Am I thick, or is it near impossible to get Medical insurance (which I have to show proof of to get my 457 visa) if you are not in Oz yet?
All forms ask for Austrailian postal details
Obviously im not there yet, so how do I get the cover?
Sick of going round in circles, done so for 3 years now, finally get nearly to finishing post, to be hit with this!

Hi, we are in the same boat (applying for 457).

If you do a search on here you should come up with some posts but in the end we went with BUPA.

We completed the forms (went for the full works in the end, dentist, optician, you name it!) and we have a cover note (again sent via email) in anticipation of going to Aus.

The monthly payment is rather steep BUT we want to be sure of the cover.

Good luck!

Decent one way travel insurance will do the job as long as you extend it to cover you for your first week or so in Oz (handy anyway as you will need to cover your belongings too). Once in OZ get your medicare card. This is sufficient for the rules of the visa - see here.

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/457-h...isa-holder.htm

You may then want to take out additional cover once you have sorted yourselves out. If you are subject to medicare levy because of income it makes sense. Your employer may also help with cover.

Does the BUPA thing actually cover you in Oz then?????

Hi There

In the same boat, visa application with the migration agent, we have sent all relevant documents apart from the health insurance.

We are bound by my OH contract agreement to get premium healthcare cover for the duration of our stay (4 years). They recommended IMAN health cover which we are going to do online, and post date to start from my OH start date of 15 December.

However the migration agent suggests that we need live cover, they suggested 2 months travel insurance. BUT WHY WOULD I GET BLOODY TRAVEL INSURANCE TO COVER ME IN AUSTRALIA FROM NOW WHEN I AM NOT THERE UNTIL DECEMBER!!!!!

I am so bloody annoyed, apparently Medicare is sufficient to cover the 8501 part of the visa, but you can't get that til you are there ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! How stupid is this????

I have just read the details on the immi website and it just goes round in circles saying the same thing.

So, OUR only choice it seems is to go to the IMAN website and start our insurance now, on the lowest level, around $135 per month for family and then increase it to the higher level when we are in Sydney.

Basically waste $270 to prove I have health insurance in Aus now, even though I am still in the UK!!!! HAS NO-ONE SEEN THE FLAW IN THIS

Regarding postal details audrey, could you use an employer's address perhaps. I haven't got to that point yet, I am sure I will requie another rant when I start.



PLEASE CAN SOMEONE SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS FOR US

Just get the travel insurance to start from a later date - you can buy it to be valid between specified dates. This is what others have done who post on here.

So if you think the visa may be granted in Jan get it to cover you from Jan - mid feb say. If the visa is delayed they might ask you to provide further cover I guess but I bet it still works out cheaper!!

Thanks rammygirl

I will look into doing the travel insurance thing and post date the main health-cover for the employment start date.

I know it is a small cost really, but hard to get your head around the bit of the system.

Thanks for all that!
Will await companys response, if not soon will just get the full travel insurance, start date is supposed to 15th on Nov, Mega panicking......
Still have to sort out the dogs vacs and ours if stopping over, OH is away on isles working till we leave so full on here!
Anyone want to foster 4 kids?

Getmetoz

Which Bupa did you get - Uk based or OZ ?
And were they ok with uk address?