457 visa and health insurance

[Abzlovell]

Me and my family are immigrating to Australia in the coming months and are currently going through the visa process (457 employee sponsored visa). Our case officer has asked us to provide evidence of insurance cover in the interim period before we register for medicare through the reciprocal agreement. firstly we wondered what sort of insurance cover we needed (would travel insurance besufficient or do we have to have australian prive health care plan?). Also we wondered how long the process took to enroll with medicare, so that we can arrange the appropriate period of interim insurance? Can the registration for medicare be arranged once our visa is approved, before we arrive in Australia, or do we need to be in the country?

 

Any help/advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!:confused:

 

 

 

 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I think you have to have more than just travel insurance. A few members use IMAN you could take a look at their policies: http://www.austhealth.com

You will have to continue with the policy for as long as you are in Australia or until you change visas.

Here is some information that may help: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/457-health-insurance-faq-visa-holder.htm

[fourcorners]

Info from the immigration website (http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/457-health-insurance-faq-visa-holder.htm):

 

"Being enrolled with Medicare under reciprocal health care arrangements is sufficient to meet the health insurance requirement at visa grant and to comply with visa condition 8501.

 

You can only enrol with Medicare if you are in Australia. If you have enrolled with Medicare you should provide evidence that you have been issued with a Medicare card as part of your application.

 

If you are overseas, you must arrange adequate insurance for your initial period in Australia and provide evidence of this insurance as part of your application. You may be eligible to then enrol with Medicare once you are in Australia. Being enrolled with Medicare is sufficient to comply with visa condition 8501."

 

I would advise that you get at least 1 months cover to give you enough time to apply for medicare cover. I don't remember it taking very long for our medicare cards to come through.

 

It is worth checking your employment contract though in case they provide private healthcare cover, in which case your employer can arrange this before you arrive in Australia, and issue a certificate to show that you will be covered from day 1 in the country.

[Guest dodge2009]

Hi ..Use Bupa . I have a 457 visa and they provided the insurance ineeded