Medical Treatment Visa – Subclass 602

This Medical Treatment visa subclass 602 is a temporary visa for people who intends to:

  • have medical treatment or medical consultations in Australia; or

  • donate an organ to someone in Australia; or

  • support a patient or organ donor who holds or is applying for this visa; or

  • receive an organ from someone who travels to Australia with you; or

  • come to Australia under the arrangements between the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and the Queensland Department of Health; or

  • Be in Australia, aged 50 years or older, been refused an Australian permanent visa on health grounds only and are unfit to depart Australia

The applicant must not have a medical condition that could be a threat to public health.

 

What is the Medical Treatment Visa Application Process?

How is a Valid Application Made?

The approved form for making an application for a Medical Treatment Visa is Form 48ME. The form can either be made by a post, a courier service or an email transmission.

The different streams of subclass 602 visa are:

+ Stream 1 – Medical Treatment

All the following requirements must be met. The applicant:

  1. Must be in Australia at the time of application; and

  2. Held a substantive temporary visa at the time; and

  3. The substantive temporary visa held by the applicant may not be a Subclass 403 (Temporary Work (International Relations)) visa in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream.

  4. The requirements described in ‘Unfit to Depart’ stream is not met in relation to the applicant; and

  5. Seeks to obtain medical treatment (including consultation), other than treatment for the purposes of surrogate motherhood, in Australia; and

  6. Ensures arrangements have been concluded to carry out the treatment; and

  7. If the treatment is an organ transplant:

    • the donor of the relevant organ is accompanying the applicant to Australia; or

    • all requisite arrangements to effect the donation of the organ have been concluded in Australia; and

  8. The applicant is free from a disease or condition that is, or may result in the applicant being, a threat to public health in Australia or a danger to the Australian community; and

  9. Arrangements have been concluded for the payment of all costs related to the treatment and all other expenses of the applicant’s stay in Australia, including the expenses of any person accompanying the applicant; and either:

    • the payment of those costs will not be a charge on the Commonwealth, a State, a Territory or a public authority in Australia; or

    • evidence is produced that the relevant government authority has approved the payment of those costs.

+ Stream 2 – Organ Donor

All the following requirements must be met:

  1. The applicant seeks to donate an organ for transplant in Australia; and

  2. If the organ recipient is also an applicant, the requirements described in ‘Medical Treatment’ stream are met in relation to the organ recipient; and

  3. Arrangements have been concluded for the payment of all costs related to the organ transplant and all other expenses of the applicant’s stay in Australia, including the expenses of any person accompanying the applicant; and either:

    • The payment of those costs will not be a charge on the Commonwealth, a State, a Territory or a public authority in Australia; or

    • evidence is produced that the relevant government authority has approved the payment of those costs.

+ Stream 3 – Support Person

All the following requirements must be met by the applicant:

  1. Must be in Australia at the time of application; and

  2. Did not hold a substantive temporary visa at the time; and

  3. Note: The last substantive temporary visa held by the applicant was not a Subclass 403 (Temporary Work (International Relations)) visa in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream.

  4. The requirements described in ‘Unfit to Depart’ stream is not met in relation to the applicant; and

  5. The applicant seeks to give emotional and other support to an applicant in relation to whom:

    • the requirements described in ‘Medical Treatment’ and ‘Organ Donor’ criteria are met; and

  6. The person to whom the applicant is to provide support holds:

    • a Subclass 602 visa on the basis that the requirements described in ‘Medical Treatment’ and ‘Organ Donor’ have been met; or

    • a Subclass 675 (Medical Treatment (Short Stay)) visa on the basis that the requirements described in subclause 675.212(2) or (3) have been met; or

    • a Subclass 685 (Medical Treatment (Long Stay)) visa on the basis that the requirements described in subclause 685.212(2) or (3) have been met;

+ Stream 4 – Unfit to Depart

All the following requirements must be met by the applicant:

  1. The applicant is in Australia; and

  2. The applicant has turned 50; and

  3. The applicant has applied for a permanent visa while in Australia; and

  4. The applicant appears to have met all the criteria for the grant of that visa, other than public interest criteria related to health; and

  5. The applicant has been refused the visa; and

  6. The applicant is medically unfit to depart Australia due to a permanent or deteriorating disease or health condition, as evidenced by a written statement to that effect from a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth.

+ Stream 5 – Financial Hardship

All the following requirements must be met by the applicant:

  1. One of the following applies:

    • The requirements described in Stream 1 (1) to (3) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • The requirements described in Stream 2 (1) and (2) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • The requirements described in Stream 3 (1) and (2) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • The requirements described in Stream 4 are met in relation to the applicant;

    • The requirements described in Stream 5 (1) to (5) are met in relation to the applicant; and

  2. The applicant is in Australia; and

  3. The applicant holds:

    • a Subclass 602 visa; or

    • a Subclass 675 (Medical Treatment (Short Stay)) visa; or

    • a Subclass 685 (Medical Treatment (Long Stay)) visa; and

  4. The applicant is suffering financial hardship as a result of changes in the applicant’s circumstances after entering Australia; and

  5. The applicant, or a member of the applicant’s immediate family, is likely to become a charge on the Commonwealth, a State, a Territory or a public authority in Australia; and

  6. The applicant, or a member of the applicant’s immediate family, cannot leave Australia for reasons beyond his or her control; and

  7. The applicant has compelling personal reasons to work in Australia.

+ Stream 6 – Compelling personal reasons

All the following requirements must be met by the applicant:

  1. One of the following applies:

    • the requirements described in Stream 1 (1) to (3) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • the requirements described in Stream 2 (1) and (2) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • the requirements described in Stream 3 (1) and (2) are met in relation to the applicant;

    • the requirements described in Stream 4 are met in relation to the applicant;

    • the requirements described in Stream 5 (1) to (5) are met in relation to the applicant; and

  2. The applicant is in Australia; and

  3. The applicant has compelling personal reasons for the grant of the visa.

At the time application is made

In addition, all of the streams (with the exception of Stream 5) must satisfy the following:

  • The applicant must genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily for the purpose for which the visa is granted, having regard to:

    • whether the applicant has complied substantially with the conditions to which the last substantive visa, or any subsequent bridging visa, held by the applicant was subject; and

    • whether the applicant intends to comply with the conditions to which the Subclass 602 visa would be subject; and

    • any other relevant matter.

  • The applicant has adequate means to support themselves during the period of their intended stay in Australia; and

  • Australian citizens or permanent residents must not be disadvantaged in obtaining medical treatment or consultation if the visa was granted; and

  • The applicant must meet character and health requirements.

How much does the Subclass 602 Medical Treatment Visa Application Charge?

The visa application charge is AUD 320 for an applicant who is in Australia at the time of application. For any other applicant, the amount is NIL.

You can check for the most up-to-date application fees on the Department of Home Affairs website.

What We Like About The Medical Treatment Visa Subclass 602

Australia is often held in high esteem for its local medical sector due to the sheer number of modern hospital facilities and qualified staff in a range of fields. For these reasons, the applicant or their loved ones may want to have treatment performed in Australia. In addition, applicants of any age can apply for this visa.