MBV is pleased to inform our members that Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) (for registrations and licenses) has commenced in Victoria for architects and most building occupations, as of 1 January 2022. 

Workers registered or licenced in a building or architectural occupation in another state can begin to use AMR to work in Victoria.  

Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) is a national scheme that enables registered or licensed practitioners who hold a registration or licence to be able to work in another state or territory without having to pay for a new registration or licence.  

This scheme sits under the Commonwealth Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (MRA) and is implemented and administered by each state and territory governments and regulators. 

AMR is aimed at increasing national occupational mobility to boost economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and disasters such as flood and bushfire, whilst improving Australia’s economic productivity. 

AMR commenced in Victoria for architects and most building occupations on 1 January 2022. Workers registered in a building or architectural occupation in another state can use AMR to work in Victoria from 1 January. 

AMR for plumbing work, building surveyors and building inspectors will commence at a later date.  

AMR differs from the existing mutual recognition scheme; a person can use their home state occupational registration or licence to work under AMR in participating jurisdictions. Under the existing mutual recognition scheme, you needed to apply and pay for a new occupational registration or licence in each jurisdiction. 

 

Important things to know if you are going to work under AMR 

When using AMR, host state laws apply equally to all people carrying out the activity irrespective if the person is a local practitioner or comes from interstate. 

In the Victorian building industry, this means that people from interstate seeking to carry out building work will need to ensure they comply with all laws governing building work in Victoria, including the Building Act 1993, the Building Regulations 2018 and the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. 

AMR is available for individual registration only. If you wish to operate as a company, you will need to register your company in line with requirements under the Building Act 1993. For more information about company registration, visit the VBA website.

AMR currently applies to the following occupational registrations for interstate practitioners seeking to work in Victoria: 

  • Architects 
  • Domestic builders 
  • Commercial builders 
  • Demolishers 
  • Project managers 
  • Draftspeople 

At this current time, the Victorian government has temporarily exempted several occupations and activities from the operation of AMR in Victoria. These occupations include building surveyors, building inspectors, and all plumbing work.  

AMR exemptions in Victoria do not prevent a person licensed or registered in Victoria from carrying on work in another participating jurisdiction under the AMR scheme, as long as it is not an exempt registration in that jurisdiction. 

AMR will commence for building surveyors, building inspectors, and plumbing work at a later date.   

 

How to register in Victoria under AMR? 

If you would like to use AMR to work in any of the occupations listed earlier, you will be required to do two things first: 

  • You must notify the relevant regulator of your intent to work in Victoria prior to commencing work, and 
  • You must demonstrate that you satisfy any relevant insurances in place prior to commencing work in Victoria   

You can access the relevant notification forms and details about insurance requirements from the relevant regulator. If you are a building practitioner, please visit the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) website: https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/building/registration/automatic-mutual-recognition  

 

Victorians registering under AMR in different states or territories  

Victorian practitioners seeking to work interstate should check whether AMR has commenced for their occupation in the state they wish to work in via the Commonwealth Government’s website: Improving occupational mobility.  

As of January 2022, Victoria is the only state to have commenced AMR for Building Practitioners.  

 

For further information please contact the Careers and Registration team at [email protected] or 03 9411 4555