Frequently Asked Questions - Administration Questions
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Examinations and results
What examinations do applicants need?
Form 1163i and Form 1071i describe which examinations applicants require, depending on how long they intend to stay in Australia.
See: Health Forms
Questions you can ask the applicant which may help are:
- Are you intending to stay in Australia permanently?
If yes, refer to Form 1071i. Adult applicants should complete the examination Forms 26, 160 and undergo a HIV test as a minimum requirement. - How long do you want to stay in Australia?
If not permanently, refer to Form 1163i. - Will you be working as, or studying to be, a doctor, nurse, paramedic or dentist?
If yes, the applicant requires HIV, HepBsAg and Hep CAb tests in addition to the Forms 26 and 160. Refer to Form 1163i for further information.
Note: Student visa applicants studying health-related courses do not require these blood tests unless clinical indications are present.
If you still cannot decide on the tests required, email Global Health for assistance.
See: Contact Us
Where do I send the medical results?
Check if the name of the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) is on the Forms 26/160 or in a letter requesting the examinations. If so, send to this address.
If no local departmental office address is on the Forms 26/160 or in a letter, check the subclass of visa the applicant is applying for and refer to the web page or document 'Where to send Australian visa medicals'.
See: Where to Send Australian Visa Medicals
If you are still confused email Global Health for assistance.
See: Contact Us
Can I give an applicant their radiology examination results in a sealed and stamped envelope to carry with them to their medical examination?
No. Upon request, you may provide the client with a copy of their forms and/or diagnostic report. However, send the original Form 160 and chest x-ray film by mail or courier directly to the panel doctor conducting the applicant's medical examination Form 26.
Can I give an applicant's medical results to their migration agent or another third party (for example, a family member) to send by post or courier?
No. Never give completed or incomplete original work to third parties, no matter how convincing they sound. Send all original results directly from the panel clinic to Global Health or to the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) as appropriate.
I have received a request for medicals from a departmental office that is not Global Health or the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission). What do I do?
Send the completed work to Global Health with a copy of the request letter attached.
Global Health or the local departmental office has told me they have not received the medical results I sent to them. What do I do?
Check your dispatch records. If you have sent the forms, forward details of the courier tracking number or registered mail number and date of dispatch to the department so our mailroom can confirm receipt of the file(s).
Resend a copy of the medical results if they are available and if we request that you do so.
Note: If your clinic uses pre-paid courier envelopes, provide the client with the tracking number and the scheduled date of dispatch at the time of their appointment.
I asked an applicant to complete additional tests or to attend a specialist referral. However, the applicant has not done so. What should I do now?
If an applicant has failed to comply with your requests and two weeks has elapsed since their scheduled appointment:
- Make a 'B' recommendation
- Note that the results are incomplete and specify the test(s) or referral requested and the date the applicant did not comply
- Send the file to Global Health or to the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission), as appropriate.
I have asked an applicant to complete additional tests or to attend a specialist referral. However, the applicant is reluctant or refusing to do so. What should I do now?
If an applicant is reluctant or refusing to undergo additional tests or a specialist referral requested by you or the department:
- Make a 'B' recommendation
- Specify the test(s) or referral requested and note that the applicant is reluctant or refusing to comply
- Send the file to Global Health. The department will follow up the case with the applicant.
An applicant has expressed dissatisfaction with the health assessment process, my examination or my staff and wishes to make a complaint. What should I do?
Try to avoid conflict, keep calm and always be polite. Please record in detail the events that transpired and forward the information to Global Health or to the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) as soon as possible.
See: Contact Us
Forms
The applicant wants a copy of their file. Should I give it to them?
Upon request, you can provide an applicant with copies of any forms, diagnostic reports or test results without permission from the department.
When an applicant completes the form and gives it to a panel doctor or clinic the information becomes the property of the Commonwealth of Australia. Therefore, send the original Forms 26/160 and test results directly to the department.
An applicant has arrived with out-of-date forms. What do I do?
Please do not use outdated forms. If an applicant provides a form that is more than 12 months out of date, your clinic should print the current version of the Forms 26/160.
See: Health Forms
An applicant has arrived with the incorrect form(s). What do I do?
If an applicant provides you with a form or combination of forms that you believe to be incorrect, use the form(s) presented, noting your concern. (For example, an applicant may provide you with a Form 26 instead of the Aged Visitor Health Check form).
The department provides the Aged Visitor Health Check form to applicants. This form is not downloadable from our website.
I have run out of my supply of Forms 26 and 160. Where can I obtain more?
Standard medical forms are downloadable from our website.
See: Health Forms
In some countries where applicants have limited internet access, the local departmental office may provide panel doctors with a small supply of the Forms 26/160. If this arrangement is currently in place please contact the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) to request more forms.
If you have difficultly contacting the local departmental office email Global Health for assistance.
See: Contact Us
Photographs
The applicant does not provide their passport, or the passport photograph is too outdated, to confirm their identity. What should I do?
Panel doctors and radiographers must complete an identity check by comparing the person who presents for the examination with the photograph attached to the form and their original passport photograph. Doctors and radiographers must sign across the form and attached photograph that it is a true likeness of the examinee.
If a passport is genuinely unavailable to present for identification, in some countries panel doctors may accept a national identity card incorporating a current photograph, name, date of birth and signature, or a verified copy of the passport endorsed by the local DIAC office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission). Driver's licences or student cards are not acceptable as the sole or primary means of verifying an applicant's identity.
Please refer to the first page of the Forms 26/160 for further information.
See: Health Forms
If the applicant fails to provide their passport, record the alternative photographic identity document(s) they present. Attach a photocopy of the document(s) to the form.
If a passport is not suitable for identification purposes because with the passage of time the photograph is no longer satisfactory, panel doctors or radiographers should also request and record an alternative identity document available at the time of examination.
In the case of non-migrating applicants who do not have a passport, panel doctors can accept a suite of alternative identity documents.
I am not confident about the identity or photographs of an applicant. What do I do?
You may not be confident of an applicant's identity because they cannot show you their passport or an acceptable alternative photographic document. If you are not confident of the applicant's identity, proceed with the examination, make a 'B' recommendation and clearly annotate the form with your concerns. Attach a photocopy of the document(s) to the form.
Global Health or the local departmental office outside Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) will determine if the applicant must submit another photographic identity document.
Withdrawal of visa application
An applicant has indicated that they want to withdraw their visa application. What do I do?
Applicants are entitled to withdraw however do not return the original Forms 26/160. When an applicant completes the form and gives it to a panel doctor or clinic the information becomes the property of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Indicate the applicant's wish to withdraw and any reasons they give on the Form 26/160. Make a 'B' recommendation and send the form(s) to Global Health or to the local departmental office outside of Australia (Embassy/Consulate/High Commission) as appropriate.
Withdrawal of panel doctor
I, or my panel colleague, will retire or take extended leave. Should I inform Global Health?
Yes. Please inform Global Health of pending panel doctor or chief radiologist staffing changes. Global Health will consider if a locum or replacement appointment is required.
Only doctors formally appointed to the panel may conduct departmental medical examinations. This includes doctors acting in a locum capacity at your clinic.
Only chief radiologists can authorise staff radiologists at their clinic to conduct departmental radiological examinations without their prior referral to Global Health for appointment.
See: Contact Us