Private Healthcare for temporary visa holders
 

Moving from UK to Melbourne in new year on 457 independant Exec 4yr temporary visa. Don't qualify for Medicare so have to arrange private healthcare. Anyone have experiences of good or bad providers?

Re: Private Healthcare for temporary visa holders
 

Hope you dont mind the contact, but i am currently at the very start of applying for a temporary business visa and am feeling overawed by all the info.
Did you use a relocation company to get your visa..can you tell me how much you paid for your application/business plan ?
We are hoping to statr a business in Queensland and are going over in March to look around.

Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Louise

I agree, the process can seem very daunting, and it certainly requires determination!

We started by going to a migration bureau London who gave us some advice which later turned out to have limited use. Luckily, my mother in law (who now has permanant residency) went to see some immigration lawyers in Melbourne to get advice.

Our judgement was that the advice from the lawyers was much more likely to succeed for us, and although this mean't a couple of trips to Aus for us to speak to them, this was no bad thing as we were reluctant to commit to emigrating without seeing Aus first.

The first trip, we went as a family to "test the water" and found that we really liked the country. The second time, I went on my own having set up a number of appointments with both an immigration lawyer, accountant and several meetings with owners of the type of business that I am proposing to buy. Sounds like a lot of work and it was made easy for us with mother in law there, but really paid off.
Prepared a very detailed application, which the authorities eventually said was too much! but was granted within 12 weeks of lodging in London.

Let me know if you want more specific info - good luck!!!

Re: Private Healthcare for temporary visa holders
 

Don't qualify for Medicare ? You don't have a UK passport then ?

we went to see relocation company and have been quoted £8,000 for them to secure us the temporary visa..they say that they have a 100% success rate..but you dont know if you are to beleive them.
My partner and i are both managers at the moment but would like to step out of the rat race. we are hoping to buy a franchaise or set up in business around Coolum Beach.
we have been to Aus before..my sister lives in Brisbane.
Are we following a dream or can it work.
I keep reading lots of negative comments on this site and dont know what to beleive.
we have total assets of £100K - every thing we have. Is it possible do you think to start a new life with this?
We, like your selves will have to pay for private medical cover and for schooling for my two children.
What busines are you starting..do you have any previous knowledge of running your own business.

Views from any one else would be appreciated

Louise

If you have UK passports you're eligible for basic and emergency treatment, but not dental work, glasses and a few other expensive but rare treatments. See below for the full deal.

http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/ser...rs/vtta.htm#uk

My partner and I have opted to get Ambluance cover only ($60 for both of us), because the rest is pretty unlikely - as is the need for an ambulance, but rides in those are expensive!! Full private health cover was simply too much for us to consider, though with kids I can see why you'd think about it.

Soph

OnlyMe - We have been told by our lawyers and it is reiterated in our offer letter from Australia house that the reciprical arrangement with the Uk only applies to emergency cover and that for other medical expenses we have to obtain private cover.

Louise - What can I say... We were quoted a similar sum by the bureau in London, who also promised 100% success. When we ran their ideas past the lawyer in Melbourne, he was very sceptical as to whether the what they were encouraging us to propose to the authorities as a viable business proposition would succeed. In fact, our latter dealings with the bureau became a little worrying with emails sent by us that were not received!! and promises of putting Australian contacts in touch with us that didn't materialise!!

Sorry to seem sceptical - I'm sure that for many the process can work in this way, but for us, things really shifted gear once we had engaged a lawyer in Aus who we, or MIL(Mum in law) could pester. Could your sister do something similar?

By the way, we have about the same amount of assets as you, and at the moment it seems feasible - we are certainly banking on it!!!

What business are you going into? Did you have to carry out alot of research?
Are you going out to live first and then buy a business, or do you have a business lined up.

Louise

That sounds encouraging Sophie and thanks for the reply. The working on our offer letter says "we will also take this opportunity to remind you that you must accept financieal responsibility directly or through acceptable medical insurance arrangements, for the medical and hospital costs incurred in Australia by you and your dependants". Maybe this is because we are on a temporary business visa??

Louise,

Hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread to say that we charge less than a quarter of the fee you have been quoted for a 457-Independent Exec visa, and we also don't have any failed applications. In my view a fee of £8k for a 457-IE application needs some justifying.

We have offices in the UK and Australia, and my joint venture accountancy colleagues have an office in Brisbane - they are well placed to advise you as to your plans and to liaise with business brokers and franchisors (one of their niches is franchises). They also provide an initial consultation as a freebie.

That's enough of the self-promotion - feel able to mail or telephone me or my colleague John Sylvester if you want more details:
http://www.gomatilda.com/contact.cfm

Best regards.

That doesn't sound quite right to me Ben - my understanding is that if you move to Australia on a 457-IE visa you are covered by Medicare but on the basis outlined by Sophie in her posting. This means you might want to take private cover to supplement Medicare.

The main temporary visa category that cannot enrol in Medicare is the 410-Retirement sub-class - there's a bit more about Medicare and temporary residents as I see it here:
http://www.gomatilda.com/news/article.cfm?articleid=219

Best regards.

Thankyou for that Alan, this is certainly very encouraging....

Thanks for all the info..food for thought.

On your temporary visa..did you have to prepare a business plan?
If so, have you found a business.
We have been told that we must convince the immigration offices that we are able to run a business. The visa runs for four years and in that time we have to obtain points in order to stay on and get a permenant visa. Is this the same for you.

I understand that we will have to pay for the childrens education. How much will this be? We are looking to settle on the Sunshine Coast, although i have a sister who lives in Forest Lake, Brisbane.

Is private health care expensive.

Thanks
Louise