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489 Visa Health Insurance
If you're in Australia on a 489 visa, you need adequate health insurance. Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) starts at just $73/month. Compare OVHC options below.
Pricing is based on a single live in the State of New South Wales on a visa, and 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 2020 but are subject to change.
What you need to know
489 visa holders need to hold adequate health insurance as part of your visa requirements.
These OVHC policies are all visa condition 8501 compliant.
Even if your country has an RHCA with Australia, it does not cover all treatments.
Do I need health insurance on a 489 visa?
If you're on or applying for a 489 visa, you need to fulfil Condition 8501 of your visa which requires you to have adequate health insurance in place.
All the Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) policies above are designed to meet this criteria. When you take out cover, they will email you a confirmation letter, which you can attach to your visa application.
What's covered with OVHC?
Hospital treatment, accommodation and theatre fees
Doctor, surgeon and specialist fees
Emergency ambulance transportation fees
Prescriptions and General Practitioner (GP) consultations
Can 489 visa holders access Medicare?
You usually can't receive subsidised health care services from the public health system Medicare, unless you're from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with. These countries include the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy.
However, Medicare doesn't cover everything. Even if you're covered by a RCHA, you will still have to pay for ambulances, dental, optical, physio and chiro.
Did you know?
Ambulance services can cost over $1,800AUD in Australia, unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania and are covered by Medicare.
How long do I have to wait before I can claim?
Just like domestic health insurance, OVHC policies have different waiting periods applied to different services. The Australian Government sets the waiting periods for hospital treatments so they do not differ between health funds:
12 months for pre-existing conditions (excluding psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
12 months for pregnancy and maternity services.
2 months for all other hospital treatments and services.
What are the waiting periods for out of hospital treatment?
If you're planning to purchase extras cover with your OVHC policy for out-of-hospital services such as dental or physiotherapy, each health fund can set the waiting periods for these services individually, so remember to take this into account when comparing policies.
Who offers OVHC in Australia?
The following providers offer health insurance for 489 visa holders, which is fully compliant with the Australian Department of Border Protection and Immigration requirements relating to working visas:
Allianz Global Assistance
Australian Unity
Bupa
Frank Health Insurance
HBF
HCF
HIF
nib
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.
General FAQs about the 489 visa
In order to be eligible for the Skilled Regional visa, you must have a relevant regional occupation and pass a points test. There are three different ways you can enter:
Invited pathway - You must submit an Expression of Interest and will need to be nominated by an Australian state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative. You must also be under the age of 45.
Extended stay pathway – You must live, work and study in specified regional areas of Australia and hold a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa.
Subsequent entry pathway - This visa is for a member of the family, specifically anyone who holds a Skilled Regional visa (subclass 489) or a subclass 475, 487, 495 or 496 visa.
A provisional visa effectively acts as an entryway into Australia if you meet the 489 visa requirements. Whilst it doesn't give you permanent residency, it is a temporary visa that may lead to the grant of a permanent visa if the holder meets certain conditions. You can bring your family on the 489 and if it is granted, you are able to apply for the Skilled Regional (Permanent) visa (subclass 887).
You can stay in Australia for up to 4 years (as can any family member also on the visa with you). Of course, this visa restricts you exclusively to regional work and in specific areas, but it can lead to PR. This visa is also only eligible to those who are nominated by a state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative.
The areas of regional Australia that you are able to live and work in will depend on whether your 489 visa application was either:
Nominated by a State or Territory government agency. Defined as regional and low population growth metropolitan areas.
Sponsored by an eligible relative. Defined as designated areas.
The regional, low population and designated areas for each pathway option can be found below:
Gary Ross Hunter was 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). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 725 Finder guides across topics including:
Insurance can be confusing when you first arrive in Australia but only health insurance is compulsory – others can be good to have depending on your situation.
Find an adequate level of private health insurance to cover any medical costs incurred during your trip to Australia on a subclass 600 visa.
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