[UPDATE] Health Examinations for Temporary Visa Applicants

The Department of Home Affairs has recently announced temporary changes to who is required to undertake health examinations.

After visa application, most Australian visas requested Health examination. However, due to the surg visa applicants, the Department of Home Affairs has announced that the medical examination will be waived for those applying for a visa within Australia.

These apply to the following visa subclasses and only if you are already in Australia:

· 401 Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity)

· 403 Temporary Work (International Relations)

· 405 Investor Retirement

· 407 Training

· 408 Temporary Activity

· 410 Retirement

· 417 and 462 Working Holiday

· 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary)

· 476 Skilled ‐ Recognised Graduate

· 482 Temporary Skill Shortage

· 485 Temporary Graduate

· 500 Students

· 590 Student Guardian

· 600 Visitor

· 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)

· 995 Diplomatic (Temporary)

However, a health examination is still required in exceptional cases.

• Have applied for a medical treatment, temporary protection, or a provisional visa
• Expect to incur medical costs or require medical treatment
• Are intending to work as (or study to be) a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic
• will enter a hospital, aged or disability care facility (if higher tuberculosis risk)
• are pregnant and intending to have the baby in Australia
• will work or train at an Australian childcare centre
• are aged over 75 years (if applying for a visitor visa)
• have had previous household contact with tuberculosis; or
• are requested to do so by the Department.

For those who have already scheduled a health examination with Bupa Medical Visa Services, the appointment may be cancelled and refunded. Bupa will send an SMS. Do not cancel the appointment by calling Bupa. The applicant should try to make it to the appointment even if they aren’t informed that it has been cancelled.

Generally, health examination depended on the nationality, past residence, level of tuberculosis risk your country poses, and intended length of stay. However, temporary visa applicants in Australia will not be required to undergo medical exams and chest x-rays to meet the health requirement.

Please look at the table below:

Country risk level	Stay less than 6 months	Stay is 6 months or more
Low risk	No health examinations needed unless special circumstances apply	No health examinations needed unless special circumstances apply
High risk	No health examinations needed unless special circumstances apply	Medical examination and Chest x-ray (if aged 11 years or over) *Currently not applicable for temporary visa applicants already in Australia* unless special circumstances apply

For instance, if you are Korean or Thai, these countries are considered to be high risk for tuberculosis included in the legislative instrument signed by the Minister of Home Affairs.

Therefore, if your stay will be 6 months or more you are required to undergo the medical examination and chest x-ray (if aged 11 or over) *.

In some situations, additional test is required if you intend to work or train to be a health care worker or work at a childcare centre, pregnant etc.

The appointment may be cancelled and refunded if the applicant has already scheduled a health examination with Bupa Medical Visa Services but have not yet shown up.

Please not that this is a temporary measure and applies to all eligible temporary visa applications currently with the Department and new applications made in Australia. The Government will review these arrangements in early 2023.

Please see the Department of Home Affairs website for further details.

Who needs health examinations (homeaffairs.gov.au)