Question
Can I get a work visa for Australia if I’m HIV positive?
27 February 2016. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Disclosure, Travel.
I am a psychiatric nurse and have been hiv positive since 2004. I am taking truvada and efivarenz.
In 2007 I was refused entry to New Zealand because they said my medication was expensive and truvada new on the market also being HIV my chances of hospitalization where high.
I want to try Australia, do they have same policy on hiv migrant workers?
Answer
Currently, as in almost every country of the world, foreigners applying for most types of Australian visas, excluding temporary visitor visas, require a health check. The certified results are a required part of their immigration documents.
The Australian government Department of Immigration and Citizenship also wrote :-
“If the applicant is found to be HIV positive, a decision on whether the applicant meets the health requirement will be made on the same grounds as any other pre-existing medical condition. The main factor to be taken into account is the cost of the condition to the Australian community of health care and community services. Standard pre and post-test counselling must be provided by the doctor who examined the applicant.”
This link helps demonstrate the criteria for gaining a visa for entry into Australia. While Australia does carry some restrictions, these are often not enforced and gaining a visa tends to end in positive outcomes for those who are HIV positive.
However, nursing is one of the professions where HIV might still be an issue. The restrictions on HIV positive people working as doctors, dentist and nurses were lifted in the UK so long as the person is on ART with an undetectable viral load. In other countries this might not be the case yet.
Perhaps contact an HIV organistation in Australia, such as NAPWA (www.napwa.org) in case they can help.
This answer was updated in January 2022 from a question first posted in November 2011.
Hi Steven. If there is a chance you might stay longer it would be better to take extra meds with you. Australia does allow people to import generic meds for personal use because this is happening for PrEP and HepC drugs. So this is probably okay, but the time it takes to order is 2-3 weeks in the UK – so you might need to do this almost as soon as you arrive. Perhaps contact and HIV organisation in Australia about this.
Hi, I will travel to Australia for 1 month, and i will carry my meds with me, if happen that i would like to stay longer time, can i ask my frend to send me ART med from my country? Any issue with the border custom?Thanks
Hi Levi – I am sorry but i-Base doesn’t have information about visa and travel – just on treatment. This link has useful information: http://hivtravel.org
I have am hiv positive man having an I level certificate. Pls I want to know if it’s possible I get a visa to come over dere, I am good and strong enough to handle any kind of factory work. Thanks
Hi Sonam, this is something that you have to ask the people who process the visa. If you get refugee status you might be lucky and HIV is not a problem. This website on HIV and travel has information by country:http://hivtravel.org
I get the chance to move to Australia as a Tibetan refugees since 2014 but still I can,t get any visa so I just want to know that we the Hiv people will allow to go in different country on not
thanks Chris
Hi Suzan,
This is a good place to start looking:
http://www.afao.org.au/living-with-hiv/migrating-to-australia#.V3oUwYQh_B0
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Chris
Hi Susan,
Your question has already been answered above. Generally the word AIDS is no longer used because successful HIV treatment has made these illnesses rare. AIDS is now a description that’s used when someone has serious infections. When you contact the depart for immigration it would be a good idea to be careful about using this word.
Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Good luck.
I am an African woman living with HIV/AIDS and would like to do my postgraduate studies in Australia in 2017. I would like to know if there are any entry restrictions for students living with HIV who wish to study full-time in Australia Universities.