The health requirement
Almost every applicant must meet the visa health requirement. It exists to protect public health and to manage the cost of health and community services - and for some conditions, it is the single thing standing between an applicant and a grant.
Check before you lodge
If you have a significant health condition, get advice - and, where appropriate, an independent cost estimate - before you apply. Whether a waiver is even possible depends on the visa, and that shapes your whole strategy.
Start health reviewPIC 4005 & PIC 4007
PIC 4005
The standard health criterion for most visas. It must be met - there is no discretion to overlook it. If the requirement is not satisfied, the visa cannot be granted, however sympathetic the circumstances.
PIC 4007
Applies to certain visas - including partner, child and some family and humanitarian streams. Where PIC 4007 applies, a decision-maker may waive the requirement, opening the door to a health waiver.
Cost threshold
The most common way to fail is the ‘significant cost’ threshold - where a condition is estimated to cost more than a set amount in health and community services over the relevant period. The threshold is set by the Department and changes over time.
Public health
Beyond cost, the requirement also considers public health and safety - including conditions of public health significance, and whether care for a condition would prejudice the access of Australians to services in short supply.
The significant cost threshold is set by the Department and changes over time; figures current as at 3 July 2026 - confirm the applicable threshold at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Third-party medical examination fees are additional and vary.
From exam to opinion
The medical examination
Most applicants complete an immigration medical examination with a panel physician - commonly a physical examination, a chest x-ray and blood tests, with more depending on the visa and circumstances. The results are recorded for assessment against the health requirement.
The MOC opinion
Where a condition is identified, a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) forms an opinion on likely care needs and costs over a hypothetical period, on the assumption services will be used. That opinion - not the panel physician’s - determines whether the requirement is met.
It can be tested
The MOC opinion is an assessment, not the last word. Its assumptions about prognosis, care settings and service uptake can be addressed with independent medical and actuarial evidence - which is why obtaining an independent cost estimate before lodging can be so valuable.
The paths forward
A health assessment that goes against you is not necessarily the end. Which options are open depends on the visa you applied for and the criterion that applies - so the first step is always to understand exactly where you stand.
Health waiver (PIC 4007)
Where your visa attracts PIC 4007, we build a health waiver submission - the public interest case for granting the visa despite the estimated cost.
Challenge the estimate
Where the MOC’s projections are open to question, independent medical and actuarial evidence can put a fairer picture of cost and care before the decision-maker.
Review a refusal
A health-based refusal can often be reviewed on its merits at the ART, and where the decision involved a legal error, by judicial review. Time limits are strict.
Health requirement FAQs
Who has to meet the health requirement?
Almost all visa applicants must meet the health requirement, and in many cases so must family members included in the application - even those not migrating. The requirement protects public health and manages the cost of health and community services. The exact health examinations depend on the visa, your circumstances and where you have lived.
What is the significant cost threshold?
A condition can fail the health requirement where it is estimated to cost more than a set ‘significant cost’ threshold in health and community services over the relevant period. The threshold is set by the Department and is reviewed over time, so we confirm the figure current at your assessment date rather than quoting a fixed number. Figures current as at 3 July 2026 - confirm at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.
What is the difference between PIC 4005 and PIC 4007?
Both are the visa health criterion, but PIC 4005 must be met with no discretion, while PIC 4007 allows a decision-maker to waive the requirement. Only certain visas - including partner, child and some family and humanitarian visas - attract PIC 4007 and so allow a health waiver. Which one applies to you depends on the specific visa.
Can I do anything about a Medical Officer’s cost estimate?
Yes. The MOC’s opinion drives the outcome, but its assumptions about prognosis, care needs and service uptake can be addressed with independent medical and actuarial evidence. Obtaining an independent cost estimate before you lodge - especially with a known condition - can be one of the most valuable steps you take.
My visa was refused on health grounds - what are my options?
Where your visa attracts PIC 4007, a health waiver may still carry the application. A refusal can also often be reviewed on its merits at the ART, and where the decision involved a legal error, by judicial review. Deadlines are strict, so get advice as soon as you receive the decision.
A health condition? Plan ahead
Tell us about the visa and the condition, and we will assess the criterion that applies, whether a waiver is possible, and the evidence worth gathering before you lodge.