Table 1 Participants and data collection

All groups/participants

Inclusion:

1. Age—over 18

2. Gender—male and female

3. Ethnicity—native speakers of English

4. Locations—nationwide (metropolitan, community and rural and remote)

Primary interview aims:

Participants were asked to describe personal experiences related to the following:

1. Assessment processes for skilled migration and registration

2. An understanding of the registration and skilled migration requirements/processes for IQHP

3. Points of difference between assessment processes conducted by the regulators and assessing authorities

4. Contexts or situations (positive or negative) which influenced their experiences

5. Opportunities for improvement/harmonisation and the assessors own re-designed assessment processes

Exclusion:

1. Contrary to inclusion

Group 1: Assessors for skilled migration and registration

Inclusion:

1. Experience—permanent and temporary assessors, employed in the role for no less than 12 months

2. Profession—assessors for skilled migration and registration

Areas of exploration via contextualised questions:

Assessors determining the suitability of IQHPs for skilled migration and registration were also asked to describe the following:

1. Current responsibilities related to the assessment of IQHP, commencement dates and preparation of their roles and responsibilities aligned to their qualifications and experience

2. Organisational quality improvement strategies, including the following:

­ How their organisations identify and rectify issues related to assessment processes

­ When changes to the processes had occurred

­ And their effectiveness

­ How change is received and implemented

­ Responsiveness to a changing regulatory landscape

3. Opportunities for stakeholder feedback on the assessment processes

Exclusion:

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency state-based offices in Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland

Group 2: Internationally qualified health practitioners

Inclusion:

1. Profession—nine nurses, one midwife and five doctors

2. Nationality—including but not limited to the following: United Kingdom, India, China and the Philippines. These have been identified as the top four source countries for IQHP seeking migration and registration by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council and Australian Medical Council

3. Residential state—onshore and nationwide

4. To reduce the risk of bias, such as survivorship bias, a combination of successful and unsuccessful applications made for assessment for the following:

a. Skilled migration with the relevant authority, i.e. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council or Australian Medical Council

b. Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

c. Skilled migration and professional registration in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2018 only

Areas of exploration via contextualised questions:

IQHPs navigating through the application processes for skilled migration and registration in Australia in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2018 were also asked to describe the following:

1 Motivations to move to another country such as Australia

2 Commencement and completion of the processes, e.g. offshore or onshore

3 Sources and types of assistance and support received

4 Consistency of assessment approaches used by the regulators and assessing authorities

5 Transparency, timeframes and associated costs

6 Successful/unsuccessful completion

7 Entering workforce

Exclusion:

1. IQHP residing offshore

Group 3: Educators of IQHP

Inclusion:

1. Experience—core and temporary individuals, employed in the role for no less than 12 months

2. Profession—educators responsible for upskilling IQHP

Areas of exploration via contextualised questions:

Educators engaging with and upskilling IQHP were also asked to describe the suitability of IQHP seeking preparatory programmes or referred to bridging programmes.

Group 4: Workforce

Inclusion:

1. Experience—core and temporary individuals, employed in the role for no less than 12 months

2. Profession—health care recruitment and workforce representatives responsible for determining the suitability of IQHP

Areas of exploration via contextualised questions:

Australian healthcare workforce representatives/agencies engaging with and employing IQHP were also asked to describe the suitability of IQHP for employment and entry into the Australian health care workforce.