For a Music Therapist Emigrating to Australia

Welcome to our guide on the Australian skills assessment process for a Music Therapist. Before we examine the skills required to be recognised as a Music Therapist it may be helpful to explain that the skills assessment is the first step of the emigration process. The skills Assessment of a Music Therapist determines their eligibility to emigrate and the visa options available. Ultimately, it will affect their employment opportunities once they are in Australia.

While we appreciate that each case is unique, we always strive to secure the best possible outcome from the Skills Assessing Authorities in Australia. Experience has proven that efforts and expertise in this area are often the keys to a successful case.

Ensuring Music Therapists Are In High Demand

Every skilled migrant wants to know they will be able to secure a job quickly and easily when they are in Australia. The Australian emigration system ensures that they can.

Each year, State Governments and the two territorial Governments report to the federal government on their local demand for Music Therapists and if they need to bring in Music Therapists from overseas to fill any potential shortage skills gaps. This report states the number of overseas a Music Therapists required in the coming year to fill the skills gap within each region.

The Skills in demand are then broken down into priority lists. These lists range from those skills in high demand across the country to those skills with only limited demand within rural areas.

Curently, Music Therapists are on the STSOL list. Being on this list means a Music Therapist may qualify for one of the following visa streams:

• 190, 407, 491 (S/T), TSS (S)*, 494

To read more about the shortage skills list, you can visit the government website here: STSOL

Skills and Experience Required To Be a Music Therapist

Before a person can be accepted in Australia as Music Therapist, their qualification, skills and experience must be independently verified via a rigorous accreditation. The process ensures all skilled migrants can do their jobs to the required Australian standards.

1. Defining the job title a Music Therapist:

The profession “a Music Therapist” can mean something slightly different in Australia to what is referred to overseas. In “official emigration terms”, this profession is aligned within the occupation category “Complementary Health Therapists nec” and is uniquely identified by the code 252299. This may seem weird to some people, but it is a registry system that has been in place since 2006.

2. Key Requirements for a Music Therapist:

For a Music Therapist to be deemed experienced down under, here are the essential skills, tasks, duties and responsibilities they must be familiar with:

General Duties:

Health and care
• Human resources
• Art and entertainment
• Communication and collaboration

Core Specialist Responsibilities:

Develop treatment plans for patients or clients
• Care for patients and clients using psychological therapies and supports
• Perform medical tests and physical examinations of patients
• Monitor and evaluate patient treatment
• Collect
• document and communicate medical information
• Create or perform music
• Collaborate with health care professionals
• Undertake health care documentation
• Undertake or provide professional skill and knowledge development
• Develop
• follow and ensure compliance with health care quality and safety procedures
• Provide counselling
• Provide community health programs

Specific Tasks Associated with the Role:

Communicate test or assessment results to medical professionals
• Communicate health and wellness information to the public
• Analyse patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals
• Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care
• Develop health assessment methods or programs
• Evaluate treatment options to guide medical decisions
• Analyse data to determine effectiveness of treatments or therapies
• Collect medical information from patients
• family members or other medical professionals
• Collaborate with health care professionals to plan or provide treatment
• Prepare reports summarising patient diagnostic or care activities
• Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues
• Record patient medical histories
• Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments
• Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies
• Gather medical information from patient histories
• Maintain medical or professional knowledge
• Establish treatment goals
• Evaluate patient functioning
• capabilities or health
• Treat patients using psychological therapies
• Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments
• Interact with patients to build rapport or provide emotional support

3. The Australian eligibility criteria for a Music Therapist:

Currently Music Therapist’s are listed on the . This reflects the demand for the profession within Australia.

4. Emigration options:

As the profession is currently listed on the , there are places available. However, demand is high, and Australia will stop inviting further applicants to emigrate once all the places are filled.

Navigating the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services Skills Assessment Process

For Music Therapists, the skills assessing body is “Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services” they are often referred to as the VETASSESS. To visit their site, follow the link: https://www.vetassess.com.au

It is important to note that the primary purpose of the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services is to make a profit and protect their current members from migrants entering Australia, taking their members’ jobs, and driving down standards or wages.

Therefore, the VETASSESS will often look to delay, frustrate and reject cases preventing accreditations wherever possible with those aims in mind.

The result of a candidate’s skills assessment is often a key factor in their success. It is vital that we secure the highest possible skills accreditation.

Find out more

Emigration law is one of the most complex areas of legislation and is continuously being adapted. By definition, emigrating to Australia is a legal process where the individual must prove their case. It is not down to the government to assist in that process. In fact, in legal terms, it is the government against whom we must win our case.

To discover more, complete our online assessment form for your complimentary guide and to discuss your options with one of our friendly experts.