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TOUGHER TO PASS MEDICAL

By Lawrence Johnston

THE medical requirements of potential migrants to New Zealand will be tightened under measures that come into force in April.

The changes being introduced on April 4, reflect the New Zealand Government’s definition of an acceptable standard of health. Other issues involved include the length of stay for which a medical certificate is needed and the application types who won’t need to provide a medical certificate.

And the changes are a reminder of the importance to potential migrants not to leave acquiring their medical clearances till the last minute.

As New Zealand Immigration Service London Branch Manager Kevin Cameron said: "Don’t delay, because it can be the longest part of the migration process. The problem is not at our end, but it concerns how long it can sometimes take for an applicant to get an appointment with one of our NZIS approved doctors throughout the UK. There’s no delay once the medical gets started. It’s just that if there is a problem with the medical, that will add precious extra time to the application. The sooner the medical side gets rolling, the less is the likelihood of the application being delayed."

The change in what is considered acceptable health, affects residence applicants as well as those entering the country only temporarily.

Residence applicants will be deemed to have an acceptable standard of health, if they are:

• Unlikely to be a danger to public health, also
• Unlikely to impose significant costs or demands on New Zealand’s health services and/or education services, and
• Are able to undertake the functions for which they were granted entry.

The first of these conditions will also apply to temporary entry applicants. For them the other two conditions are that they would be:

• Unlikely to need hospitalisation or residential care during their stay in New Zealand, and
• Unlikely to need ORRS funding through the education system.

Temporary entrants may still be allowed into New Zealand if they have an ailment that would be expensive to treat or have a chronic illness, provided they’re unlikely to need hospital treatment while there.  For example, the New Zealand Government may allow a tourist with HIV/AIDS to enter New Zealand provided they have sufficient medication with them.

Work to Residence, Long Term Business Visa applicants and workers intending to be in New Zealand for more than two years, are eligible for publicly funded health services, so will be assessed against the acceptable standard of health for residence.

Applicants will need to supply medical certificates for family members who aren’t accompanying them to New Zealand

For example, someone applying for residence, must supply medical certificates for their partner and all their dependent children. They still need to supply such certificates if neither person in the relationship has custody of the children.

Mr Cameron said: "This is to catch the people who drop children or partners off their applications because they have medical problems. Once they get to New Zealand they then start mounting the pressure for those other family members to join them."

Another change is a lowering in the age requirement for chest X-ray testing.

Chest X-rays will be required for anyone aged 11 years old or over, though pregnant women do not need to undergo that test.

The application of someone who has an unacceptable standard of health, will be declined unless a medical waiver is granted. A waiver will only be considered if:

• All the application’s other requirements have been met, and

• The application is one of the following–

• Family Sponsored Categories for Residence – Partnership Policy; Parent Policy; Sibling/Adult Child Policy; Dependent Child Policy, Family Quota, and Refugee Family Quota.

• Residence Policy for Victims of Domestic Violence, or
• Temporary Entry – Seconded Business Personnel
  Partners of New Zealand citizens and residents – temporary entrants.

Medical waivers are considered on a case-by-case basis, and a decision on an application may be deferred in some cases so the applicant can get medical treatment.

But people who have any of the following ailments will have to provide a medical certificate:

• Severe haemophilia.
• Ailments requiring renal dialysis, or
• Active tuberculosis (TB) – however, a decision on an application may be deferred until treatment is received.

Temporary entrants will need to provide a medical certificate if they intend staying in the country for more than a year. The current threshold is two years. The new threshold also includes time in New Zealand as a result of a permit renewal.

For example, if they apply for a six-month extension to a nine-month permit, they will have to provide a medical certificate when applying for that extension.

Another issue affecting temporary entrants is that they may have to submit medical certificates when applying for further permits or visas. For example, medical certificates which are more than two years old when another temporary visa or permit is needed, will require new certificates.

Because of the changes, there are different medical forms to fill in depending on when an applicant applies.

There is one form to fill in for applications lodged before 4 April 2005 and a different one for applications lodged on or after April 4. Because a medical certificate must be less than three months old when an application is lodged, it is important to use the right form.

The current points passmark where skilled people are invited to apply to emigrate to New Zealand currently remains at a low 100.
The passmark is assessed every two weeks according to the quality of people applying to migrate.