What medical conditions qualify for a Carer visa?

Any medical condition qualifies for a Carer visa if a Bupa Medical Visa Services certificate finds that it causes physical, intellectual or sensory impairment of daily life, rates that impairment at 30 or more, and records a need for direct help lasting at least 2 years. Regulation 1.15AA of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) names no condition, so dementia, autism, cancer or a mental illness qualifies only through its effect on the relative's daily life, never through the diagnosis alone.

Which medical conditions qualify for a Carer visa?

The medical conditions that qualify for a Carer visa are those that a certificate finds are "causing physical, intellectual or sensory impairment of the ability of that person to attend to the practical aspects of daily life", in the words of regulation 1.15AA(1)(b)(ii). The relative who needs care is the person assessed, and the carer's visa depends on what the certificate says about them.

The diagnosis starts the process but does not decide it. The Impairment Tables themselves say that a diagnosed condition "does not necessarily mean" there is an impairment to rate (section 13(6) of the Impairment Tables Determination 2023).

What counts as impairment of daily life?

Impairment of daily life counts when the condition limits the relative's ability to attend to the practical aspects of daily life in one of the three ways the regulation names.

1. Physical impairment. The Impairment Tables that cover physical function include Table 1 (physical exertion and stamina), Tables 2 and 3 (upper and lower limbs), Table 4 (the spine) and Table 13 (continence).
2. Intellectual impairment. Table 9 covers intellectual function, and Table 7 covers brain function, meaning neurological and cognitive function.
3. Sensory impairment. Table 11 covers hearing and Table 12 covers vision.

The relative describes the practical side on Bupa's Statement of Assistance before the assessment. It asks whether they need help with bathing and showering, toileting, eating, mobility, exercise therapy and transport, and for how long each day, in bands from under 30 minutes to more than 120 minutes.

How long must the need for care last?

The need for care must last at least 2 years: the certificate must find that the person "has, and will continue for at least 2 years to have, a need for direct assistance" (regulation 1.15AA(1)(b)(iv)). The test looks forward from the date of the certificate.

The Department of Home Affairs' subclass 836 page describes a condition that is "long term or permanent". The Regulations set the 2-year need as the test. The words "permanent or long-term" appear only in regulation 1.15AA(1)(d), which applies to the resident's own need for help when the person needing care is another member of the family.

Does dementia qualify for a Carer visa?

Dementia qualifies for a Carer visa when the certificate finds that it impairs the relative's daily life, rates the impairment at 30 or more and expects the need for direct help to last at least 2 years. The Impairment Tables name "conditions resulting in dementia" among the conditions assessed under Table 7 (brain function).

A parent with dementia who is the resident sponsors the application if they are 18 or over. If they cannot sign, the only other sponsor the Regulations allow is their cohabiting spouse or de facto partner (clauses 116.212 and 836.213). No provision lets a guardian or an attorney sponsor. Bupa's form lets the person needing care consent to an authorised representative booking and discussing the assessment on their behalf.

Does autism or a child's disability qualify?

Autism or a child's disability qualifies when the child is a member of the resident's family unit and an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and the certificate rates the child's impairment at 30 or more with a need lasting at least 2 years. The Impairment Tables name autism spectrum disorder among the conditions assessed under Table 7, and Table 9 covers intellectual function.

A child cannot sponsor, because the sponsor must be 18 or over. The parent is therefore the resident and signs the sponsorship on Form 40, which carries the sponsor's 2-year undertaking. Regulation 1.15AA(1)(d) adds a test for the parent: because the person needing care is not the resident, the parent must have "a permanent or long-term need for assistance in providing the direct assistance".

Does cancer qualify for a Carer visa?

Cancer qualifies for a Carer visa only if its effects meet the same tests, including a need for direct help that the certificate expects to last at least 2 years. The Impairment Tables list widespread or metastatic cancer among the conditions linked to fatigue under Table 1.

The certificate looks forward 2 years from the date it is issued. Treatment plans and prognosis are matters for the relative's own doctors, and the treating doctor's report goes to Bupa with the Statement of Assistance.

Does a mental illness qualify for a Carer visa?

A mental illness qualifies for a Carer visa only through its effect: regulation 1.15AA names physical, intellectual or sensory impairment, not psychiatric impairment. The certificate must therefore find that the illness impairs the relative's ability to attend to daily life in one of those three ways.

The wording differs from the Disability Support Pension, which uses "physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment" (section 94(1)(a) of the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth)). The Impairment Tables do contain Table 5 for mental health function. Neither the Department nor Bupa publishes how a mainly psychiatric condition is certified for a Carer visa.

Is this the same as the Carer visa health requirement?

No, the Carer visa health requirement is a different test. It checks the carer, and the carer's family, under public interest criterion 4005, while the medical-condition test checks the relative who needs care under regulation 1.15AA.

Bupa Medical Visa Services can be involved in both, because it also carries out visa health examinations in Australia, but the decision-makers differ. A Medical Officer of the Commonwealth decides whether the carer meets the health requirement, while the carer assessment certificate is signed by Bupa's medical adviser. The relative's condition never counts against the carer's own health.

Who decides on qualifying medical conditions?

Bupa Medical Visa Services decides whether the condition qualifies, because it is the only provider specified under regulation 1.15AA(2) (instrument LIN 24/040), and the Minister must take its certificate's opinion as correct (regulation 1.15AA(3)). The Department of Home Affairs decides the rest: whether the carer is a relative, whether other care is available, and whether the carer is willing and able.

The steps from the treating doctor's report to the signed certificate are set out in the guide to how the carer assessment works, including fees and home visits. The score itself, and the instruments behind it, are covered in the guide to regulation 1.15AA and the threshold of 30.

Families who cannot pay for advice can look for free legal help with a Carer visa first. Anyone who wants the medical evidence checked before the assessment can ask a registered practitioner through the enquiry form. The condition is only the first link; the guide that lets you check the three links in order covers the rest, and the overview of both subclasses is on the Carer Visa Australia home page.

Read next

Carer visa medical assessment: how the carer assessment works, step by stepSeven steps turn a doctor's report into the certificate the visa depends on. Carer visa impairment rating: regulation 1.15AA and the threshold of 30The Carer visa needs an impairment rating of 30, set by regulation 1.15AA. Carer visa requirements: check the three links in orderCheck each Carer visa criterion in order, from the relative's condition to the sponsor. Who can sponsor a Carer visa? The relative's side of the applicationThe sponsor signs Form 40 and promises two years of housing and money.