Skilled Migration – Health & Character requirements

Health

Health requirements
You and all your dependent family members must be able to meet the strict health standards required. These are designed to protect Australia from any potential health risks and costs, and also any overuse of scarce health resources, such as the transplantation of organs.

You will find additional information regarding Australia’s health requirements for permanent visas at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1071i.pdf
For information on Australia’s health requirements for temporary visas, please see http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1163i.pdf

Health examinations
You will be required to undergo a health examination, which must be carried out by a Doctor who has been selected by the Australian authorities. Usual requirements include a medical examination, chest x-ray, some specialist or laboratory tests and referral to the Medical Officers of the Commonwealth in order for the Embassy to reach a final decision on your application. Each member of your immediate family must meet the health requirements if your application is to be successful. Any dependants who are not intending to migrate with you must also undergo a medical examination.

The approved list of Doctors/Radiologists together with the medical examination forms will be provided by Visas For Australia when processing your application. Any applicants who are pregnant are advised NOT to undergo the x-ray until after the birth of their baby. This may delay the final decision on your application.

Concerns
Due to the declaration of a global epidemic of tuberculosis by the World Health Organisation, special care is taken when screening for this disease. This could include stringent treatment recommendations if signs of earlier infection, regardless of how old or small, are found.

Australia has one of the lowest rates of tuberculosis in the world and has one of the strictest screening and treatment procedures. Should the disease be detected, it does not automatically mean that your application will be rejected, however, the processing of it may be suspended until after recommended treatment and successful retesting.

Other health areas of concern include those where a person is seen by the Australian authorities as requiring support, treatment or assistance which may be considered in short supply or which have a significant cost.

While processing your application, the Australian Embassy is authorised to gather information under the Migration Act 1958. This information, which may include test results for HIV, will then be used when assessing the health of you and your family for an Australian visa. Should an HIV or other test prove to be positive, it will not automatically mean that your application will be denied. The results may be disclosed to the relevant Commonwealth, State and Territory Health agencies.

Doctors
You may be charged by approved Doctors in accordance with their usual practice. They may also recommend undertaking specialist consultations or other treatment. The approved Doctors are aware of the health requirements for Australia and therefore, you should carefully consider any advice they may give you. All approved Doctors will complete the required examination form in English.

The decision
Any decision regarding health requirements is made initially on any detection of tuberculosis, however small or old. After that, any other medical conditions are assessed which could result in community service costs in Australia, require significant health treatment or require services or treatment which are in short supply. Allowances are made for general welfare and health costs. Should the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth decide that an applicant’s health costs go beyond “general”, they then become significant. This will normally lead to the refusal of an application. The assessment of health costs does not take into account any private health insurance or other financial/nursing arrangements you may have made to lessen the claim on public funds.
 

Character requirements

All applicants who wish to enter Australia must be of good character.

The Australian government will assess whether you are of good character. In order to do this, you may be required to provide any police certificates for each country where you have resided for 12 months or more during the previous 10 years (this includes Australia). For details on how to obtain this information, please see form 47p, which can be found at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/47p.pdf

Please note, penal checks from some countries could take up to 12 months to obtain. We are unable to speed up this process.

In certain circumstances, applicants could be required to supply personal information in order for further character checks to be carried out. A copy of form 80 should be included with your application for each applicant who is aged 16 years of over. This form can be found at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/80.pdf

If you are applying “offshore” and have lived in Australia for 12 months during the previous 10 years, you are not required to lodge Australian Federal Police (AFP) clearances with your application. However, it is recommended to do so. Applications which are received complete are generally processed more quickly.