Health Requirements for Australian Migration Visas
All applicants and their family members applying for permanent visas for Australia must meet strict health requirements. The standards are designed to protect Australia from high health risks and costs and increased demand for scarce health resources. It should be noted that even children who are not living with you and who are not included in your application (eg: children under the age of 18 years) may also be required to undertake and meet the health standards.
Medical examinations are carried out by panel doctors selected by the Australian authorities (not by your GP!), and usually include a chest x-ray, clinical examination and some laboratory tests (HIV, Hepatitis etc). The cost for these, are your responsibility and are paid directly to the examining panel doctor. ALL your family members must meet the health standards so if one member of your family fails this, then this would potentially result in the refusal of your application.
The Australian authorities make their decisions firstly on detection of tuberculosis, however old or small and then of medical conditions which require significant health treatment and community service costs or those conditions, which require treatment or services in short supply. A lot of people have concerns that existing medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, eczema, high blood pressure and epilepsy will mean that they will be unable to satisfy the health standard. Whilst these types of conditions will need to be declared and may require applicants to provide specialist reports or further investigations, they would generally not result in a person failing the health standard, although each case is assessed on its own merits.
The Australian Department of Immigration does have a leaflet that provides additional information regarding Australia’s health standard requirements. This can be found at: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1071i.pdf
Essential Information |
Permanent Visa Information |
Temporary Visa Information |