Minimum Health Requirement For Oz Visa?

[bridge]

Has anyone recently had a partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend etc (from Thailand) who has applied for and been granted a 12 month temporary visa to Australia, such as a subclass 676 tourist visa for example. If so, I would be very interested to hear exactly what health requirements they had to satisfy. Did they have to undertake both a medical (Form 160) and radiological examination (Form 26), or just the radiological examination.

According to the Form 1163i for temporary stays of up to and including 12 months, where the applicant is from Thailand (high risk country) only a chest x-ray is required, unless special significance requirements are to be met. The 1163i states what the minimum health requirement are.

Apparently Work and Holiday visa applicants (subclass 462) are being told that the must undertake both a medical and radiological examination. It is interesting to note that the maximum period of stay for a Work and Holiday visa is 12 months.

Despite several back-and-forth emails to the Australian Embassy, Bangkok to seek clarification of this matter, this is the last one I received:

A Work and Holiday Visa, once granted, is valid for 12 months stay period.

The Form 1163i categorizes Thailand as a Higher Risk Country, therefore, a citizen from Thailand is required to undergo a Full Medical Examination which is " the minimum health assessments" required when staying in Australia for 12 months.

Form 1163i is correct and is the right form to refer to when applying for a Temporary Entry Visa to Australia.

It is my view that this is simply wrong. The minimum health requirement is a chest x-ray only. It think this is case where the Australian Embassy, Bangkok has got it wrong.

Does anyone else have any view on this.

Regards

Bridge

[VisasPlus]

Bridge,

It does seem strange. The Embassy has made a statement, and says that the correct form to refer to in order to confirm their statement is the 1136i. However, that form contradicts their statement ! I agree with your own assessment, that the full medical examination is not required unless the applicant is maybe going to study or intends to partake in one of named occupations.

[gburns57au]

Health requirements

Health requirements will vary depending on your personal circumstances.

You may need to have a medical examination depending on:

•your length of stay in Australia

•other health risks in your home country or countries you have visited for more than three months within the last five years

•the activities you will be undertaking

•any existing health condition.

See: Form 1163i - Health requirement for temporary entry to Australia (69KB PDF file)

Note: If you intend to work in the health care industry you must undergo HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C testing.

Example: Doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists.

The highlighted line covers it I think. This from the SC 462 page

A medical examination not an X ray.

Edited September 3, 2010 by gburns57au

[gburns57au]

You may need to have a medical examination depending on:

Bit tired last night....

What I was getting at is that it seems it is at the Embassy's discretion.....if they require more than the minimum then they will ask for it.

[bridge]

You may need to have a medical examination depending on:

Bit tired last night....

What I was getting at is that it seems it is at the Embassy's discretion.....if they require more than the minimum then they will ask for it.

I understand what you are saying, but what the Embassy is saying, is that the 'minimum health requirement' is both a medical and x-ray.

Below are two emails I recently received from the Embassy:

A Work and Holiday Visa, once granted, is valid for 12 months stay period.

The Form 1163i categorizes Thailand as a Higher Risk Country, therefore, a citizen from Thailand is required to undergo a Full Medical Examination which is " the minimum health assessments" required when staying in Australia for 12 months.

Form 1163i is correct and is the right form to refer to when applying for a Temporary Entry Visa to Australia.

and

In regards to your email below, all Thai nationals applying for a Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) must undergo a Full Medical Examination which includes a chest x-ray and a medical examination. (both form 160 and Form 26).

The minimum health requirement according to the Form 1163i is a chest x-ray only. It is my view that the information from the Embassy that the minimum health requirement is both a full medical and x-ray is quite clearly incorrect.

Bridge

[gburns57au]

For some reason I cant access forms 1163i 160 or 26,

Tells me the file is damaged

[bridge]

For some reason I cant access forms 1163i 160 or 26,

Tells me the file is damaged

Hi Graham,

I was just able to download them with no problem:

1163i.pdf

26.pdf

160.pdf

NOTE - These attached forms are current as of the 04 September, 2010. Anyone downloading later should always check that they are the current forms and have not been superseded. The design date is listed on the bottom left hand side of each page.

All forms can be downloaded from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website for FREE:

DIAC Forms

Bridge

Edited September 4, 2010 by bridge

[gburns57au]

Thanks Bridge, I had to update adobe to read it....I get lazy with that one.

I see your point now.

It does appear that the person at the Embassy has given out wrong info.

[bridge]

Thanks Bridge, I had to update adobe to read it....I get lazy with that one.

I see your point now.

It does appear that the person at the Embassy has given out wrong info.

The Form 1163i is relatively easy to understand. If they get the interpretation of that wrong, what else could they possibly get wrong?

Bridge

[bridge]

I went further up the chain, and received this reply this afternoon:

You are correct in your interpretation of the form 1163I. Only an xray is required for a stay of up to and including 12 months where no special significance requirements exists. A large percentage of the 462 applicants intend to undertake studies in Australia and as such they provide both medical and xray and as such may have lead to staff believing that both are required.