Paul&Nic

Does anyone know how far your medical history is looked into with an onshore medical?

I'm VERY worried! ...

I've been out in Australia for 10 odd months now and am on a Student Visa. I plan to apply for PR in August some time.

I had a serious motorcycle accident in 2003 and broke both my arms bad. They both have massive pins in them and a year or so ago I had to have one screw removed as it was coming lose. Now another screw is coming lose and I am getting all the symptoms as before where it is catching on nerves and tendons and it bloody hurts!!

I've been trying to limp along with it until I can get thru a medical over here, and THEN have it sorted, but I don't think I can wait much longer ...

My worry is that the operation to remove the screw is going to make my medical look bad, and possibly give someone cause to 'dig further'. I mean by this that I was warned that I might need bone grafting in the future if one of my arms (the one in question) doesn't knit back together well.

As far as I know the pain is DEF by a loose screw again as like I say I know the symptoms, plus the fact that if I move my arm in a certain way I can feel the screwhead moving back and forth.

Now someone told me not to worry and go have it sorted out. They reckon that the medical will simply be how I am 'on the day' and because of 'patient confidentiality' no one will even know about my history since arriving, but I'm not convinved! I have Medibank private insurance as part of my Visa requirements and I guess they'll foot the bill, but I'm worried that DIMIA will be able to access this when I apply for PR and it won't look good!

Dammmm! ... what do I do? ...

Pollyana

Get in touch with an agent - Peter Bollard is the most recommended here for medical stuff http://users.bigpond.net.au/onk/
You ought to declare the accident on the forms - you'd be mad to hide any of it as it could make your visa liable for cancellation later.

Vanessa

We had onshore medicals in November time. We declared everything - husband broke both feet years ago and had to have part of hip put in one of his feet, I have a hearing problem and have since childhood and since being here OH has had an operation on his knee and is having the other one done shortly. We had to declare a few other things as well but the only thing DIMIA wanted a further report on was my hearing.

Paul&Nic

I'll do that I think.

I WAS asked about the arms when I had my medical to come out here, but I just said I'd broke them both and when asked if they was fine now, I said they was! ... they was then! ... so I've not held anything back. I'd just like to get to the medical stage here and have been pretty much without any hospitalisation and with a 'clean bill of health'

Paul&Nic

and everything was fine I take it?

GinaUK

We were told by our agent that DIMA are concerned with medical conditons that are contagious, and/or have the potential to cost a lot of money. For example heart disease is potentially expensive and deafness as the person may need a cochlear implant.

Your condition sounds more like it needs one off treatments now and then.

But I would definitely contact Peter Bollard. He has written before that a lot of it is down to how it is presented to DIMA. An agent lite Peter with experience of medical problems with visa application would be really helpful here (rather than doing the application by yourself).

Gina

Paul&Nic

Yeah this is what I'm led to believe, but I suppose being out here and still needing to get through another medical ... well, it just worries me ...

When the last screw was removed I was back to work in days so I don't think it'll affect my studies, but I just worry about the medical! ...