Confused re: Medicare/private health insurance for 457 visa holders

[C&MFOY]

Hi, sorry to bother you. I have been looking back at previous threads about 457 visa's (health insurance). Were the migrations agents happy with the travel policy your son took out? My husband is being transferred through work on a 457 visa, the migration agent has come back and said he has to have health insurance. We do not want to delay the process with having to look about for health insurance.

 

Thanks

[rarneil]

Yes it was accepted!

But he is going to get medical insurance sorted as soon as he can but the travel policy for 4 months sufficed till he's sorted.

It looks like they are trying to stop claims through the medicare system. It has arrangements with the UK so I cant really see the reason apart from getting proper medical when there. The medical insurance companies have specific insurance plans for 456 visa people.

Hope that helps you.

Rodney

[C&MFOY]

Thanks Rodney. We will look into this further. Would certainly speed things up, if we can do this.

 

Carolanne

[rarneil]

No problem, but when you do get / look for the medical insurance do a good search as prices and cover are also different. It looks like they offer 2 policy's for 457 visa a basic cover and an enhanced one both can have add ons. But we have looked at the enhanced one as the best cover to save money in the future.

Hope you can get sorted with them accepting travel policy to cover till you get full cover.

Hope you enjoy getting to Oz

Rodney

[piccolo]

Hello to answer your question if you are a British Citizen you must have private medical insurance to apply for a subclass 457 visa. If you are Irish, there are different arrangements. Once you have arrived in Australia you may then apply to medicare and then you can send proof of this to DIAC if you wish. However a 457 will not be granted without an insurance certificate/cover to British citizens. Send it in with your application to avoid delays. 457's are currently being processed very quickly, my last one through in 3 days, but only if you have a complete application.,

 

Hi Camilla, just wondering what the different arrangements are for Irish citizens??? Are we also entitled to Medicare as there is a reciprocal agreement between Ireland and Oz also. Is it still compulsory for Irish citizens to get private cover for a 457? Thanks

[Guest sweetpea 1]

Hi

 

we have just submitted our 457 e visa & needed medical insurance as a requirement of the visa. we opted for Iman basic cover & meets the requirement. Be aware you should ensure the level of cover offered meets the requirements of 457 visa. not all levels of cover are suitable for 457.

 

Application process with Iman was simple & done on line, they sent confirmation that they had received application & within 24hrs we had cert. to accompany visa apllication. Simples!!

 

 

 

 

 

We are very confused about health cover for us as 457 visa holders. Conflicting advice and user-unfriendly websites haven't helped. Are UK citizens required to buy private health insurance if on a 457 visa?? Thanks, if you can advise!

[Goat]

Once you're here cancel it and just get Ambo cover , as you're covered by reciprocal agreement it's a lot of dough for little

 

 

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-31.103497,115.378988

[Guest Deano2215]

Sweetpea if you dont mind me asking how much are you expecting to pay each month for family cover, havent got ours sorted yet.

Hi

 

we have just submitted our 457 e visa & needed medical insurance as a requirement of the visa. we opted for Iman basic cover & meets the requirement. Be aware you should ensure the level of cover offered meets the requirements of 457 visa. not all levels of cover are suitable for 457.

 

Application process with Iman was simple & done on line, they sent confirmation that they had received application & within 24hrs we had cert. to accompany visa apllication. Simples!!

[Druid]

We just cancelled our Iman and went for HBF, Iman was costing us 100 UK pounds a month as it was going through on my UK CC, we have our medicare card now and HBF have a good deal on for basic cover (ambulance dental chiro and optician) for $40 per forthight for the family

[Guest Justin Grossbard]

Hi Druide, How much did your cover with HBF cost. I have lookat at covers and I thought IMAN was the cheapest (at least for singles cover)?

[roxy]

Haven't bothered to read all the other replies but for anyone else that comes along, my partner and I have been in Perth on a 457 visa for 2 years.

The sort answer is NO you do not need private medical insurance and thank god because it is extortionate. Reason being that you are entitled to a Rep Medicare Card with a valid UK passport.

Now the confusion lies in that if you are applying for your 457 you are required to provide evidence of health care.

So;

1- You need your medicare card.. I don't know if you can apply for one of these from outside of Australia, you will need to check but we already had ours as we were here on another visa. We submitted our cards and this was accepted as health cover.

2- If you are applying for your visa from outside Australia and find out from medicare that you cannot obtain a health card until you are in Oz... then I would imagine that you would need health cover for submitting your visa application...You may be able to cancel it once you arrive, its not something i'm sure on.

 

ON A SEPARATE NOTE FOR ANY IRISH PASSPORT HOLDERS THAT COME ALONG;

Under the terms Irish passport holders are not entitled to a Medicare Card... However as I live in the North I am entitled to an Irish or Bristish Passport.

I have an Irish passport but have always lived North of the boarder... when applying for a Medicare card you need to provide evidence that you reside in the North and not the South... I gave a bank statement and my drivers licence. This was accepted and my card granted... No British passport required

 

This was our experience

[Druid]

Haven't bothered to read all the other replies but for anyone else that comes along, my partner and I have been in Perth on a 457 visa for 2 years.

The sort answer is NO you do not need private medical insurance and thank god because it is extortionate. Reason being that you are entitled to a Rep Medicare Card with a valid UK passport.

Now the confusion lies in that if you are applying for your 457 you are required to provide evidence of health care.

So;

1- You need your medicare card.. I don't know if you can apply for one of these from outside of Australia, you will need to check but we already had ours as we were here on another visa. We submitted our cards and this was accepted as health cover.

2- If you are applying for your visa from outside Australia and find out from medicare that you cannot obtain a health card until you are in Oz... then I would imagine that you would need health cover for submitting your visa application...You may be able to cancel it once you arrive, its not something i'm sure on.

 

ON A SEPARATE NOTE FOR ANY IRISH PASSPORT HOLDERS THAT COME ALONG;

Under the terms Irish passport holders are not entitled to a Medicare Card... However as I live in the North I am entitled to an Irish or Bristish Passport.

I have an Irish passport but have always lived North of the boarder... when applying for a Medicare card you need to provide evidence that you reside in the North and not the South... I gave a bank statement and my drivers licence. This was accepted and my card granted... No British passport required

 

This was our experience

 

Thats the crux of the matter, you can't get a Medicare card until you are in Australia and you can't get to Australia until you prove to DIAC you have medical cover, so basically, sign up with IMAN, get your certificate, letter etc, submit to DIAC, then cancel once you have your Medicare card

[roxy]

That's not true... The point I was making was that for certain people like myself I NEVER had to have medical insurance to get into Australia

[Arwen]

That's not true... The point I was making was that for certain people like myself I NEVER had to have medical insurance to get into Australia

 

I think they have changed the rules. My cousin had to prove she had medical cover before the 457 was granted, this was 12 months ago.

[roxy]

That may be true.. At the time we lodged our 457 there was a still requirement for medical insurance but we were already here in Au when applying for our visa. I've flew into Perth on holiday visa 417 & a tourist visa... (Separately) Neither occasions did I have medical insurance. Just a valid passport... This opened the gate for me to be in Au whilst applying for 457... Thus I did not have to fulfil private medical insurance .... Simply leaving a note re my PERSONAL experience for anyone else that comes along

[Druid]

That's not true... The point I was making was that for certain people like myself I NEVER had to have medical insurance to get into Australia

 

Ok, so how did you prove to DIAC that you had sufficient medical cover to get your 457 issued?, I couldn't do, I spoke to Medicare and they told me I had to be in the country and have a whole bunch of proof to go with I.

[Druid]

" but we already had ours as we were here on another visa. We submitted our cards and this was accepted as health cover."

 

This is how you did it, you already had a visa, and hence a Medicare card, for us coming over on a 457 for the first time we are caught in a "chicken & egg" scenario.

[roxy]

Ahhhhhhh! *Deep breaths* I'm sorry this is getting so frustrating its within the comments already typed.. Ill try to spell it out one last time... Phewwww

 

Arrive in Perth on working holiday visa- 417 No medical insurance required...

 

Apply for Medicare Card Valid for the length of my working holiday visa

 

Card granted/issued

 

Applied for 457... They asked for medical insurance & I provide my valid Medicare card.

 

Once your 457 is granted Medicare is re-issued for the length of your visa.

 

Simple. This may not apply to your case... If your not in the country but this is how things panned out for ME.

[hw72]

All you have to do is get travel insurance - annual worldwide travel insurance is inexpensive. You provide evidence of this to DIAC. This insurance covers your travel to Perth and then you apply for medicare when you arrive. This is what we did on a 457 visa and there were no issues. I am not sure why people take out expensive medical insurance when the travel insurance is sufficient evidence for DIAC. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about this and are not sure migration agents are aware of this