UK wife medicare problems on 461 visa re-application

[Guest jayseventwo]

Hi guys,

 

My wife is currently re-applying for her 461 visa (i am a kiwi living in Australia on a subclass 444 visa) and she has been told by Medicare she will no longer be eligible for a medicare card, due to recent changes. She is also apparently not eligible for reciprocal UK health care because she is applying for a NZ visa, and cannot got AU Medicare because she will not have permanent residency status.

 

Has anyone else come across this recently? It is a real pain as we are expecting our second child and will obviously be racking up some medical bills. We have NIB healthcare, but to not be offered Australian health cover, but yet still be classed as an Australian resident for tax purposes, seems baffling!!

 

She is currently on a bridging visa while the application is processed.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice/solutions etc.

[RockDr]

If she is no longer eligible for medicare, then she'll no longer be covered by your current NIB healthcare policy. You'll need to talk to NIB about getting her covered on an overseas visitor policy (as opposed to the standard policies which effectively act as a medicare top-up). Hopefully you'll have no issues with waiting times, since she's already had NIB health insurance. http://www.nib.com.au/home/newtonib/overseasstudents/Pages/overseas_visitors.aspx

[Guest amory]

Hi guys,

 

My wife is currently re-applying for her 461 visa (i am a kiwi living in Australia on a subclass 444 visa) and she has been told by Medicare she will no longer be eligible for a medicare card, due to recent changes. She is also apparently not eligible for reciprocal UK health care because she is applying for a NZ visa, and cannot got AU Medicare because she will not have permanent residency status.

 

Has anyone else come across this recently? It is a real pain as we are expecting our second child and will obviously be racking up some medical bills. We have NIB healthcare, but to not be offered Australian health cover, but yet still be classed as an Australian resident for tax purposes, seems baffling!!

 

She is currently on a bridging visa while the application is processed.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice/solutions etc.

 

 

 

 

do you mean she dosnt have nz permanent residency or australia permanent residency

[Fluid36]

Hi guys,

 

My wife is currently re-applying for her 461 visa (i am a kiwi living in Australia on a subclass 444 visa) and she has been told by Medicare she will no longer be eligible for a medicare card, due to recent changes. She is also apparently not eligible for reciprocal UK health care because she is applying for a NZ visa, and cannot got AU Medicare because she will not have permanent residency status.

 

Has anyone else come across this recently? It is a real pain as we are expecting our second child and will obviously be racking up some medical bills. We have NIB healthcare, but to not be offered Australian health cover, but yet still be classed as an Australian resident for tax purposes, seems baffling!!

 

She is currently on a bridging visa while the application is processed.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice/solutions etc.

 

 

Hi Jay, I don't believe this is true and the case officer has thing mixed up. Your partner is not applying for a NZ visa, she is applying for an Aus visa as a British resident. She continues to be a British resident and a temporary resident of Australia so a renewal of medicare card should not be a problem. When you say no longer eligible for medicare and also not for reciprocal health care - this is the same thing, she should never have had a full medicare card but rather a visitors card for the initial period of 5 years. A new visitors card can be applied for again when you get the new visa.

 

You post is a bit confusing, can you please clarify based on what I have written above.

 

Thanks