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Bridging visa health insurance
You'll need the same level of cover as was required on your previous visa. In most cases, that's OVHC or OSHC but if you come from a country with a reciprocal healthcare agreement, Medicare is all you need..
What health insurance do I need on a bridging visa?
Your health insurance requirements on a bridging visa will depend on the visa you're applying for.
Visitor
If you're on a 457 visa, 485 visa, or any any visa with condition 8501 (a requirement that you take out health insurance) you'll need Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). If you are unable to access any form of Medicare benefits, in most cases you can purchase OVHC.
However, Belgian, Norwegian and some Swedish students can opt out of taking out OSHC and instead be covered under their respective countries' Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs) with the Australian Government.
Compare OVHC for your bridging visa
*Pricing is based on a single male planning to live and work in the State of New South Wales on a working visa who is not applying for permanent residency, is not from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with and is not eligible for cover under Medicare. Prices are accurate for 2024 and are subject to change. Table displays health funds from Finder partners.
How to provide evidence of your health insurance arrangements
"If applicants are required to provide evidence of their health insurance arrangements, any the following may be considered acceptable, unless a particular visa subclass instruction requires other specific information:
a copy of the insurance policy;
a written letter or cover note from an acceptable insurance provider, certifying that the primary visa applicant and any accompanying family members immediately upon visa grant or their arrival in Australia, are, or will be, covered by insurance that is at least as comprehensive as the prescribed adequate level of cover;
evidence that the visa applicant has lawfully enrolled with Medicare via Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RCHA);
evidence that the primary visa applicant and any accompanying family members immediately upon visa grant or their arrival in Australia, are, or will be, covered by health insurance that is at least as comprehensive as the adequate level of cover required under policy, with the understanding that the applicants will either enrol with Medicare under a RHCA or enrol in a private insurance arrangement after arrival; or
for citizens from the Republic of Ireland that may access RCHA, evidence that they hold an Irish passport.
Family members applying separately from the primary visa applicant or visa holder must produce evidence as per above, which clearly indicates that they, as dependant applicants, will be covered upon arrival in Australia by a policy with an adequate level of cover."
— Kaku Caro is a lawyer in LegalVision's Corporate Immigration team. He has previous experience in the areas of commercial litigation, corporate and personal immigration. He also has experience advising on visa eligibility and preparing visa applications such as partner visas, employer-sponsored work visas, parent visas, and general skilled migration visas.
OSHC, OVHC or Medicare: What’s covered?
OSHC
OSHC is designed to help international students cover the cost of medical and hospital care they receive while in Australia. This type of cover is a mandatory requirement for overseas students residing in Australia on a temporary student visa. OSHC provides a financial safety net for international students, including cover for:
GP visits
Inpatient medical services
Shared accommodation in a public or private hospital
Day surgery accommodation
Limited pharmaceutical benefits
Ambulance services
Extras services such as optical, dental and physio (can be purchased for an additional cost)
OVHC
OVHC is designed for most overseas visitors who hold a temporary visa. It covers a portion of the medical expenses they incur while in Australia, including:
Medically necessary admissions to hospital
A portion of doctor’s fees
Ambulance transport
Some pharmaceuticals
Extras services such as optical, dental and physio (can be purchased for an additional cost)
Medicare
Medicare forms the basis of Australia’s public healthcare system. It provides free or subsidised cover for a range of medical services, including:
Medically necessary public hospital treatment
Visits to a general practitioner
Referrals to specialist doctors
Medical tests
Prescription medication included in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Medicare doesn’t cover everything. It won't cover treatment in a private hospital, ambulance costs, a portion of doctors’ bills or extras benefits such as optical and dental treatment. In addition, only some temporary visa holders from countries with an RHCA are eligible for cover under Medicare.
What is the 8501 visa condition?
The 8501 visa condition, also referred to as health insurance requirement 8501, requires student visa holders and many working visa holders to maintain an adequate level of health insurance cover while in Australia. Cover must be in place for the duration of your stay and if you fail to make the necessary arrangements, your application for a visa will be refused.
Which visas are affected by the 8501 visa condition?
Condition 8501 applies to several popular visas, including:
457 and 482 temporary work (skilled) visa
485 temporary graduate visa
Most temporary working visas
All student visas (Norwegian, Belgian and some Swedish students are exempt from the requirement due to Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with the Australian Government)
How do you apply for bridging visa health insurance?
It depends on what type of insurance you need: OVHC if you're a visitor, OSHC if you're a student and Medicare if you come from a country with a RHCA with Australia.
OVHC
If you need to apply for OVHC, you can purchase cover from health funds and general insurers based in Australia, or choose a policy issued by an insurer in another country. There are many policies to choose from, but remember that in some cases you will need to choose a policy specifically designed to suit your type of visa.
OSHC
OSHC can be arranged through your educational institution or purchased online through the website of an OSHC provider. Even if your education provider recommends a specific insurer, you are free to select the OSHC provider of your choice.
Medicare
To apply for Medicare, you can complete a Medicare Enrolment Application form, which is available from the Department of Human Services website. However, if you’re visiting Australia from an RHCA country and wish to enrol in Medicare you’ll need to provide your passport and a valid visa, and possibly identification that shows you are enrolled in your country’s national health care scheme.
The following countries have RHCAs with Australia:
Is there any reason to consider OVHC or OSHC if they aren’t mandatory for me?
Despite its many advantages, the Medicare system doesn't cover everything. It doesn’t cover:
Ambulance services
Full doctor’s fees for in-hospital medical services
Medication that isn’t subsidised under the PBS
Home nursing
Physio, optical, dental and chiro
Happily, these and many more medical services can be covered if you take out OVHC or OSHC.
FAQs about bridging visa health insurance
Bridging visas are temporary visas that allow you to stay in Australia after your current substantive visa ends and your application for a new substantive visa or permanent residency is processed. There are several types of bridging visas available:
Bridging Visa A. Allows you to stay in Australia while your current visa ends and your new visa application is being processed.
Bridging Visa B. Allows you to leave and return to Australia while your new visa application is being processed.
Bridging Visa C. Allows you to stay in Australia while your new visa application is being processed (and you do not already hold a substantive visa).
Bridging Visa D. Applies if your substantive visa has ended and you need to stay in Australia lawfully for a short period of time until you are able to make a substantive visa application, make arrangements to leave Australia or are granted a Bridging visa E.
Bridging Visa E. Lets you lawfully stay in Australia after your substantive visa has ended and while you make arrangements to leave, finalise your immigration matter or await an immigration decision.
The 8501 visa condition requires you to have adequate health insurance in place when you come to Australia.
Full list of condition 8501 working visas
Visa Subclass
Subclass Description
10
Bridging Visa Class A
20
Bridging Visa Class B
30
Bridging Visa Class C
160
Business Owner (Provisional)
161
Senior Executive (Provisional)
162
Investor (Provisional)
163
State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional)
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
HIF Overseas Visitors Health Cover provide varying levels of hospital and extras cover that complies with visa requirements for those coming to Australia for work or leisure.
HCF Overseas Visitor Health Cover offers hospital and optional extras cover for overseas visitors who are eligible to work in Australia but who are not covered by Medicare.
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