Automatic Mutual Recognition

AMR differs from the existing mutual recognition scheme in several important ways:

• 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.
• You can carry out the same activities authorised under your home state registration or licence, even if you would normally need two or more registrations or licences in the host state. Under the existing scheme, you received a separate registration or licence from the host state that is equivalent to your home registration
• Under AMR, unless you are required to provide a notification of intention to work or satisfy public protection requirements under the laws of a host state, you can work in a host jurisdiction immediately. Under the existing system, you needed a registration or licence from the host state before you could commence work.
• The registration scheme most suitable to you depends on your individual preferences and circumstances.

You must use your ‘home state’ registration as defined by section 42A(3) of the MRA. This means your home state registration is either your registration from the state that is your principal place of residence or principal place of work. If the state of your principal place of residence and the state of your principal place of work are different, your home state is the one chosen by you.

When using AMR, the laws applying to that activity in the host state will apply to you. 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.

Importantly, host state laws apply equally to all people carrying out the activity irrespective if the person is a local practitioner or comes from interstate. Similarly, a host state cannot predicate your entitlement to AMR on the attainment or possession of additional qualifications or experience, meaning you will not be required to undertake any further training or CPD even if practitioners in the host state a required to do so.

If your home state does not require registration to carry out your occupation and, as a result, you are not registered, you will not be eligible to access AMR in Victoria and you will need to apply for a Victorian registration. More information about architect, building practitioner registration and plumbing practitioner registration

Only registration granted by a state’s local registration authority (LRA) are within scope of AMR. The LRA must have this function conferred on it by legislation. A state’s LRA is usually a government regulator or department. You should check with your professional association if it is given this function under your state’s legislation.

The MRA defines local registration authority as:

Local registration authority of a State for an occupation means the person or authority in the State having the function conferred by legislation of registering persons in connection with their carrying on that occupation in the State.

No. AMR is available for individual registration only. If you wish to operate as a company, you will need to register you company in line with requirements under the Building Act 1993. For more information about company registration, visit the VBA website

Company registration is not available under AMR. You will need to register your company under Victorian company registration processes before you can enter into a major domestic building contract under your company’s name.

Under AMR you will be allowed to carry out the same activities in Victoria as those authorised by your home state registration (provided AMR has commenced for those activities). As such, there is no need to determine equivalency between your home state registration and Victorian registrations.

It may be possible that you need a registration to carry out activities connected to your occupation in your home state, but that no registration requirement exists in Victoria. In these circumstances you will not need a registration to carry out those activities in Victoria at all.

If you are not sure whether you need a registration to carry out certain occupational activities in Victoria, contact the ARBV or the VBA.

No. If Victoria permanently becomes your new principal place of residence or principal place of work, and you no longer live or work in the state where you obtained your substantive occupational registration, you will need to obtain a Victorian registration via the existing mutual recognition pathway. For more information, see the mutual recognition information on the ARBV website or the VBA website.

If AMR Notification is denied, the practitioner cannot practice in Victoria. If it is denied due to something that is rectifiable, then if the notification is rectified, the practitioner can resubmit.

Practitioners are only added to the Publicly available register once ADR is confirmed

If a practitioner is suspended in their home state (substantive state), then they cannot practice in Victoria. The Home State will inform other states of this via the Inter Jurisdictional sharing arrangements under AMR. VBA will update the public AMR register, the practitioner will be removed from the publicly available AMR register provided for consumers.

If a practitioner's AMR is suspended in another state (Victoria or another state) the state suspending is required to inform the Home State immediately and will be suspended in the Home State.  Where the practitioner is registered under AMR in further states, the home state will advise these states via the Inter Jurisdictional sharing arrangements under AMR and the practitioner will be suspended in all states.

Queensland practitioners are not eligible to practice in under the AMR scheme as the state is not participating.

Victorian practitioners are also not able to practice in Queensland under AMR. However, practitioners are able to practice under Mutual Recognition for builders and plumbers.

You can check whether a Victorian registered or licensed building industry professional, building company or plumber has had any disciplinary action taken against them by using the VBA’s Disciplinary Register.

To check if other participating state or territory AMR practitioners are subject to disciplinary action, contact their relevant home state or territory agency using the links below.

• New South Wales
• Tasmania
• South Australia
• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory
• Western Australia

Fee waiver for mutual recognition fees is only available for interstate practitioners who intend to work in Victoria for up to 6 months.

This exemption applies to practitioner’s equivalent in the following classes of plumbing and building practitioners:

• All classes of building surveyor
• All classes of licensed plumber
• Plumbers registered in the following classes (including restricted):
• Gasfitting work
• Fire Protection work
• Mechanical Services work
• Roofing (Stormwater) work
• Type A Appliance Conversion work
• Type A Appliance Servicing work
• Type B Gasfitting work
• Type B Gasfitting Advanced work