[StDavid]

Hi All, I’m new but very confused and hoping someone can help. We have been living and working in AUS on sponsored 457 visa sice August 2016. I’m English and my wife has a Philippine passport. I work in healthcare and she works for. NSW council. My company have applied for the employer nominated scheme (subclass 186) for us to become PR’s. My question is can we now get Medicare for my wife or do we have to wait the 14 months this process takes before she can get Medicare cover?

Thanks in advance for any have and advice. No Medicare cover for her has worried me for the last 2 years. BUPA essential visitors cover is just not as good!

Dave

 

[StDavid]

457 sorry not 475

 

[Aburayan]

As far as I know, if you have applied for the visa and you wife with you, then you can apply for medicare since 186 visa is permenant. You need to go to a medicare branch taking with you your passports and a proof that you have applied for the permenant visa. They will give you an application to fill then they will put you in the system and you will receive your medicare card within 2 weeks.

 

[StDavid]

457 to 186 PR

The company applied and named us in the application, we went to Medicare and they said they can't see anything in the system. Do we have to wait for the application to be approved?

 

[StDavid]

I understand it to be a 2 part process. Part 1 the company nominate me as they are an approved employer for the job. Part 2 application for visa under the nominated stream. So my company did there but, being part 1. Do I now have to do part 2 and when can I do that? Now?

 

[Aburayan]

If you are in the nomination stage then you cannot get medicare. If your nomination has been approved and your company submitted the visa application, then I think you will be able to apply for medicare.

 

[StDavid]

So just the nomination stage looks to be about 13-15 months. Long wait then.

 

[Maggie-May24]

You don't need to wait for the nomination to be approved before you can submit your application. The risk in doing it before the nomination is approved, is if the nomination is refused, then your application can't be approved. The advantage is that it speeds up the processing since they will usually finalize an application already lodged within a few weeks, if not within a few minutes, of approving the nomination.

Once you lodge your application, your wife will be eligible for Medicare.