8501 Visa Condition For Students
If you need to obtain an international student visa with an 8501 condition, you will need to get health insurance coverage for your stay in Australia. That’s because the 8501 condition for health cover is mandatory, as set out by the Australian government.
Understandably, you’ll want to explore all appropriate health insurance options. That way, you will know exactly what all health insurance providers have on offer, and you will have a chance to keep the cost of your insurance to a minimum. But equally understandably, you will not want to spend hours or days researching and gathering all the information in order to make the right decision.
With OSHC Australia, we are the ideal place to quickly get price and policy feature comparisons across all Australian Government-approved health insurance providers. It is your one-stop place to compare policies, choose the one that suits your needs and purchase it via our website—in just minutes.
What Is The 8501 Visa Condition?
If you are organising a visa for coming to Australia and are wondering what the 8501 visa condition is all about, it’s simple. The Australian government requires you to have and maintain adequate health insurance for most Australian visas. That is because, as a foreign national, you will most likely not be covered by Australia’s public health system (Medicare), which is funded by Australian taxpayers. The 8501 condition applies to student visas (subclass 500). If your visa contains the 8501 condition, you must hold relevant healthcare coverage for the entire duration of your study in Australia.
However, before purchasing your healthcare coverage, it is important to check the type of visa you have to see if it includes the 8501 condition for health insurance. Some countries (namely Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK) have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia, meaning that if you are a citizen of any of these countries, you may not be obliged to buy health insurance as part of your visa requirements. Regardless, it is highly recommended by Australian immigration to take out private health insurance during your stay.
Do I Need Health Insurance For My Student Visa To Meet The 8501 Condition Requirements?
As an international student with a subclass 500 visa with an 8501 condition, you must hold relevant health insurance. This applies to you and any family members who travel to live with you while you study in Australia.
What Level Of Health Cover Do I Need To Meet The 8501 Condition?
In order to be considered visa compliant, you will need to take out health insurance that is specific for overseas visitors. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) ticks the following boxes:
Ö Visa Compliance
Ö In-Hospital Treatment
Ö Out-of-Hospital Treatment
It is up to you to weigh up what other aspects of the policies work best for you. For instance, if you have pre-existing psychiatric requirements, some policies have a 2-month waiting period, whereas others do not. Also, some policies have no fees as part of their refund policy should you cut your stay short, and others may apply some limited fees.
Compare Overseas Student Health Cover With OSHC Australia Today
At OHSC Australia, you can compare policies from the six OSHC providers approved by the Australian government. We provide the information to guide you towards an informed decision. You will see a clear, easy-to-understand table showing the various features each policy provides, along with the prices offered by each provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Insurance Providers Meet the 8501 Condition For Student Visas?
OSHC Australia focuses solely on helping overseas students like you with their student visa requirements. So you can rest assured that all insurers presented for you to choose from meet the 8501 condition of your visa. You can select from the following insurers: CBHS International Health, AHM OSHC, NIB, Medibank, Allianz Care and Bupa.
To obtain overseas student visa health insurance that meets the 8501 health cover condition, go to our home page and provide three simple pieces of information:
1 How many adults and children will the insurance policy be for? If you are coming to Australia alone, then it is just for one adult. If you are travelling over with a spouse and children or other family members, then they will also need health insurance to meet the visa requirements.
2 On what date will your insurance policy begin? It is a requirement to obtain student health insurance coverage from the first day of your student visa. While you need to purchase the health coverage prior to your arrival, it is important that it is dated from the first day you expect to arrive in Australia. There is no need to spend money on healthcare coverage before you are actually in Australia.
3 On what date will your insurance policy finish? Given that your OSHC must cover you for the entire duration of your student visa, please enter the date on which your insurance policy is to expire, coinciding with the length of your student visa.
OSHC Australia compares only those insurers who meet the 8501 condition for student visas. This way, there is no confusion over which health insurance is appropriate for your administrative obligation. However, among the six approved health insurers offering overseas student health insurance, you can decide which one offers you the right balance of price and conditions according to your preference.
What Happens If I Do Not Meet The 8501 Condition?
When coming to study in Australia, you must meet the 8501 visa condition. Failure to do so may result in your visa being denied or cancelled. Also, bear in mind that any outstanding health debts you may have in Australia may impact the success of your visa application in the future. As an international student, you will have to show your policy certificate when applying for your visa—dated for the entire duration of the visa you are applying for. The policy must cover you, and if you are travelling with your family, it must also cover your spouse, children or other family members coming with you.