# Carer visa experience



## funinthesun (Feb 18, 2015)

Hi all

Has anyone got experience with applying for a carer visa? I've done a fair bit of trawling through this forum but can't seem to find many threads about this topic.

I just wanted to hear about people's experiences as we are currently going through the process. In particular, I just wanted to see if anyone had any insights on the information to provide for the medical assessment and evidence that assistance cannot be reasonably obtained form welfare, hospital, nursing, community services in Australia.

We have engaged a MARA registered agent but always helps to do a bit of your own research too.

Thanks in advance for any information that people can share!


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## aussiesteve (Mar 16, 2012)

funinthesun said:


> Hi all
> 
> Has anyone got experience with applying for a carer visa? I've done a fair bit of trawling through this forum but can't seem to find many threads about this topic.
> 
> ...


A friend of my wife has just been through the process of applying for a carers visa for her sister to come to Australia to look after the friends daughter.
She found it extremely harrowing, and in the end it was refused as she was unable to demonstrate there was no one else in the family who was capable of caring for the daughter (who was an only child).
She also mentioned that even is she had been able to provide proof the waiting time was excessive as the visa in question is both queued and capped.
Following you MARAs advice is your best bet to get the visa.
Good luck!


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## funinthesun (Feb 18, 2015)

Thanks aussiesteve. It's good (but also worrying) to get that kind of information.

I'm already expecting it to be quite an intense process. In the last couple of years I've done a partner visa (successful) and a few high-risk country tourist visas (both unsuccessful and successful) and am anticipating the carer visa will trump all of them.


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## wrussell (Dec 31, 2014)

Be prepared to wait for many years for a visa decision.


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## aussiesteve (Mar 16, 2012)

funinthesun said:


> Thanks aussiesteve. It's good (but also worrying) to get that kind of information.
> 
> I'm already expecting it to be quite an intense process. In the last couple of years I've done a partner visa (successful) and a few high-risk country tourist visas (both unsuccessful and successful) and am anticipating the carer visa will trump all of them.


I don't envy you funinthesun, it is a very stressful time for you.
Another friend of my wife was successful in getting a carers visa for her sister to care for her daughter, she was able to argue that as she had 2 other small children and no family at all in Australia she needed assistance. 
The waiting time was still excessive though.


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## funinthesun (Feb 18, 2015)

wrussell said:


> Be prepared to wait for many years for a visa decision.


Thanks wrussell. We are well aware that the current wait time is about 4.5 years. Fortunately, we are applying onshore.

I'm not sure what people who apply offshore do. If you are applying for one of these visas, it is for someone who genuinely needs a high-level of care now. What are people supposed to do in the interim while they wait for a visa decision? Access the services that they are required to show they can't access? It's a tough position to be in.


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## funinthesun (Feb 18, 2015)

Hi all

Just a quick update in case there are others out there working on a carers visa.

We have been assigned a queue date, which means that the preliminary requirements for the visa have been met. I understand this is a big first hurdle that we've gotten over as we've successfully demonstrated the required care cannot come from any other relative or from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services (which was our biggest concern as this is such broad requirement). 

Now we have to wait 4.5 years for a place to become available and we'll have to go through the final assessment process to ensure circumstances haven't changed. It's a long wait but at least we have some peace of mind that we're well on our way to a long-term care solution.

If others are going through this application and have questions, I'm happy to answer them. Insights into other people's experiences with this visa would also be welcome.


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## Balaram (Jan 20, 2016)

funinthesun said:


> Hi all
> 
> Just a quick update in case there are others out there working on a carers visa.
> 
> ...


Could you please tell us what short of documents/evidence you provided to the immigration to satisfied on the required care cannot come from any other relative or from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services? Is there any organization they can give you a letter stating this. I am planning to apply the visa very soon.


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## wrussell (Dec 31, 2014)

Balaram said:


> Could you please tell us what short of documents/evidence you provided to the immigration to satisfied on the required care cannot come from any other relative or from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services? Is there any organization they can give you a letter stating this. I am planning to apply the visa very soon.


This depends on the particulars of the case, level of care needed, the location of relatives and services and the person needing care.


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## dassahappy (Jan 20, 2016)

hi there i have applyied for a carers visa back in october 2014 i put the application in then i my partner had to go for a medical assessement the first time he failed with a score of 15 points out of 30 points where he should have passed with his medical issues he was told by the department to reso his medical after failing so he waiting a few months and redone his medical again he failed again i was then refused and was giving a chance to go to mrt i was giving 2 options so my partner took option 1 was to go and do another medical assessement he passed this time with more than was required now we are waiting on the decision from mrt not sure how long it takes for that soon i hope for the medical its not easy to pass the requirement my partner had 9 or 10 medical issues since 2006 you need to have ovver 2 years of medical conditions to satify them .....has anyone out there failed a medical or went through what we have .....


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## funinthesun (Feb 18, 2015)

Balaram said:


> Could you please tell us what short of documents/evidence you provided to the immigration to satisfied on the required care cannot come from any other relative or from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services? Is there any organization they can give you a letter stating this. I am planning to apply the visa very soon.


Hi Balaram

As wrussell said, the evidence you provide depends on the particulars of your case. In our case, some of the things we provided included:

1.	For each family member - Statements explaining why they can't provide the care with accompanying evidence, e.g. work/study details, info on other family obligations, evidence of where everyone lived.

2.	Welfare, hospital, nursing or community services - We had correspondence from a number of different not-for-profit and for-profit organisations showing that a) they couldn't provide any assistance; or b) if they could assist, the level of assistance they could provide and how much it would cost. We then showed how even if we added up all the different available services, it wouldn't be sufficient to cover the amount of care required. And then on top of this, we also showed that we couldn't afford the full amount of care even if it was available.

Hope that gives you some ideas of the evidence that might be appropriate in your case.

Good luck!


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## wrussell (Dec 31, 2014)

It is not unusual to receive a first instance refusal in a carer visa application, in which case an application to the AAT would be required to take the case forward.


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## dassahappy (Jan 20, 2016)

wrussell said:


> It is not unusual to receive a first instance refusal in a carer visa application, in which case an application to the AAT would be required to take the case forward.


well the aat have no power to overturn bupa or any goverment doctors its just good news that my partner did pass for the 3 rd time now because he passed with a greater impairment of more than 30 now the aat is wanting a comfirmation with bupa all through we provided the results and the sealed envolope to the aat its taking time for them to make a decission on my case , they claim that they wrote to the department requesting the comfirmation on my partners impairement to bupa in fact we have found out bupa doesnt know anything about it i wonder whats really going on with the goverment system here.


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