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Medical Treatment visa (Subclass 602)

AustraliaMedical treatment

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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What medical treatment/purpose does the route cover and which applicant role does it address: patient, donor or another medical purpose?

Subclass 602 (Medical Treatment visa) covers medical treatment, organ donation, and support for a patient or donor who holds this visa; it is a temporary stay visa.

See recorded sources
  • Subclass 602, introduction
    This temporary visa is for people to travel to or remain longer in Australia for medical treatment or to support someone needing medical treatment who holds this visa. It is also for people who are donating an organ.

What acceptance, appointment, referral, treatment plan or healthcare-provider documentation is important?

Applicants receiving treatment or donating an organ must provide a letter from their Australian treating doctor covering the medical condition, required treatment, an estimated timeframe and an estimated cost, plus written proof the hospital has approved the treatment and payment arrangements.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page does not state a complete, universal set of hospital acceptance/referral documentation beyond the doctor letter and payment-approval proof.
  • Step 2, Medical treatment documents
    If you are applying for this visa to receive medical treatment or donate an organ, provide a letter from your treating doctor in Australia outlining: - your medical condition - treatment that will be required - an estimate of the timeframe - an estimate of the cost involved.
  • Eligibility, Arrange for payment of medical treatment; whitespace normalized from rendered text
    In most circumstances, you must pre-arrange payment of your medical costs. This is to show that it will not cost money to an Australian government or public authority. You can show this with written proof from a public or private hospital. This must confirm that it has approved your treatment and arrangements to pay all the costs.

How must treatment costs, living costs and insurance be demonstrated?

Applicants must pre-arrange and show payment of medical costs (written proof from a public or private hospital confirming approval and payment arrangements), show funds to support themselves and anyone accompanying them, and are advised to obtain their own health insurance, since they are personally liable for all healthcare costs in Australia.

See recorded sources
  • Eligibility, Arrange for payment of medical treatment; whitespace normalized from rendered text
    In most circumstances, you must pre-arrange payment of your medical costs. This is to show that it will not cost money to an Australian government or public authority. You can show this with written proof from a public or private hospital. This must confirm that it has approved your treatment and arrangements to pay all the costs.
  • Step 2, Financial documents
    We need proof that you have access to enough money to: - pay for your treatment - support yourself and anyone who comes with you while you are in Australia.
  • About this visa, Health insurance
    We recommend you obtain health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia.

Can a carer/companion accompany the patient? Who qualifies and what separate/linked permission applies?

A family member or friend can apply as a support person. They normally need a separate application, and the patient's visa must be granted first, unless they share a passport.

See recorded sources
  • About this visa, Support persons
    A support person can be a member of your family or another person such as a friend. Each support person must make a separate application unless they are included in your passport. We can process your applications together. We must grant your visa first before granting a support person a visa.

How long can the patient stay, what happens if treatment continues longer, and what official extension or follow-up mechanism exists?

Stay length is decided case-by-case with reference to the treatment plan; the visa cannot be extended (a further visa is needed for more time).

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No fixed maximum stay in days/months is stated; duration is determined case-by-case with reference to the treatment plan.
  • How long you can stay
    We determine the length of your stay on a case-by-case basis. Things we consider when determining your stay period include your treatment plan.
  • Stay longer
    You can't extend this visa to stay longer in Australia. If you need more time for your medical treatment or for another reason, you will need to apply for another visa.
  • Step 3, Apply for the visa
    You can be in or outside Australia when you apply. Each applicant must submit a separate application, unless they share a passport.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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