Most applicants living with hepatitis B will not fail the health requirement when applying for a temporary visa to Australia due to their hepatitis B status and expected costs of treatment. As mentioned by the Department of Home Affairs, in some circumstances, there may be additional steps or requirements for temporary visa applicants living with hepatitis B who are planning to study or work as a healthcare worker, including as a doctor, nurse, dentist, or paramedic.

(See below section ‘I have hepatitis B and I am planning to study in Australia. Will this impact my visa application?’)

Most applicants living with hepatitis B should not fail the health requirement when applying for permanent residency. This includes people living with hepatitis B that require treatment.

However, visa health requirements consider a wide range of health conditions as relevant to its assessment. This means that applicants living with hepatitis B who also have other health conditions, or whose hepatitis B requires complex management, may not meet the relevant health requirements.

Therefore, it is essential for applicants to obtain tailored advice from a registered migration agent or lawyer about what impact their hepatitis B and any other health conditions may have on their visa application. It is always important to discuss an appropriate plan/strategy for visa applications and pathways to permanent residency before applying for a visa.

A diagnosis of hepatitis B should not lead to the cancellation of your current visa or affect your stay in Australia. However, it is important to emphasize that if you have hepatitis B, receiving regular care is important to protect your health. Early diagnosis and ongoing management can significantly reduce the risk of serious complications, such as cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease. Avoiding diagnosis and care can increase these health risks. Therefore, it’s essential to get regular medical care to maintain your health and well-being.

If an applicant with chronic hepatitis B develops end-stage liver disease and is likely to require a liver transplant, their visa application may exceed the ‘significant cost threshold.’ Additionally, it raises concerns about equitable access to limited medical resources, such as liver transplants from deceased donors, which could impact availability for Australian patients.

For more information, please visit Hepatitis B and Immigration.

All people included in the visa application are required to meet the relevant health requirement. In some cases, non-migrating family members may also be asked to undergo a health assessment and meet the relevant health requirement. Although it is unusual for a non-migrating family member to be asked to undertake a health assessment you may wish to seek advice about any impact this may have on your visa application. If one member of a family unit does not meet the health requirement, the application will be refused. This is known as the ‘one fails, all fail’ policy.

As noted above, a family member living with hepatitis B is unlikely to fail the health requirement due to their hepatitis B status alone. However, visa health requirements consider a wide range of health conditions as relevant to its assessment. (For more information about hepatitis B and the health requirements, please see “What other reasons could lead to a visa rejection for someone with hepatitis B?” above).

Generally, applicants living with hepatitis B will not be refused a visa due to their hepatitis B status.

However, applicants intending to study to become a healthcare worker that perform exposure prone procedures (doctors, nurses, dentists, paramedics) may be required to do additional health examinations and/or provide additional information to the Department of Home Affairs. You may be asked to provide a statement from your employer or educational institution stating that you will not be undertaking exposure-prone procedures.

As long as you are complying with the requirements of the Australian National Guidelines, you should not be prevented from pursuing study or employment as a healthcare worker in Australia, even if you are living with hepatitis B. It is strongly advised that applicants in these circumstances obtain advice from a registered migration agent or lawyer that has experience in health-related visa matters.

For more information, please visit CDNA National Guidelines.