Planning to Immigrate to Australia? – Check out these Health Requirements
Australia’s health sector is hugely reputable worldwide. In order to ensure our country maintains this reputation, visa applicants are required to meet certain health requirements. After the other required procedures are fulfilled, you will be granted your visa only after meeting these health standards.
The initiatives taken to meet the health requirements are dependent on your personal circumstances and the type of visa you intend to apply for or have submitted an application.
Health examination stage is mandatory for all permanent, provisional and certain temporary visa applications. With such a test, the relevant officials are able to determine whether you meet the health requirement.
Immigration Health Requirements
As explained above, the visa application process may involve you undergoing health examinations. The reports results is then analyzed to state whether you meet the health requirements or not.
Here are the health requirements for each category of visa applicants:
Permanent and Provisional Visa Applicants
You and members of your family intending to immigrate to Australia will undergo certain health examinations. All age groups from under 2 years will have to be subjected to a medical examination.
In addition, those aged 2 or more but under 11 years will be screened for TB while those aged 11 or more but less than 15 years will undergo a chest x-ray.
Applicants aged 15 years and above are tested for HIV in addition to the already discussed tests.
If you underwent a successful health examination during your provisional visa application stage, you will not be required to do the same at the permanent visa stage.
It’s also important to note that you may be called for additional health examination as deemed necessary under clinical grounds. Also, additional tests have to be completed if you:
- Are pregnant and have the intentions of delivering the baby in Australia
- Are 15 years and above applying for a refugee type visa
- Are 15 years and above with the intentions to work as a nurse, doctor, dentist or paramedic
- Are 15 years and above applying for an onshore protection type visa
- Are an adoption child or a child for care by Australian state or territory government welfare authority
The additional tests done are mainly hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis as advised by the examination officer.
Temporary Visa Applicants
Visa applicants under this category are subjected to health examination based on several factors including:
- The type of visa applied for
- How long you intend to stay in Australia
- What activities will you engage in during your stay
- What are the TB risks in your country
- Any available medical conditions
- Any special applicable circumstances
Those already lodged a visa application will receive appropriate advise on the examination to take. The advice is availed by either our country’s online systems or your case officer.
If you haven’t lodged the application, the following information will give you an precursor to what you should expect.
Expected Health Requirements for Visa Application
Duration of stay:
If you have the intention of staying for less than 6 months in Australia and comes from countries which do not generally require immigration health examinations, No health examinations required unless special significance applies.
Those intending to stay for more than 6 months will be subjected to:
- Medical examination
- Chest x-ray examination (if aged 11 years or over).
Below are Countries That Do Not Require Immigration Health Examinations
The listing is given according to the World Health Organization data.
Albania; American Samoa; Andorra;
Antigua&Barbuda; Argentina; Aruba;
Australia; Austria; Bahamas; Bahrain;
Barbados; Belgium; Belize;
Bermuda; Bonaire; Bouvet Island;
Bulgaria; Canada; Cayman Islands;
Chile; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands;
Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Croatia;
Cuba; Curacao; Cyprus;
Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominica;
Egypt; Estonia; Falkland Islands;
Faroe Islands; Finland; France;
French Polynesia; FYR Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia); Germany; Gibraltar;
Greece; Grenada; Guadeloupe;
Heard and McDonald Islands; Hungary; Iceland;
Iran; Ireland; Israel;
Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan;
Kosovo; Kuwait; Lebanon; Lichtenstein;
Luxembourg; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico;
Monaco; Montenegro; Montserrat;
Netherlands; Netherlands Antilles; New Caledonia;
New Zealand; Niue; Norfolk Island; Norway;
Oman; Palestinian Authority; Pitcairn Island;
Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Reunion Island;
Saint Eustatius & Saba; Saint Helena (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha);
Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin (Dutch); Samoa;
San Marino; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Seychelles;
Slovakia; Slovenia; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Spain; Svalbard & Jan Mayen; Sweden;
Switzerland; Tokelau; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago;
Tunisia; Turkey; Turks and Caicos Islands; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom (British citizen);
United States of America; Uruguay; Vatican City; Virgin Islands (British);
Virgin Islands (US); Wallis and Futuna Islands
Which Countries Require Immigration Health Examination?
All the countries not on the above list require immigration health examination. That is because they are viewed to be high-risk TB zones.
Main Image Source : Pixabay
Also See : 10 Tips on Starting a Business in Australia as a Foreigner
