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A NEW ruling by Canberra means that parent visa applicants in Australia are no longer eligible for Medicare while awaiting processing of their visa applications.
The amendment commenced on 1 January 2001 and applies to applicants who lodged before 1 January 2001 and after that date.
People who applied for parent visas before 1 January 2001 will therefore have their entitlement to Medicare withdrawn.
An applicant for a parent visa is defined in the legislation as someone who:
* has applied for a permanent visa included in a class of visas that has the word "parent" in its title; or
* before 1 November 1999 applied for a visa in any of the following classes: Change in Circumstances (Residence) (Class AG); Family (Residence) (Class AO); or General (Residence) (Class AS) and:
- was sponsored by an adult child (that is, a child over 18 years); or
- was included in such an application.
The legislation would appear to include applicants for any of the subclassses of visas listed in these classes.
However, the Health Insurance Commission says that the intention and effect of the legislation is only to exclude applicants for visas with the word "parent" in the title.
This would apply to subclass 804 (Aged Parent) or 103 (Parent) and not applicants for subclass 806 (for example, the Aged Dependent Relative or Special Need Relative visa).
The HIC says they have written to all parent visa applicants telling them about the changes.