Health Waiver Visa Australia: How does it work?

Author: Onederland Consulting

Health Waiver Visa Australia: How does it work?

Have you ever heard about the health waiver for Visa Australia? Health waiver Visa Australia guarantees you one solution, especially when you are notified that you don’t meet the Australian visa health requirement.

Does being unqualified from meeting Australian visa health requirements risk your application? Well, it might, be because it is one of the mandatory visa requirements, as stated; you must meet Australian health requirements.

Before you become unsure about applying for a visa due to health concerns, remember that the Australian government provides the chances for you, which they also use in deciding whether your visa can be approved.

In this article, we will discuss one of the options for you to consider if you are qualified to "not meet the Australian visa health requirements".

How to meet the Australian visa health requirement?

Meeting the Australian visa health requirement means that you must be free of the following diseases or conditions:

a considerable expense to the Australian population in terms of healthcare and community services

By putting demand on those resources, Australian citizens and permanent residents are more likely to be denied access to scarce healthcare and community services. This is referred to as prejudicing access.

In summary, you must safeguard the Australian community from public health and safety concerns, including active tuberculosis.

What is Considered to be Threats to Public Health?

Below diseases are considered as threats to public health:

  • Measles outbreaks
  • Tuberculosis
  • HIV and hepatitis
  • Yellow Fever
  • Polio
  • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

If you were examined to meet one of the above diseases, then you will be considered "not meeting the health requirements".

Does it mean your journey stops here? It’s not.

Depending on your visa subclass, you will have a chance to provide further statements on how you will not be a threat to public health, through a Health Waiver.

Read more: What Options Available If Overstayed Australian Visa

What is a Health Waiver?

A health waiver can be your option if you’re assessed as not meeting the health requirements.

A health waiver is not something you need to request. Meanwhile, the person responsible, known as the Medical Officer of Commonwealth (MOC), for your visa application will inform you.

This shows that the Australian government will give you the chance to be granted a visa; where the conditions of your health can be exercised for some particular reason.

Health Waiver Requirements

A health waiver usually comes after you fail to pass the health examination in the visa application process.

Health waivers also have these specified requirements, written in Schedule 4 of the Migration Regulations 1994, and they’re called Public Interest Criteria (PIC).

Learn more: Extract from the Migration Regulations 1994 – Public Interest Criterion (PIC) 4007

In summary, the PIC 4007 requires you to meet the specified requirements, such as:

  • Not have tuberculosis [infectious disease],
  • Be free from a disease or condition that could be dangerous for public health in Australia or unsafe for the Australian community.
  • Be free from a disease or condition that would be likely to require health care or community services,
  • It’s important to remember that these rules apply even if you plan to use something other than medical care or community services.

Read more: Tourist Visa Refusal to Australia – Can I Apply Again?

Are you eligible for the Health Waiver Program?

What are the visa options that are eligible for a health waiver program? Then we’ve summarized the list below for you to compile:

  1. Your visa type provides health waiver options. You’re eligible for other requirements of your visa-type application.
  2. You are financially capable of taking care of your health treatment.
  3. Ensure the government with evidence and statement that your health conditions are not a ‘threat’ to the Australian community.

Consider this when getting the Health Waiver

  1. Consider and ensure you’re trying to apply for a visa to let you stay and work in Australia.
  2. If one criteria fails, you fail for every criterias and can’t be granted your visa.
  3. A health waiver can be applied if your health conditions are classified as medical conditions that exceed the significant cost threshold.

This means you are aware that your medical treatment will cost you more than AUD 51,000.

What does it mean to you?

An illness or bad condition can sometimes mean you’ll fail the health requirements. It depends on what kind of illness you have and how bad it is.

Also, suppose your conditions are classified as chronic (long period). In that case, they often seek more information about whether you’ve been in medical treatment, your ability to mitigate the risk, or the existence of compelling and compassionate circumstances.

The situation seems complicated. It requires you to present evidence and statements regarding your health conditions. Therefore, it would be better for you to seek professional advice; we are here to help you with these complex situations.