Australian or NZ Optometrist Overseas Optometrist

OCANZ respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia and Māori Peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand as the First peoples in each landmass and the proud custodians of the longest surviving cultures on our planet. We pay our respects to these traditional owners and honour their unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich and ongoing contribution to society.

DISCLAIMER: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this website is correct. The Optometry Council will not accept any responsibility for information which is inadvertently incorrect and where action has been taken as a result of that erroneous information.

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OCANZ is an independent external agency that assesses optometry programs in Australia and New Zealand.

The Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) was established in 1996 with support of the optometrists registration boards in Australia and New Zealand, the Heads of the Optometry Schools, Optometry Australia and the New Zealand Association of Optometrists. All are represented on OCANZ.

Latest news

Expressions of interest

Information for Applicants and Nomination Form for OCANZ Board or Director, Committee and Assessment Team Member Positions 2023 and 2024 found here.

Accreditation Standards Review

OCANZ is currently undertaking a review of our Accreditation Standards for Programs of Study in Ocular Therapeutics. For further information see Standards Review - OCANZ

OCANZ Bursaries

2023 applications now closed for submissions. For further information see OCANZ Bursaries - OCANZ

Written Examination

The OCANZ Written Examination of the COE will now be held permanently as a remote proctored online examination. For further information please refer to the Examination section of our website.

Important Notice

The Department of Education, Skills and Employment have advised of some changes to 485 Visa applications following the Covid-19 border closures. Therefore, applications for provisional skills assessment through OCANZ for the purposes of a 485 Visa will close on June 16th 2022 until 30 June 2023. For more information see Australian or NZ Optometrist - OCANZ

Accreditation

Examination

Accreditation

OCANZ is an independent external agency that assesses optometry programs in Australia and New Zealand. Accreditation performs a number of important functions, including:

Assuring the registration boards that graduates are effectively prepared for entry to the profession (including therapeutic practice)
providing schools with regular feedback on the contemporary needs of the profession.

Further Accreditation Information

Examination

All optometrists trained outside of Australia and New Zealand are required to successfully complete an examination known as the Competency in Optometry Examination before being eligible to apply for limited/provisional registration with either the Registration Board in Australia or New Zealand.

To migrate to Australia as a skilled migrant, optometrists must obtain a skills assessment from OCANZ.

Further Examination Information

Commitment to First Nations Peoples Health

OCANZ commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples’ health and wellbeing.

Further Information

Concerns & Complaints

Information about how to raise a concern

Further Concerns Information

Contact

Send an email to OCANZ by completing our online form below or send an email to enquiries@ocanz.org.

Contact number: +61 3 9670 3173 (available Tuesdays only)