Understanding which health insurance product to recommend to your clients is an important role of any Migration Agent. Visa applicants rely on your advice to make life-impacting decisions. Knowing when to recommend Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is important. There are important differences between the two products.
Different visa types have different health insurance requirements. This article helps you understand when to offer OSHC or OVHC to your clients. It is important to ensure the appropriate health insurance is purchased. See below for useful links to important information, to help ensure you are providing the right advice to your clients.
Your clients are responsible for any health debts that occur in Australia:
As most temporary visa holders cannot access the Medicare system, recommending the right cover can help to save your clients money and stress.
Overseas Student Heath Cover & the student visa subclass 500
In Australia, OSHC is a mandatory requirement of a student visa, unless your client is exempt. To find out more about student visas, click here:
Department of Home Affairs website (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500) .
Your client must have OSHC for the entire time they are studying in Australia. OSHC is a visa length cover and only covers students who are the primary student visa holder on a valid student visa, subclass 500 and any approved dependants.
OSHC cannot be used across other visa types.
Understanding eligibility can be challenging to understand. Asking the right questions will ensure your customer buys the right product to meet their needs. If your customer holds a student visa, that person is eligible for OSHC. If your customer has applied for a student visa, is currently on a bridging visa and whose previous visa was a student visa, that person is also eligible for OSHC.
Any customers on an approved student visa, subclass 500 are eligible for OSHC.
If your customer has applied for a student visa and is currently on a bridging visa but did not previously hold a student visa, that person is not eligible for OSHC and needs to look at OVHC.
To find out more about OSHC please visit the Allianz Global Assistance website.
Overseas Visitor Health Cover & working and visitor visas.
OVHC is health insurance for international visitors who are not on a student visa subclass 500.
It is important for you to understand the correct type of health insurance to discuss with your clients to make sure they are appropriately covered and if applicable meet any 8501 – maintain adequate health insurance visa condition while living in Australia.
If your client is on any eligible visa type other than a student visa subclass 500, OVHC should be discussed.
Even when condition 8501 does not apply, OVHC may be the right solution to help protect your clients while they remain in Australia.
If you are unclear on eligible visas and OVHC, please refer to this handy list.
AGA’s policies are easy to understand and easy to read. Full policy wording can be referred to at any time and is easy to access on our website if you or your clients have any questions.
If you still have questions, please contact your Allianz Partners account manager who can assist with your enquiry or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. our dedicated Agent support team.
To receive 15% commission for each client for OVHC and OSHC click here.
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Join as a partner and begin referring your clients today: https://migrationalliance.com.au/templates/beez_20/images/Allianz-MA-RMA-Application-Form.pdf
Darryl Goodhand | General Manager, International Health
Allianz Partners