The Health Requirement for Family Members on a Visa Application
Many people do not realise that the health requirement applies to every family member on a visa application — not just the primary applicant. This often comes as a surprise and can affect the whole application.
Who in the family must meet the health requirement
Everyone included on a visa application (applicants and secondary applicants) must meet the health requirement:
- Spouse or de facto partner
- Children under 18 years old
- Dependent adult children (on some visas)
This includes people who are not travelling to Australia but are declared on the application.
The “non-accompanying” rule
This is a point many people overlook: if you have a child not included on the application but you want to sponsor them later, some visas require all family members to be declared from the outset.
Important: If you do not declare a family member and they do not meet the health requirement, then when you later want to bring them to Australia, they may not be granted a visa because of their own health.
What happens if one member does not pass
If one person on the application does not meet the health requirement, DHA may:
- Refuse the whole visa application (including for the primary applicant)
- Or grant the visa but without the dependent who did not pass (if they are a secondary applicant)
This is an important risk to weigh up before lodging.
Requirements for children
Children must also have a health examination, but the requirements may differ:
- Children under 11 usually do not need an X-ray
- Infants may be exempt from some tests
- Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the examination
Health waiver for family members
If a family member has a condition that does not meet the requirement, a health waiver may be requested. The chance of approval depends on the visa type, the condition, and the expected cost to Australia’s health system.
For more, see the article on what a health waiver is.