Proficiency
Before starting as an intern, candidates must show a high level of proficiency in the English language. The major alternatives are as follows:
- IELTS Academic: overall score of at least 7.5, with no band less than 7.0
- OET: score of B in each component
- PTE Academic: 65 above.
It depends on each university’s requirements.
Generally, proof of proficiency in English is a must prior to the registration or visa application stages.
Step 4: General Registration as a Pharmacist
After the intern training and has passed the OPRA exam plus Intern written exams, a general registration application may be made to the Pharmacy Board of Australia.
With this, pharmacists practising anywhere within Australia can do so without any restrictions.
In order to maintain the registration, it is possible that the pharmacist may be required to undertake a certain amount of continuous professional development (CPD) as specified by the board.
Step 5: Permanent Residency (PR) Pathways for Pharmacists
Australia is not short of multiple PR options for pharmacists in urban and especially in regional areas. The main PR ways in 2025 are:
- Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional Visa): The most straightforward method for a pharmacist willing to be employed in the area of regional Australia to reach their destination.
- Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated Visa): The condition is that the applicant must be nominated from one of the Australian states or territories; as per the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) the pharmacists are among the listed occupations.
- 482/186 Employer-sponsored Visas: From November 2024, the pharmacists’ only condition for employer-sponsored visas will be 1 year of relevant work experience to make it easier to get PR.
- State/Territory Nomination Programs: Some states, such as South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, have routine quotas and select pharmacists to fill the vacancies in the local areas because of the continuous shortages of the workforce.
To improve PR prospects, candidates should:
- Collect the necessary documents: A positive APC assessment, evidence of work experience, English proficiency, and employer references if needed.
- Fill out an Expression of Interest (EOI) form via SkillSelect and submit a visa application.
- Get involved with the local community and look for jobs in the countryside or places where there is a high demand to get extra PR points.
Career Opportunities and Future Scope
After proper registration and PR approval, pharmacists will have an excellent career path in Australia. Pharmacy regulations changes (8th Community Pharmacy Agreement) have opened up a larger clinical role for pharmacists, which also involves medication reviews, limited prescribing rights, and more public health duties.
Due to Australia’s lack of local workers and the bigger roles for pharmacists, the scenario is very bright for internationally trained pharmacists as they will get good salaries, be employed easily, and have career growth for a long time.
Conclusion
Just passing the OPRA exam is an important achievement—but it is only one of several, consecutive and well-defined steps that lead to permanent vacancy, full pharmacy registration, and ultimately permanent residency in Australia.
The skills assessment, internship, and registration requirements should be the main focus of the candidates while simultaneously exploring the various skilled migration pathways. With the help of proper strategizing and support, the achievement of this path has become possible.
