Paednurseclaire Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi all. After a little bit of advice so I have come to the fountain of knowledge that is PIO. I am a Children's Nurse and looking to move to Brisbane later this year on a 189 (PR) In July 2011 I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, I underwent chemo and radiotherapy and had an operation to remove my large bowel completely in December 2011 (therefore reducing chances of cancer ever returning) The cancer turned out to be a Dukes A, which is a very early stage. so therefore I have been cancer free since December 2011. I did initially suffer with infection post surgery but this has been resolved for a number of years now. I now have an end ileostomy which I have never had a problem with and functions perfectly. My surgeon has now discharged me from his care and a have 6 monthly check up with an oncologist, probably extending to yearly when I next attend. I am able to work fully and manage a paediatric A&E on a daily basic (very busy and I am on my feet all day) It is my understanding that 5yrs cancer free would be preferred but every case is assessed on its own merits Has anyone had a similar scenario? Is there any way of having my medical undertaken and assessed prior to visa submission? If my visa was declined on medical grounds, can it be appealed or reassessed after the 5yrs? I am going to ask my consultant surgeon and oncologist to write me a supporting statement also? Thanks for any info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I don't know much about this as my lot's medicals were all plain sailing but it may be worth having a chat to @alanCollett who are both migration agents and asking for their advice. Alternatively, you could contact Medmigration who do the medicals for advice about what supporting documents you would need etc. I'll dig out the card that the doc gave me and give you the number if you like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thank you movingtotasmaina That's very iinformative. Yes if you could PM me that number that would be great! Fingers crossed! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 No problem Claire, but don't get too excited, I have to find the card now lol x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gin100 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I had breast cancer in 2011, diagnosed a couple of months after you and, like you, it was early stage. I had surgery but no chemo or radiotherapy. We were invited to apply for our 189 visa in July 2013 & had our medicals in Sept '13 so 2 years after my diagnosis. What they're bothered about is 1) are you going to bring anything contagious into the country and 2) are you going to cost the state a lot of money in treatment. The reason they say 5 years for cancer is that if a cancer is going to reoccur, it generally does so within 5 years. At 5 years you are generally assumed to be no more likely to develop cancer than anyone else. When you go for your medicals the UK clinic will ask you specific questions about your illness and they will refer your case to a panel of doctors in Australia. The clinic has to do this, they cannot give you the green light themselves. What being referred means is that the medical results, comments from the clinic doctor and any supporting documentation you've provided will go to a team of doctors in Australia who will assess your case and decide whether you should be offered a visa. The results will then come back to you via your case officer. This happened to me & I was granted a visa in November 2013. So, to answer the specific questions you've asked: I wouldn't recommend doing your medicals up front - when you get granted a visa it will have a date of entry into the country which is unchangeable (this can be a holiday rather than a permanent move but you have to enter the country by this date otherwise your visa is invalid) but this date is 1 year after the date of your medical. If you do your medicals in advance & it takes ages to process your visa application - and it will take longer as your health assessment will be referred - you could find that your medicals have expired and you need to do them again (and they're not cheap). Also, you need a visa application number to book the medicals. You can appeal if your visa is declined on health grounds but it takes ages - over a year - plus it costs a chunk of money. I think you'd have to be convinced they made a mistake to go through the process. You could apply again i.e. start the visa process from scratch after the 5 years. Yes, ask your consultant to write something for you. Also, take along anything which states the stage of your cancer, the treatment you've had, any genetics tests etc. Basically, anything which says was early stage, it hasn't come back, your treatment was successful etc. Be warned that the medicals can be nerve-wracking for someone with a recent cancer diagnosis. You worry they'll find something else wrong or that you'll be rejected and your dreams will come crashing down around your ears, that you might let down everyone else on your visa application. But hold in there, try not to worry, be honest about what's happened to you, talk about your active life now & be prepared with all the relevant documentation. It's all you can do. I am proof that they don't have a blanket ban on offering visas to people with recent cancer diagnoses, it's is assessed on individual circumstances. I wish you all the best... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Wow! Thank you Gin100 for sharing your experience and for all your advice. Your completely right I do feel under pressure as I'm the main applicant hubby has wanted to go for years and now it's me pushing for it as the whole cancer thing has changed my outlook! I'm praying it will all be ok! Lots of PMA for the medical then ) thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindor Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Good luck Claire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Our medicals are in Dandenong on Monday. I'm just over 2 years since surgery to remove a tumour in my cheekbone, followed by radiotherapy at Peter Mac in Melbourne. That was a bit if an epic life-journey! This visa application is another one! :-) fingers crossed for you and me both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I normally always recomend the same agents as mentioned. But for medical issues speak to George Lombard as he is an expert for visas with medical issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Agree with VS, I would refer to George Lombard or Peter Bollard as agents that are very good with medical matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 VS and Rupert thank you for your recommendation however I was hoping to do the visa process without an agent, my thinking was if I didn't get it the the agent cost (which I've heard a significant) would be more money lost?! Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 VS and Rupert thank you for your recommendation however I was hoping to do the visa process without an agent, my thinking was if I didn't get it the the agent cost (which I've heard a significant) would be more money lost?! Any thoughts? You can ask what the costs are for an initial assessment rather than signing up for the whole hog, iykwim. It may be that it's more likely that you will get the visa with a migration agent's help so it could be a worthwhile investment. Perhaps better to pay an extra £2500 or whatever and have a successful outcome then pay for the visa and do it yourself and flounder at the eleventh hour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 VS and Rupert thank you for your recommendation however I was hoping to do the visa process without an agent, my thinking was if I didn't get it the the agent cost (which I've heard a significant) would be more money lost?! Any thoughts? There are many occasions when I think going it alone makes a lot of sense, but when there are medical complications, in my view, it is better to use an agent. Perhaps you can engage an agent for a pre-medical opinion or something however, you should expect to pay for this, probably in the hundreds rather than a couple of thousand which is the going rate for a full application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gin100 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Just to let you know, I didn't use an agent, we did it all ourselves & I don't regret this at all. Doing it yourself is a lot of work mind you, you have to be prepared to spend endless evenings researching and making notes. There were a couple of things which, with hindsight, we would have realised earlier if we'd have had an agent but these were not medical related (mainly around occupational codes & ceilings) & in the end made no difference to either our timescales or our success but you do have to put in the work. Applying with a recent medical condition is a bit of a leap of faith, nobody can tell you with any degree of certainty whether your referral to the Australian immigration doctors panel will be be successful - the doctor who did my medicals (Maidenhead) said that she rarely got to know the outcome of a medical referral. Where you are to all intents and purposes healthy even though you had a serious condition a couple of years ago, I don't know what a pre-assessment would tell you - they'd give you a health check (but presumably you have follow up appointments at your hospital already), they'd say that it wasn't their decision & they'd need to refer you, and they quite probably tell you that they don't know what your chances of success are. Visas are not cheap, if the cost is a significant proportion of your life savings you might want to play it safe until after the 5 years. If you can afford to take a risk that you will lose your investment if you are refused, I'd say just do the medicals when your case officer asks you to, like anyone else would and be prepared with documentation etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Just to let you know, I didn't use an agent, we did it all ourselves & I don't regret this at all. Doing it yourself is a lot of work mind you, you have to be prepared to spend endless evenings researching and making notes. There were a couple of things which, with hindsight, we would have realised earlier if we'd have had an agent but these were not medical related (mainly around occupational codes & ceilings) & in the end made no difference to either our timescales or our success but you do have to put in the work. Applying with a recent medical condition is a bit of a leap of faith, nobody can tell you with any degree of certainty whether your referral to the Australian immigration doctors panel will be be successful - the doctor who did my medicals (Maidenhead) said that she rarely got to know the outcome of a medical referral. Where you are to all intents and purposes healthy even though you had a serious condition a couple of years ago, I don't know what a pre-assessment would tell you - they'd give you a health check (but presumably you have follow up appointments at your hospital already), they'd say that it wasn't their decision & they'd need to refer you, and they quite probably tell you that they don't know what your chances of success are. Visas are not cheap, if the cost is a significant proportion of your life savings you might want to play it safe until after the 5 years. If you can afford to take a risk that you will lose your investment if you are refused, I'd say just do the medicals when your case officer asks you to, like anyone else would and be prepared with documentation etc. Actually, the medical grounds are reasonably well coded, though complex - hence why an agent who knows and understands how they apply is essential in cases of medical uncertainty. Many people dont use agents for their visas - i have had 3 and then citizenship. But, in cases such as this the chances of getting a visa are vastly diferent between an agent or not. I will add that personaly i am a fan of agents full stop. It is a huge and VERY expensive thing to do and a good agent can make sure it is done right. This board is littered with cases who have made a simple error and as a result have been rejected - money is not refunded because someone makes a mistake. So the $2k ish it costs i think is money well spent. But in this case essential Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sira Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Hi all. After a little bit of advice so I have come to the fountain of knowledge that is PIO. I am a Children's Nurse and looking to move to Brisbane later this year on a 189 (PR) In July 2011 I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, I underwent chemo and radiotherapy and had an operation to remove my large bowel completely in December 2011 (therefore reducing chances of cancer ever returning) The cancer turned out to be a Dukes A, which is a very early stage. so therefore I have been cancer free since December 2011. I did initially suffer with infection post surgery but this has been resolved for a number of years now. I now have an end ileostomy which I have never had a problem with and functions perfectly. My surgeon has now discharged me from his care and a have 6 monthly check up with an oncologist, probably extending to yearly when I next attend. I am able to work fully and manage a paediatric A&E on a daily basic (very busy and I am on my feet all day) It is my understanding that 5yrs cancer free would be preferred but every case is assessed on its own merits Has anyone had a similar scenario? Is there any way of having my medical undertaken and assessed prior to visa submission? If my visa was declined on medical grounds, can it be appealed or reassessed after the 5yrs? I am going to ask my consultant surgeon and oncologist to write me a supporting statement also? Thanks for any info Hi. Even though i am not a expert on migration medicals, i think you should be alright with your medicals, but it might be grade as grade B, that means Your medical might go through MEDICAL OFFICER OF COMMENWELTH and he will decide it, there is a good account on medicals in Instructions in medical and radiological examinations forAustralian visa applicants, which you can download from immi site. regards Sira Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzywills Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Hi Paednurseclaire....we are using an agent because of medical issue with my hubby. He has an eye condition which is incurable and progressive, and so we felt that having the back up and support of someone who knows the 'system' was invaluable. Given the £££ to get the visa in the first place, a bit more cash on getting expert help is worth the money to us. We tried to find out how the Medical Officers in Oz would view his condition or assess it, but when we spoke to the panel GP who does the medicals he advised that it's pointless to do any sort of pre medical - they don't do them simply because it's not the panel GPs decision. He advised us to come to our medicals with a report from hubby's eye specialist detailing the condition, prognosis etc. This gets sent with the medical report. Panel GP instructions state that if a cancer diagnosis is within 5 years, then you will be graded B - but as Sira as said above it doesn't mean that you are refused. It just goes to a different department. As others have said, they will want full details of your diagnosis, likelihood of recurrence, etc which you have said you can get from your specialists. FYI we are using an agent in Sydney (George Lombard, specialises in visas when there are medical conditions) and his costs are extremely reasonable, we were originally going with a UK based agent (which was over £1k more in fees it turns out!!) but when we explained hubby's eye problem they immediately said they weren't experts in visas when there are eye problems and told us to use George. He's been great, he has access notes to MOC guidance notes which we can't access re. eye problems and how each are assessed (ours isn't listed however!) so I'd bet that there's similar notes for cancer. The choice is yours but as I say, when visas cost so much we wanted the sureity that we have the best expert behind us - if he can't get us PR then no one can and we will know that we did everything we could even if we are refused. Good luck whatever you decide to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Wow! Thank you all for your responses, you certainly have given me lots to consider. I've just finished work so I'm going to eat and try and compute all the information you've given and talk it over with the hubby. I can certainly understand that if your investing £5500 in Medicals and visa cost why not give yourself the best chance of having a successful outcome by getting an agent on board. Hmmmmmm time to get some quotes I think :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 George Lombard, who Lizzywills refers to, is the agent typically recommended whenever there are medical issues, so he's very well regarded in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Just a reminder that passports are required at the medical. The e-referral letter instructs you to take a passport or an approved alternative method of identification. At Medibank there is no alternative. Passport is a must. My sons passport is currently being renewed in the UK. So his medical has been cancelled and refunded. We can only book another appointment once his passport is in our posession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klownfish Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hi Claire, I saw on your signature that all in progress. Does it mean that your medicals are cleared?:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hi klownfish we are still waiting to here. We opted to go with an agent George Lombard. We have heard nothing from DIAC since we applied. Everything crossed for some good news soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paednurseclaire Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hello all. I just wanted to update this thread, just in case in helps anyone else. This morning we received the golden email from our agent George Lombard. 189 visa has been granted! We are over the moon! I hope this thread might help others who have similar circumstances realise their dream. George and his team have been fantastic throughout! I would highly recommend. Many thanks to you all for the advice and support! Australia here we come...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klownfish Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Awesomeness!!! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I couldn't be happier for you, Claire! That's the best news. We used George as well - he's fab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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