Australia Raises Health Cost Threshold for Visa Applications to $86,000

When determining if a visa application meets the health requirement, a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) will consider whether a condition may be a significant cost to the Australian community.

Significant cost is interpreted as a cost that is ‘higher than the average health and community services cost for an Australian’.

The Significant Cost Threshold (SCT) is the underpinning policy to ‘contain public expenditure on health care and community services’ as outlined in the Migration Regulations 1994.

The SCT was previously $51,000, however as of 1 July 2024, the current value of the SCT is $86,000.

Having a condition does not necessarily confirm that an individual will exceed the SCT.

The costs will depend on the condition of the individual, the severity of the condition and intended period of stay in Australia.

Ultimately, the MOC will assess the estimated cost depending on whether an individual will remain in Australia on a temporary visa or for a permanent visa.

If the estimated cost is assessed by the MOC to be above the SCT value of $86,000, the individual will exceed the SCT and therefore not meet the health requirement. 

The Department will not grant a visa if an individual does not meet the health requirement, unless a health waiver is available for the visa subclass and a decision is made to exercise the waiver.

Source : https://crystalmigration.com.au/2024/07/16/increase-in-the-significant-cost-threshold-sct/