WHV - Need help from Vancouver, Canada

[sonrivera]

Hi all! New to this forum. Looks very lively, active and friendly over here. Glad to join the team:)

 

Anyway, I'm going for my first WHV in Australia coming from Canada. Right now, I'm in the process of completing my WHV application. The last bit of information the Australian government need from me in a health examination check(chest x ray)(because I lived in South Korea for more than 3 months in the last 5 years T.T). Basically to check if I have TB(Tuberculosis) or not. I'm sure I don't have it so no need to worry.

 

The reason I am posting is to ask if there is anyone from Canada (Vancouver specifically) here that has already gone through the whole process of getting a WHV for Australia including getting a health examination check. I'm quite shocked at how much more I have to pay. There are 2 ways for me to do this. It's either by eMedical, or by mailing in a filled out "Form 160" (Radiological report on chest x ray of an application for Australian visa).

 

eMedical would cost be at least $230 CAD (much faster but much more expensive way)

or

Form 160, which would cost $75 CAD (I have to mail it in myself and get the form filled out.. not too bad to save about $150)

 

The question is.. If I go the Form 160 way, I'm wondering if I would be able to go to a place called "Greig Associates" on Victoria Drive and E 41st Avenue (or another location on W 41st Avenue). I've called and asked them if they were a part of the Australian Panel of Medical Examiners and they said no but they also said that they get people asking to have their Form 160's filled out occasionally. I read on this website at the very bottom of the page that the panel physician needs to be a part of the Australian Panel of Medical Examiners:

 

Important: While every effort is made to keep the panel physician list as up to date as possible, the Australian Government does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of the list. When contacting a panel member from this list, you should confirm with them that they are currently a member of the Australian Panel of Medical Examiners. http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/panel-doctors/

 

I then saw something right above that that says "See: Citizenship and Immigration in Canada"

 

 

[h=2]What do I do if my country is not listed?[/h] Where a listing for a country or an area within a country does not appear, you should attend the closest panel physician and contact your case officer for further advice if required.

 

Note: In the Caribbean region if there is no panel physician approved by the Australian Government in a specific country, you may attend a Canadian Panel Physician for your medical examination. Please note this arrangement does not apply for Cuba.

See: Citizenship and Immigration in Canada

 

 

 

I clicked it and under Vancouver, Canada, it shows the place I underlined above.

 

Just wondering if this place would be accepted by the Australian government to fill out my Form 160..

 

If any Vancouverites can tell me how they got their WHV done (including health examination) that would be great. Thanks you all!

 

Jason

[lebourvellec]

Welcome to PIO

 

 

Have you contacted the Australian panel doctors that are in Vancouver? http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Locations/Pages/Canada.aspx

 

Since you are not in the Caribbean region and there is already a panel doctor in Vancouver there is no reason to go to a Canadian panel doctor when you can go to the Australian one that has already been approved.

[sonrivera]

Thanks for the welcome:)

 

Yes, I have. The 2 panel physicians I contacted (in Burnaby and Vancouver) both go through the much easier process through eMedical but cost at $230 and $345 respectively. I was just wondering if there was anyone from Vancouver who has gone the other route (not with eMedical) and just got there Form 160 filled out by themselves and mailed that in to the Australian government. That way I could save a couple hundred dollars on my already emptied out bank account.

 

Does the panel physician actually need to be a part of the Australian Panel of Medical Examiners? Or has anyone from Vancouver gotten through with one that isn't? Pretty far fetched question but, it's worth a try to see who actually did..

 

 

EDIT: I also just got off the phone with one of the panel physician offices in Vancouver and there's only the eMedical that they do and no mailing in any Form 160s. Is this true? I'm not sure, the woman I spoke to doesn't work for the Australian government so she might not know all the details. It even says here that they are still doing the Form 160s

 

[h=2]Health examinations outside Australia[/h] If you are applying for a visa while outside Australia you must arrange your health examinations with a panel physician. A panel physician is a doctor and/or a radiologist who has been appointed to perform Australian immigration health examinations outside Australia.

 

To locate your closest panel physician, check the list of panel physicians on our website.

 

Panel physicians are now able to process your health examinations online using our eMedical system in more than 100 countries – this means that your health results can be processed online, often in minutes. In some countries, you must use electronic health processing.

If you are booking an appointment with an eMedical enabled clinic, you must provide a health identifier (HAP ID). We also encourage you to use eMedical Client before your appointment, as explained below.

Note: Panel clinics will expect clients who have lodged an online visa application to have completed the eMedical Client process online before attending their appointment.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/arranging-health-exam.htm

 

 

 

[sonrivera]

I posted something... and EDITed it... Where did it go? Did it get reviewed by a mod before being published again?...

 

EDIT: It appeared again.. I guess I was right. I've tried to delete this post but I really can't seem to find the delete button..

[lebourvellec]

Not sure why you are making things difficult for yourself ehealth is very simple and Canada is 100% electronic processing.

 

Think you are mistaken that it is just a form that is sent to the department. It is actually the X-ray film that is couriered to the department, you $75 may be the cost of the X-ray but not the cost of the courier. It is the doctor who couriers the medical results to the department as you are no allowed to handle the results yourself.

 

Having used both systems ehealth is so much faster and more efficient and my medical was approved within a few days even after it was referred, the old way took weeks before I was granted the visa.

 

 

If you are applying for a visa while outside Australia you must arrange your health examinations with a panel physician. A panel physician is a doctor and/or a radiologist who has been appointed to perform Australian immigration health examinations outside Australia.

https://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/arranging-health-exam.htm

[MaggieMay24]

You must use an approved panel physician (list in the link above from lebourvellec). When I applied for my 457 a few years back, the migration agent gave me a list of the panel physicians that I needed to select from. I applied from Toronto so am not familiar with the panel physicians in Vancouver.

[sonrivera]

Not sure why you are making things difficult for yourself ehealth is very simple and Canada is 100% electronic processing.

 

Think you are mistaken that it is just a form that is sent to the department. It is actually the X-ray film that is couriered to the department, you $75 may be the cost of the X-ray but not the cost of the courier. It is the doctor who couriers the medical results to the department as you are no allowed to handle the results yourself.

 

Having used both systems ehealth is so much faster and more efficient and my medical was approved within a few days even after it was referred, the old way took weeks before I was granted the visa.

 

 

If you are applying for a visa while outside Australia you must arrange your health examinations with a panel physician. A panel physician is a doctor and/or a radiologist who has been appointed to perform Australian immigration health examinations outside Australia.

https://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/hea...ealth-exam.htm

 

I was reading somewhere that it was no longer required to send in the actual x rays.. Only the form. Forgot where though.

Anyway, I had no idea I wasn't able to handle and send in the documents myself. If that's the case, this case has been solved

 

 

 

You must use an approved panel physician (list in the link above from lebourvellec). When I applied for my 457 a few years back, the migration agent gave me a list of the panel physicians that I needed to select from. I applied from Toronto so am not familiar with the panel physicians in Vancouver.

 

Thanks for confirming! Just needed some reassurance. I guess I won't be able to go that $75 place after all. Will have to do with shelling out $230. Thanks again you guys! Really glad to be a part of such a helpful community. Cheers!