About our Placement Service...
As a
candidate, do you charge me a fee for your recruitment services?
Why do the destinations
you service need additional health professionals?
What level of health professional
do you recruit?
What’s involved
in applying?
Why should I complete
your online registration?
Is the information I
provide to you private?
Will I be eligible for
registration with my current qualifications and experience?
How long is the average
assignment?
Will I need to do an English
Test?
Who will pay for relocation?
Will accommodation be
supplied?
What are the employment
arrangements?
What about medical indemnity
insurance?
Can I bring my family
with me?
Will my spouse or children
be able to work?
Will we be able to bring
our pets?
I’m close to retirement.
Will I be able to secure work opportunities?
What medical insurance
is there for me and my family in Australia?
Can you find a job for
my partner as well?
Who pays my salary?
What will I get paid?
What are the schools
like?
Can I commence/complete
my training?
How much time should
I allow from receiving a job offer to starting work?
When should I resign
my current post?
About the Process...
Is
my current medical registration (licence) valid?
Who pays for the medical
registration and visa application fees?
How much time should
I allow from receiving a job offer to starting work?
Can I extend my visa?
What medical tests will
I need to undertake for Australia?
Do I need character checks/police
clearance?
How do I get police clearance
from other countries?
About the
Placement...
As
a candidate, do you charge me a fee for your recruitment services? 
No. Latitudes is a fully registered Employment
Agency in Queensland, Australia, and must abide by a code of conduct.
Under this code, we are strictly prohibited to charge a candidate
a fee for the recruitment services that we provide. If, however, you engage us to provide services outside of the recruitment process, then a fee may be payable. This would be discussed prior to incurring any liability.
Why
do the destinations you service need additional health professionals?
In general, there is a high worldwide demand for health professionals.
There are many different reasons why our destinations
require additional personnel. In a country the size of Australia,
it is mainly due to unequal distribution of the medical workforce.
In New Zealand, factors such as unequal distribution are compounded
by the "brain drain" of New Zealand qualified doctors
to other parts of the world. In the Middle East, the need is generated
by a rapid expansion in population and the scope of medical services
being offered.
There is no simple answer to this question, however
rest assured that you will be a welcome and invaluable addition to the medical
workforce.
What
level of health professional do you recruit?
Our services cover nearly all categories and levels of employment in the health profession including doctors, nurses and allied health, encompassing permanent, contract and locum positions.
What’s
involved in applying?
For Latitudes to best be of assistance, we would
ask that you send us your details and CV by registering with us
online. This is the best way to give us the information we need
to assess the level of assistance we are likely to be able to provide.
Registration is quick and easy, and can be done here.
Why
should I complete your online registration?
Completing our online registration provides you
the opportunity to give us the information we need to assess the
level of assistance we will be able to provide to you.
Is
the information I provide to you private?
We are bound by Australian federal privacy legislation
and encourage you to read our privacy statement if you have any
concerns about this.
Will
I be eligible for professional registration with my current qualifications
and experience?
Your eligibility will depend on the position and country for which you have applied for.
Do
I need to do an English test?
If you are from a country whose native or first
language (as opposed to official) is NOT English, then you will most likely
be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
In the Gulf states, it is generally a requirement
of our company that you may be required to provide evidence of English
language proficiency.
How
long is the average assignment?
For permanent recruitment, the vast majority of
our assigments are 12 months duration, however some contracts are
shorter, say 6 months, and some can be up to 3 or 4 years.
If you are considering locuming, then the majority
of the placements we assist with are from 4 - 12 weeks. Again, locum
contract outside these timeframes do occur from time to time.
Who
will pay for relocation?
This often depends on the location and the level
of appointment. Most of our clients assist foreign doctors with
their relocation expenses. The amount reimbursed depends on the
policies of the individual facility and is usually done at the END
of the contract period. It is always advisable to discuss this with
your Latitudes Consultant.
Will
accommodation be supplied?
This very much depends on your chosen location
and the level at which you are appointed. In general, you can expect
the following:
Australia and New Zealand - The level of accommodation
and assistance provided depends on the facility and the category
of practitioner you are. Some facilities pay doctors an accommodation
allowance regardless of category but this mostly applies just to
consultant specialists. Almost all our clients will provide some
form of temporary accommodation when you first arrive. This can
include staff quarters at a hospital, furnished apartments or hotels/motels.
Of course, the client will be happy to assist you and your family
settle in to Australia and is generally very helpful in this respect.
In the Gulf regions, accommodation can range from
you having to locate suitable arrangements yourself, to living in
compound accommodation within hospital grounds.
In other locations, this will be discussed prior to your acceptance of an appointment.
What
are the employment arrangements?
For permanent recruitment, Latitudes acts only
as the recrutiment agent, and thus you are employed by the hospital
or facility for which you work. If you are locuming, then there
are a variety of arrangements that can be entered into, including
Latitudes acting as your direct employer and sponsor for visa purposes
if applicable.
What
about medical indemnity insurance?
Unless you are otherwise advised, medical indemnity
insurance will be provided by your employer.
Can
I bring my family with me?
Of course you can!! Most doctors who choose to work
in our destinations also bring their families. It is a great
opportunity to become familiar with a different way of life –
a life enriching experience!
However, some Gulf states do not cater well for
families, as often you are housed in a compound on the hospital
grounds. Areas such as UAE cater for families well.
Will
my spouse or children be able to work?
Again, this depends on your chosen destination. Please check with your Latitudes Consultant for more information.
Will
we be able to bring our pets?
Quarantine regulations vary greatly throughout
the countries we provide services to, however as a general rule,
we advise that it is best not to include your pets in your plans.
I’m
close to retirement. Will I be able to secure work opportunities?
And we want your experience!! There is no age
limit to working temporarily in any of the locations that we supply.
What
medical insurance is there for me and my family?
This depends on the destination that you chose, however in nearly all our destinations you will have the option of provate health insurance or employer funded health plans.
Please discuss this further with your Latitudes Consultant.
Can
you find a job for my partner as well?
We specialise only in recruitment in the medical
fields, so if your partner is also in the medical field, we will
be most happy to be of assistance. However we are happy to be of
assistance as best we can to help your partner locate opportunities
outside this area.
Who
pays my salary?
For permanent recruitment, Latitudes acts only
as the recruitment agent, and thus you are employed by the hospital
or facility for which you work. Therefore it is the facility that
is responsible to pay your salary. If you are locuming, then there
are a variety of arrangements that can be entered into, including
Latitudes acting as your direct employer and sponsor for visa purposes
if applicable.
What
will I get paid?
You will be paid the same as a locally trained
doctor. We ensure that you are treated equally.
What
are the schools like?
The schools are equal to those in any other first
world country, if not better. There are also many excellent private
schools, should you wish to send your child to a non-government
institution.
How
can I obtain permanent residency in my chosen destination?
This varies on the location you have chosen, however,
apart from the Gulf regions, obtaining permanent residency is both
possible and achievable.
Can
I commence/complete my training?
This is specific to your personal situation and stage of your career, so it is best to discuss this with your Latitudes Consultant.
How
much time should I allow from receiving a job offer to starting
work?
This varies from country to country, however as
a general rule, you should allow between 3-5 months for non-specialist
positions, and more for specialist level posts. As the processes
vary between the specialties and countries, it is best to discuss
this with your Latitudes Consultant.
When
should I resign my current post?
This is also dependent on what notice you are
required to give.
Once your offer of a position has been confirmed,
and you have signed and accepted the position, it is quite appropriate
to resign your position, bearing in mind the timeframe for all the
paperwork to be completed. Please appreciate that we would not have
put you forward, nor would you have been offered a position if we,
or the employer were concerned that you would not obtain professional
registration and a visa. It is also dependent on what notice you
are required to give.
About the Process..
Is
my current medical registration (licence) valid to work in your
destinations?
The simple answer is no. Just as your own registration
authority maintains standards, so do the registration authorities
in the destinations we service. This means that each of the relevant
professional registration authorities will need to consider what
your qualifications and experience are, and how they are applicable
to their local standards. This is not to say that your qualifications
will not be looked upon favourably should you hold certain qualifications,
but what it does say is that you will need to be assessed.
Our many successful candidates have held qualifications
from nearly every location on Earth, however how your qualifications
will be assessed by the relevant registration authority is not within
our control. We do, however, have considerable experience, and would
not submit your CV in application for a position unless we were
sure that you would be eligible for registration.
Who
pays for the medical registration and visa application fees?
As these are related to your ability to perform
your job, these are usually considered your responsibility. Some
employers are happy to reimburse these expenses should you complete
your contract in full.
It is important to note that these fees can also
be considered as eligible tax deductions.
How
much time should I allow from receiving a job offer to starting
work?
Once you have received and accepted an offer of
employment, the time required to complete the processes required
up to your arrival to start in the position ranges from 6 weeks
to one year, depending on the location, level, and whether your
qualifications must be fully assessed through an independent authority
such as a College.
Can
I extend my visa?
IN general - Yes. Many of the health professionals we place are offered
extensions to their employment contracts or are offered positions
at other hospitals/facilities in their chosen destination. No matter
where you next move may be, we are here to ensure that the process
is as painless as possible.
However, you will need to re-apply for a temporary
residency visa as possibly registration as every assignment is unique.
To find out the exact details, please contact us so that we can
discuss this with you.
What
medical tests will I need to undertake?
Requirements vary throughout our destinations,
however you may be required to have:
