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You can visit for health care

AUSTRALIA has an excellent health system with public and private hospitals in all cities and major towns.

You can obtain first class treatment in private hospitals for most medical problems even if you do not normally live in Australia - but you'll have to pay.

The Medical Treatment visa (MTV) is for visitors planning medical treatment or consultations, except procedures for surrogate motherhood.

The MTV is also for people accompanying and providing support to someone who intends being a patient.

You should apply for the visa that will cover you for your full period of stay - a 675 visa for a stay of up to three months, or a 685 visa for a longer stay. You should also apply for a period of stay that covers the time for the agreed treatment plan. This should not include long periods for convalescence.

It is expected that medical visitors will leave Australia before their visas expire.

Medical treatment can include consultation with a health professional, an operation, organ donation, or any activity that takes a person into a health care facility.

If a woman wants to have her baby in Australian maternity facilities, then a Medical Treatment visa is appropriate, but cannot be granted unless she has undergone an x-ray examination.

You may apply for a MTV if you are:

* seeking any kind of treatment (this means you are the patient), except surrogate motherhood, and have made satisfactory arrangements for that treatment to be provided, including - if you need an organ donation - an appropriate organ;

* coming to Australia to donate an organ (an organ donor);

* accompanying someone who is a patient or donor;

* already in Australia, over 50 years old, and are an unsuccessful applicant for permanent residence, failing only on the grounds of health.

If you are the holder of an ETA, you do not have these conditions and you may apply.

When you apply for a visa, you will be asked to give information to show that:

* you genuinely intend to leave Australia after treatment;

* medical arrangements are in place, including payment arrangements;

* you have sufficient funds for the trip and treatment;

* you have already had a specialist medical examination and an x-ray for tuberculosis.

The department will need to know that you intend only to visit Australia.

It is expected that applicants will not stay in Australia for a long convalescence, even where the outcome of treatment is not what was hoped.

You should provide details of the arrangements for returning to your home country, including realistic plans for ongoing nursing, recuperation or travel in the event of continuing health problems.

A treatment plan should be provided, indicating a written agreement of the treating physicians to undertake the work and whether in- or out-patient treatment is expected for each part of your medical process.

Payment arrangements for your treatment must be shown, with no costs to any Australian government, unless the government concerned has endorsed, in writing, that it accepts the costs.

If treatment is to be in a public hospital, the relevant government health authority must, in writing:

* approve the treatment plan including the use of the particular providers;

* state that no Australian will be disadvantaged; and

* agree that payment arrangements are satisfactory.

You also need to show that there are sufficient funds for the living expenses for yourself, for any person accompanying you, and for any person coming as your organ donor.

As all applicants will be using Australian health care facilities, they will need to undergo an x-ray examination to exclude active tuberculosis.

You will also need to supply a specialist's report on your medical condition.

Not all of these requirements must be met by applicants who:

* are in Australia;

* are more than 50 years of age;

* have had an application for permanent residence fail due to the health criteria only; and

* are unable to travel.

Such applicants should discuss options with the case officer who handled their permanent visa application.

Where there is an intention to have a baby in Australia, an applicant with no recent x-ray screening for tuberculosis should contact Health Services Australia (HSA) as quickly as possible to arrange an assessment. This must be before entry to a health care facility.

This check will use non-radiological assessments of tuberculosis as far as possible.