Sugo

Hi All

Just looking for some advice, I have had depression for for years now, havent seen anyone about it. Now at the point that I really need to get some help else I will end up topping my self or blowing up my work place

Anyone know if I should avoid using my health insurance for it? I am applying for perm residency soon and have heard that any mental health stuff makes the medical check difficult to pass without having to pay huge fees to see a psych consultant.

I have 3 different doctors, was going to put one down on my visa application health check forms and leave the one I was going to see for the depression off. Would it be ok to use my health insurance? I dont have medicare as I came over from New Zealand eventhough I a UK citizen. I am on the special relationship visa for partners/spouses of New Zealand citizens.

Do immigration or the medicals part of it have anything to do with my health insurance provider? Do they check your records to see if you lied on your health check form?

Any advice would be great.

quoll

Surely you aren't thinking of lying on any application forms? That really would be very silly! You should use whatever support you need from whatever resource will provide it for you to get your mental health back on an even keel and you should be upfront about your condition. It's unlikely that depression is going to be a deal breaker.

spouse of scouse

Hi Sugo, sorry to hear about your depression, it's a bugger of a thing when not treated. Immi health rules focus on the cost to the public health system of treating an illness or condition, whether that be physical, psychological or psychiatric. Although it's unlikely that you'll get a definitive answer on BE, I agree with Quoll that having depression isn't likely to result in a visa refusal as it's treatable and at a relatively low cost.

I hope you don't mind a bit of personal advice - depression isn't something to muck about with, use your insurance and get the treatment you need to be a fully functioning and happy person. Life's way to short to be miserable. Best of luck to you

mikelincs

But will it if he lies on the visa application, and is then found out. Could that be an excuse for the visa to be revoked and a return to the UK forced?

quoll

Yup - lie to immigration and all bets are off!

Bermudashorts

I once looked up how many people fail the medical and the number is absolutely miniscule. People think this medical is a lot harder to pass than it really is, where did you hear it is hard to pass with depression? Maybe you have just read about people worrying if they will pass it.

You should get the best care you can get and you should declare it on your medical forms.

Sugo

Thanks for your replies.

It is not so unethical to lie or omit information on medical forms. It is probably best to just put mild depression, not hospitalised down on my medical.

People do lie or omit ceertain information from forms, for example I am also gay and have HIV tests every 6 months, if I were to put this down on a form I would be considered high risk. I do know of one guy who had trouble with health insurance because they asked why he was seeing his doctor for HIV tests, his premium went up.

Maybe it is because I am a health professional but I am suprised that a few of you guys are shocked about misleading the medical process. It is not unusual for us to advise patients to conceal certain information about their health to their employers or insurance.

I have been through the medical process three times so far, the first was done by a Doctor I worked with in New Zealand, it was funny, I filled it out, another nurse helped out with the eye test, the doctor signed it. It was very dodgy.

The one I did here in Australia had to be done at the immigration chosen clinic, weight, height and urine check then speak to a doctor for 4 mins, he asked what I do and signed me off with no problems. An entire day wasted.

spouse of scouse

You're pretty forthright, Sugo, so I'm going to follow suit

I'm not going to get into the ethics of the thing, that's down to you. I just want to say two things:

Immigration officials read BE
and
A higher insurance premium, or not getting a visa, won't kill you. Untreated depression may.

Again, I wish you the best of luck.

Sugo

I have no identifying details on this forum so if the immigration officers were/had the time to read this forum good luck to them.
this is true, but getting treatment privately and not informing immigration will also not kill me.

I probably will put down depression on my medical form, I don't need to be hospitalised, I would imagine that would be the clincher for passing the medical.

The immiration process is a bit screwed up, have been here for 8+years on various visas, working full time as a nurse and have had to do an English test to get the 60 points needed for a perm residency visa. So if immigration is reading this, surely you could save us all a lot of money and time and accept the information already provided in previous visas as evidence to make a decision for perm residency rather than having us to replicate everything. Like the medical, yep the medical should be re done for each visa, but the chest x-ray? If I have caught TB I got it here and have already passed it around to thousands of patients. ( I havent got TB but that is the reason you need a chest X-ray, if you plan on working in a school or hospital you have to have one as part of your visa medical clearance).

Pollyana

Can i just add that BE does not allow people to encourage others to lie about visa issues.

Bermudashorts

So why are you on here asking for advice if you have already decided that you are going to lie on your application forum. Just get on with it if that is what you are going to do.

Sugo

for the attention??

I am joking

I should have been more clear, should i use my health insurance and if I do will immigration have access to my health records. Reading peoples responses have helped me work out a plan. Thanks for your input Bermudashorts

Sugo

I do wonder Bermuda if your answer would be different if my question related to something other than mental health. One of the main reasons we sugest people lie or omit something is bacause of the stigma that is attached. I wouldnt put HIV or mental illness on a workplace medical form for example.

bourbon-biscuit

I timed myself: it took me less than 2 mins to find out your name and enough identifying details that if I was an immi office I would almost certainly be able to link your application to you. I don't care what you do with your application (though I think you should be honest cos I am pretty sure if they refused PR cos of depression they would not get many successful applicants!) but you are not as anonymous as you seem to think. Best of luck with your application; I remember when you were nursing in NZ!
BTW, there are a few unis in Oz that offer an accelerated pathway for registered nurses to get a degree but you will probably also find you can just hop straight onto grad study and get a masters in the same timeframe instead, if that interests you

Bermudashorts

No my answer would not be any different, why would it be? And I would never lie on a workplace medical form either.

As to my answer, hmm. Well firstly I told you that failing a medical is not as common as many people seem to think. Then I told you that you should get the best care you can for yourself. Then (after your replies), I suggested you do as you want as you seem to have made up your mind anyway.

What part of my answer do you think would be different for another illness?