What to Expect at your Partner Visa Health Check

Last updated: 15 January 2025

The Partner Visa health check is a key part of your application process. Whether or not you have a known medical condition it can be extremely nerve wracking. In this blog, I’m going to help you understand the process and what it is that Immigration are really looking for when you go for your Partner Visa health check.

In short, the impact a health condition might have on your Partner Visa will all depend on what the health condition is. Some health conditions will cause no issue at all for your Partner Visa and you will pass the visa medical with ‘flying colours’. On the other hand, there are some conditions that don’t meet the standard health criteria.

Where you don’t meet the standard Partner Visa health check criteria, the good news is your visa isn’t always doomed for failure. The Partner Visa is one of a select few types of Australian visas, where there are pathways available to ‘waive’ the health requirement which means your visa can still be granted!

To make this easier to get your head around, I have broken the whole Partner Visa health check into a couple of different sections based on the questions we frequently receive about this topic. The main thing to take away is to not get totally freaked out by the visa medical, if you were to ‘fail’ you may still have a shot at your Partner Visa being granted via a health waiver.

Why do I have to do a health check?

People who want to migrate to Australia both temporarily or permanently must, by law, satisfy certain health requirements. The type of health check that needs to be carried out varies from visa to visa, as well as other factors including age, countries visited, and intended activities in Australia.

The purpose of the health requirement is to protect the Australian community from public health risks, contain public spending on health care and community services, and to safeguard the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to health care and community services where those services are in short supply.

In other words, it allows the Department of Immigration to control the granting of a visa to someone that would potentially result in letting someone into the country who may have a condition that is infectious and may put the Australian community at risk, cost the Australian government a significant amount of money in treatment, or require access to a service that has a short or limited supply (e.g. organs or blood products).

Who needs to do a Partner Visa health check?

All Partner Visa applicants are required to complete medical examinations.

In some cases, non-migrating members of the family unit may also be requested to undergo medical examinations. This may include circumstances such as:

• The non-migrating family member was originally included in the application but has since been withdrawn.
• There is evidence provided in the visa application or in supporting documentation that the non-migrating family member will ultimately seek to migrate.
• A dependent child is remaining in their country of origin without parental support (as the parents are migrating).

Where a non-migrating member of the family unit does not meet the health criteria, this may lead to a visa refusal if you are not granted a health waiver.

What Happens at a Partner Visa Health Check?

When you attend your appointment you’ll need to provide a referral letter that includes the details of the visa you are applying for, the tests required by Immigration, and a unique reference number called a HAP ID to link the results of your Partner Visa health check with your application. You’ll also need to bring a copy of your passport with you. If you don’t have a valid passport, it’s important you bring an acceptable alternative proof of your identity to your appointment.

The Partner Visa health check entails a detailed medical history and physical examination along with chest x-ray imaging and blood tests.

You will be asked to provide relevant details for your medical history including any conditions or prescription medications and the doctor will talk through all of this with you in further detail during your appointment noting any relevant findings. The physical examination will involve things like checking your height and weight, your blood pressure, your eye sight and hearing as well as an overall assessment of the different body systems and organs and your current mental and cognitive status. They will be looking out for any abnormalities or indicators of an underlying health conditions.

Applicants aged 2-11 years will need to undergo testing for tuberculosis, and anyone over the age of 11 will require a chest x-ray.

Blood tests are requested for all applicant’s over the age of 15 to check for HIV as well as serum creatinine and kidney function. Additional blood test may also be requested based on your medical history or intended activities in Australia (e.g. if you are currently pregnant and plan to give birth in Australia or work in a healthcare setting – think doctors, nurses, dentists, etc.).

Can I do my Partner Visa health check anywhere?

For visa and migration purposes, all medical examinations must be undertaken by an approved panel physician. If you are in Australia you will need to attend a Bupa Medical Visa Services clinic at an approved location.

There is a list of government approved clinics and physicians who are authorised to complete visa medicals for applicant’s who are outside Australia.

Whilst most countries will have a list of approved doctors who can conduct the Partner Visa health check, you may need to factor in travel to and from the clinic into your overall Partner Visa plans. In some cases this may involve international travel as well.

Do I need to get a Partner Visa Health Check if I’m pregnant?

Yes, all applicant’s for the visa will need to meet the health criteria, including if you are pregnant..

Generally Bupa and the internationally approved panel physicians will not accept a booking for a chest x-ray for applicants who are less than 14 weeks pregnant, but you can usually still organise to attend to the other requested medical examinations. If you are over 14 weeks pregnant, you can choose whether or not you want to complete the chest x-ray or wait until after the birth of your child.

It’s important to make an informed decision and discuss the potential risks of radiation exposure during your pregnancy with your treating doctor.

If you decide not to proceed with the chest x-ray until after your baby is born, this is not an issue, however, your visa application usually won’t be finalised until the chest x-ray results have been submitted.

When will I get my results?

Usually, it can take a few days for the results of your Partner Visa health check to be finalised. Where there is no significant findings, the case is ‘auto cleared’ and the clinic will submit the results directly to the Department. At this stage no further action is required.

In some cases, where a relevant health condition has been identified, a second review is needed my a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) and you may be asked to undertake additional testing or obtain a report from a specialist about your prognosis and treatment. These reports will be used to assess whether or not there is a significant healthcare or community cost associated with the condition or it is likely to prejudice access to services.

What impact will a health condition have on my Visa Application?

The Partner Visa health check aims to ensure that you are free from a disease or conditions that:

• Is considered a threat to public health,
• Will cause undue/excessive cost to the Australian community,
• Is likely to limit the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to healthcare and community services that are in short supply by placing demand on those services.

If you don’t meet the health criteria your visa may be refused unless you meet the criteria for a health waiver.

What Conditions are considered a public health risk?

Currently the only health condition that is prescribed in migration law as specifically precluding a visa grant due to the public health risks is active Tuberculosis (TB). This is because, although it is a treatable condition, in most cases it remains a major cause of death worldwide and it is a highly infectious airborne pathogen.

Following initial health screening, you may be requested to undergo further testing to rule out active TB such as sputum cultures. If you are found to have active TB your visa will not be granted until you have completed a course of treatment and further testing confirms the conditions is no longer active. There are no exceptions or waivers available for active TB.

Health processes and requirements may be put in place to manage emerging public health issues as they arise. For example, there are specific processing arrangements in place for Yellow Fever and Polio to ensure these diseases are not imported into Australia. Applicants who have spent time in a country that have the potential to spread the disease internationally, may be requested to present a valid certificate of vaccination.

Significant Costs and Prejudice to Access

For a Partner Visa health check when assessing ‘significant costs’ the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) will provide an opinion as to whether the applicant’s disease or condition is likely to result in healthcare and community service costs if a visa were to be granted. The significant cost threshold is currently set at $86,000 over the assessable period.

Your estimated health costs for your condition will be generally assessed for a period of 5 years (or 3 years if you are aged 75 years or older). However, if you have a permanent or ongoing condition with a reasonably predictable course, the MOC will assess your health costs over your remaining life expectancy up to a maximum of 10 years.

The healthcare costs includes general and specialist consultation costs, testing and imaging, routine screening procedures, major or minor surgeries as well as the costs of prescription medication.

Community services include the provision of an Australian social security benefit, allowance or pension. Under policy, it is also taken to include services such as supported accommodation, special education or learning assistance, home and community care.

Prejudice to Access is identified when the applicant’s medical condition would be likely to prejudice the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to healthcare and community services that are currently in short supply. Currently, this includes organ transplants (including hematopoietic stem cell transplants), and dialysis.

How do they calculate the costs if I pay for all my own treatment or receive care in my home country?

A lot of families feel confused by the health criteria and it’s relevance to them especially where you intend to buy your own medication from abroad, or if you intend to rely on family for the necessary support for your condition. When assessing the likely costs involved with a disease and/or condition that an applicant has, a MOC must apply the hypothetical person test,

What is the Hypothetical Person Test?

• It’s a way to estimate potential healthcare costs based on your medical condition, as if a typical person with the same condition would be using the health services in Australia.

Why It Matters:

• Medical Officers of the Commonwealth (MOCs) use this test to decide if you meet the Health Requirement for your visa.
• It’s not about your personal choices or situation; it’s about what a typical person with your condition might cost the Australian healthcare or tax payer system through treatment or community services..

What MOCs Consider:

• They only look at the nature and severity of your health condition, your age, the type of visa, and the visa period.

What MOCs Do Not Consider:

• Your personal plans, like not using public health services or paying with your own money.
• Whether you’ll actually use the services you’ve been costed for, like bringing your medication.
• Promises that others will cover your costs, such as family or a foreign government.

The Bottom Line:

• The test assumes that you will use the healthcare services like anyone else might, because once you have permanent residency, there’s no legal way to ensure you stick to any plans to not use them.
• Life changes, and so might your decisions about using healthcare services.

If your condition is assessed as meeting the significant cost threshold or is likely to prejudice access to services you will need to be granted a health waiver in order for your Partner Visa to be approved.

What is a Health Waiver?

Where all other criteria for the visa have been met, the minister may decide to ‘waive’ the standard health criteria if they are satisfied that the grant of the visa would be unlikely to result in undue cost or undue prejudice to access to healthcare or community services of an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Note: Whilst health waivers are available for Partner Visas they are not accessible for all visas types.

When you complete your visa medical and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection is made aware of you not meeting the health criteria, they will write to you, giving you the opportunity to present your circumstances for Immigration to then, in turn, consider whether or not they warrant a waiver of the need to meet the health criteria. This is what we refer to as a “Health Waiver” request.

Even if you are planning on requesting a waiver of the health criteria, you will nonetheless still be required to undertake all required medical examinations for the visa.

A health waiver for a Partner Visa is a complex issue and it is strongly advised that you seek professional advice from a Registered Migration Agent experienced in Health Waiver matters BEFORE proceeding.  There is a broad range of discretionary factors that can be taken into account and the individual circumstances of each case need to be assessed on their merits.

The circumstances that may justify a waiver of the health criteria include compelling and compassionate circumstances, as well as your ability and financial capacity to mitigate the costs involved.

What Types of Conditions are likely to need a waiver?

There is no predetermined or specific list of conditions that will require a health waiver as each application is based on the individual health status by applying the hypothetical person test, however there are some conditions where common treatment protocols or medications are known to be above the significant cost threshold such as persons living with HIV.

If you have more specific question regarding HIV and migration to Australia then check out my post all about applying for a Partner Visa while HIV Positive for more info.

We recommend seeking advice if you have concerns over a known conditions that involves ongoing treatment/monitoring or regular medications.

For example, the cost of treatment and different medications and prognoses for conditions such as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, cancer, joint replacements, organ disease or a permanent physical or neurological disability or intellectual impairment can all vary significantly.

Eligibility for community services is also a complex assessment based on overall level of support and/or treatment needed. Conditions that impact mobility or ability to live independently and perform basic self care tasks, whether or not you need assistance to work or study including a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or ADHD can all impact your eligibility for a visa or requirement for a health waiver.

How long do the results of a Partner Visa Health Check remain valid?

The results of your Partner Visa health check are typically valid for up to 12 months. In some limited circumstances this validity period may be extended but you will need to factor these timeframes into your overall Partner Visa plans in line with the average processing times.

Where the results of your Partner Visa health check have expired and a decision has not yet been made on your visa, you may be requested to undergo a further Partner Visa health check which can result in significant additional costs as well as extended processing times.

Where can I get Help?

If you are concerned about your ability to meet the health criteria or eligibility for a waiver you should seek tailored advice so you know what you need to prepare for as part of your application process and have an understanding of your overall prospects of success. At Freedom Migration our team of Partner Visa specialists are experienced in complex matters including health waivers.

IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.