Guest Wandering Bear Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 This perhaps should have been my first thread on this forum, but we live and learn :rolleyes: I am looking to obtain a Working Holiday Visa (417 subclass) and i meet all the provisional criteria. My main concern however, is the health requirements/restrictions that this visa is associated with. I am a 25 year old epileptic that has had the condition since i was 18 years old. The condition has be controlled for several years now, largely down to prescribed medication. I am still able to sanction a prescription of the medication, but it is very rare that i do these days, due to the fact that i can manage the condition with a healthy lifestyle. My last seizure was around 3 years ago. Anyway, i just wondering if anyone had any knowledge on the visas health requirements and what potentially i may be asked to do (in terms of medicals and providing details) in light of my condition? I appreciate that every case is individual and therefore different, but any guidance or information on the matter would be greatly received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellieboots Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1163i.pdf Here is the link to the health requirement for temporary visas - on a quick read I think you'll be fine because the WHV is only a short term visa but obviously I've just looked quickly. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wandering Bear Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Ah, this was what i was looking for! Yes, according to this i should not require a medical. Happy times! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 Hi, my daughter also has epilepsy. She applied for a WHV 2 years ago and had to do a bit more than the normal to get one. There was really no problem, just a few extra checks made. Unless things have changed, she took a letter from her specialist with her to the medical, which satisfied the Dr. She checked that her medication was available here in Australia, which it is. She was on Epilim then, and at the time the slow release one wasn't available here, and the dosage slightly difficult, that's all. At the time she was only allowed 3 months worth of medication from UK, don't know if that has changed. Declare it at customs here as personal prescription medication, has never been a problem so far. Good luck with everything, epilepsy has never stopped my daughter from living life to the full, and I'm very proud of her. PM me if you want any more help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natashak23 Posted March 8, 2020 Share Posted March 8, 2020 Hi sorry I know this is an old post but I am currently in Australia on a TSS 482 visa and my boyfriend is planning to come out from the UK on a Working Holiday Visa. He has epilepsy which mainly presents as focal seizures (visual symptoms) that he currently only gets a couple times a week and are well controlled on medication (keppra and lamotrigine). He hasn't had any generalised seizures in 2 years and they were when he wasn't on medication. He was planning on declaring it on his visa application and getting a letter from his neurologist saying that it is well controlled and he hasn't required hospital admissions or anything else that would cost the Australian government money! Also he was planning on getting year long worldwide travel insurance that covers his epilepsy as the reciprocal Medicare agreement does not seem to cover pre-existing conditions. Any tips or advice about the application process / medical / insurance would be much appreciated (it won't let me PM you for some reason). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 If it’s only a WHV then I doubt it would be a problem 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 6 minutes ago, natashak23 said: Hi sorry I know this is an old post but I am currently in Australia on a TSS 482 visa and my boyfriend is planning to come out from the UK on a Working Holiday Visa. He has epilepsy which mainly presents as focal seizures (visual symptoms) that he currently only gets a couple times a week and are well controlled on medication (keppra and lamotrigine). He hasn't had any generalised seizures in 2 years and they were when he wasn't on medication. He was planning on declaring it on his visa application and getting a letter from his neurologist saying that it is well controlled and he hasn't required hospital admissions or anything else that would cost the Australian government money! Also he was planning on getting year long worldwide travel insurance that covers his epilepsy as the reciprocal Medicare agreement does not seem to cover pre-existing conditions. Any tips or advice about the application process / medical / insurance would be much appreciated (it won't let me PM you for some reason). First you need to post I think 3 times before you can PM. As you can see my post was from 2010, and I’m sorry I am not up to date with any changes. All I can tell you is that in my daughter’s case, she had no problem getting her visa she declared her epilepsy when applying for her WHV and had to have a medical but there was no problem after getting a letter from her specialist, Also had no difficulties with seeing a Dr. here and having her medication prescribed, obviously check that your boyfriends medication is available here. and bring his medical history and a prescription with him to show a Dr. but prescription medication for epilepsy is not free in Australia even with a long term condition. Your boyfriend must get ambulance cover, as on the only time my daughter needed it while not covered it was very expensive, but there was no extra cost to her while in hospital. She’d had a bad burn while having a fit, and the care she had afterwards was fantastic. She ended up being chosen to see a top skin specialist at no cost who was using a new lazer treatment on burns. I can’t remember if she was still on her WHV then or had applied for a partner visa. She met her future husband here and her epilepsy wasn’t a problem for the partner visa, as well controlled. She has always had good jobs even on the WHV as she is well qualified and experienced, but again I don’t know how easy it might be to get work now on a WHV. I think it makes sense to get health insurance cover, but that’s a personal choice, and as I mentioned ambulance cover as a minimum as ambulances aren’t free here. I hope this has helped and that your boyfriend has no problem getting his WHV. My daughter thinks she has had much better medical backup here than in UK, but it might be better now. Epilepsy is a mean condition, but my daughter has never let it hold her back, and as I mentioned it wasn’t a problem for her to get a partner visa after meeting her future husband here. Wish you all the best and let me know how you get on xM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, Marisawright said: If it’s only a WHV then I doubt it would be a problem It hopefully isn’t a problem Marisa, but if you have a medical condition such as epilepsy it makes sense to check things out, for example can you get your medication in the same format in a different country. Years ago for instance my daughter’s meds weren’t available in America. Reassurance takes a bit of concern away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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