Streamlined Medical Requirement for Temporary Visa Applicants in Australia

Streamlined requirements for temporary visa applicants in Australia

Temporary visa applicants in Australia will not be required to undertake medical examinations and chest x-rays, based on their nationality, previous residence and proposed length of stay, in order to meet the health requirement.

Temporary visa applicants in Australia will still be required to undertake relevant medical examinations and/or chest x-rays if they:

  • 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.

If you have already made a health examination appointment with Bupa Medical Visa Services and have not yet attended it, your appointment may be cancelled and refunded. Bupa will contact you via SMS to advise you of this. Do not contact Bupa to cancel your appointment yourself. If you are not advised that your appointment has been cancelled, you should attend if possible.

This arrangement applies to applicants for 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
  • 476 – Skilled Recognised Graduate
  • 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage
  • 485 – Temporary Graduate
  • 500 – Student
  • 590 – Student Guardian
  • 600 – Visitor
  • 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary)
  • 995 – Diplomatic (Temporary)

This is 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.

Generally, temporary visa applicants need to have these tests:

Country risk level Your stay will be less than 6 months Your stay will be 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*
  • chest x-ray (if aged 11 years or over)*

    *currently not applicable for temporary visa applicants already in Australia unless special circumstances apply.

If you have been in Australia in the last 28 days, we include any time you have already spent in Australia when we work out your length of stay for health requirement purposes.

Additional tests

In some situations, you might also need to have these tests.

Situation Additional tests required
You are from a country with a higher risk of TB and likely to enter a healthcare or hospital environment
  • medical examination
  • chest x-ray examination (if aged 11 or over)
You are pregnant and intend to have the baby in Australia
  • hepatitis B test
You are 15 years old or older and intend to work as, or study or train to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic
  • medical examination
  • chest x-ray
  • HIV test
  • hepatitis B and C tests
You are 15 years old or older and intend to work as, or study or train to be a health care worker, or work within a health care, aged care or disability care facility while in Australia, and are from a higher risk country
  • medical examination
  • chest x-ray
  • Latent TB Infection Screening test
You are likely to work (or be a trainee) at an Australian childcare centre (including preschools and creches)
  • medical examination
  • chest x-ray
You are aged 75 years or older and applying for a Visitor visa (subclass 600)
  • medical examination

When you attend the panel clinic, they will ask you whether you plan to apply for a permanent stay in the next 6 to 12 months. If yes, they will ask if you want to be assessed for permanent stay. You will have to complete more examinations if you do. You will have to pay for the extra examinations.

Countries with low risk of tuberculosis

This is the list of countries considered to be low risk for tuberculosis included in the legislative instrument signed by the Minister for Home Affairs.

The list is based on World Health Organization (WHO) data.

Any country not listed below as low risk is considered to be high risk.

  • Albania
  • American Samoa
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and 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
  • Germany
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Heard and McDonald Islands
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Iran
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Lichtenstein
  • Luxembourg
  • Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
  • 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

 

Source: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/health/what-health-examinations-you-need

Disclaimer: The above set details about The Streamlined requirements for temporary visa applicants in Australia have been extracted from https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/health/what-health-examinations-you-need. The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses, or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.