Hi,
My son has recently become a citizen in Australia, which gives my wife Julie and I the opportunity to apply for a Contributary Parent Visa there. The long term plan is hopefully to retire out there.
Unfortunately, with being diagnosed with CML in August 2010 this may well affect the Australian Immigration authorites decision on giving approval as would normally be the case.
I'm fortunate that the response to the Dasatinib medication (Spirit 2 trial) has been excellent and I hit MMR on the last reading,so they may look at the situation sympathetically. If anybody else has been through the application for Permanent Residency process or has any advice, I'd love to hear from them.
Many Thanks
Dave Marsland
You are here
Applying for Permanent Residency in Australia
Hi Dave, good news about your MMR. You might find some help and advice here
http://www.leukaemia.org.au/web/
Best wishes,
Sandy
I have no direct experience but my sister in law emigrated on one of those visa's. They used a company who got them the visa's which took about two years. All well and good.
Now I don't know how old you are - but they were coming up to retiring age and had a son living there, so gave his name as their sponsor. They paid in excess of £30K to join the Oz health service (due to their age of 60+) and left the UK. Only when one of them became unwell did they realise that this only covered in-patient hospital treatment! All drugs and outpatient visits had still to be paid for from their own pockets - and were not cheap or subsidised, so I would seriously suggest you take out private insurance as well - and make sure it will more than cover the cost of your TKI's each year.
The next thing they discovered was that, if one of them had to go permanently into care as they got older, they had to use their cash reserves to pay it, then their house would be sold even if the other was still living there! and eventually the authorities would look towards the son who had sponsored them to sell his home and could make his family homeless as well.....It was all far too much of a risk for them to take, so they sadly returned back to the UK.
It all seems to hinge on asking the right questions regarding Australian Healthcare - they naively thought they would be as covered as they were in the UK. Check and double check!
Just had a thought - there may still be yearly visa's available....? This might be a way to go as a start?
Then there is the reciprocal health agreement between Australia and the UK available too, for temporary visitors and so on. It might mean you having to leave Australia once a year or something - but might be worth investigating. I don't know how many times you could apply for one.
I wonder if you could continue with the Spirit 2 trial, by transferring temporarily to the Oz version for the time you are there, then using the reciprocal agreement for anything else?
Obviously, travel insurance as well, to cover all eventualities would be wise.
Bee
Hi David, I am British, live in Australia and luckily became a Permanent Resident prior to my CML diagnosis (and am now a Citizen.)
Previously Nilotinib and Dasatanib were not available via the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme) and to access these you needed to be on some sort of trial (as I am.) It is my understanding that the 2nd generation TKIs are now available on the PBS.
I am not sure whether people on the parental visa are eligible for the PBS. This is a question worth asking.
A lot of people in Australia have private health insurance. This is pretty normal and was an expectation when we arrived on a business visa. It is definitely worth having.
There is a reciprocal agreement between the UK and Australia that allows British people on business visas access to Medicare services. Medicare is not quite the same as the NHS. e.g there is no equivalent of NHS dentists, prescription medication (apart from PBS) is paid for, and trips to the GP are paid for with some money back from Medicare (unless you find a GP that bulk bills)
Having said that I have been lucky to have no major expenses with my CML.
It is worth investigating thoroughly and as Sandy points out the Leukaemia Foundation in Australia is very helpful.
Good luck
Kind regards
Kate
Many Thanks Kate,
I've taken Sandy's advice and been in touch with the leukaemia support in Australia.They responded pretty quickly and unfortunately have advised that there is no prospect of the immigration authorities approving PR with CML.
The main reason is the cost of the medication, which the Medicare system would have to pick up, as soon as I finished the Spirit 2 trial.
We are taking the approach that my wife will apply for the PR visa on her own and I'll stay there on temporary visas ( I may be able to apply for 12 month visas - then come back to the UK and apply again).
In the longer term I hope to go on the UK version of the STIM trial and thereby (fingers crossed) won't have the issue of the on going medication costs.
Appreciate yours,Sandy'd and Bee's comments.
DAve M
I have a son who is a permanent resident in Australia. I too was wondering about a PR visa.
In my case i have been off all medication going on 4 years at the end of April.
But I think the risk of relapsing will eliminate me as well as the ongoing costs of the 6 monthly PCR tests.
So I guess I will just have to renew my 2 year visitor visa, with a 3 month stay on a regular basis.
I am not quite sure who, apart from the Immigration Authorities, would be able to advise me of my chance of a PR visa.
I doubt if they have faced that one yet.
Hi,
I applying for Australia PR at the final stages and am in a dilemma as my partner has CML which is undetectable and if we disclose it during the medial check then can they approve the PR or is it a straight reject ?
I am not looking for the medical aid hence was thinking what if we don't disclose can I carry the medicines from India which are affordable for the full year to Australia or will that be restricted ?
Do you know anyone having CML going through Australia PR successfully ?
Dont know really what to do...please please help.
Thanks
Hi,
I have tried to do a little research on this issue and came across the following article which may be of some help as it seems there is a way you might not be rejected outright. But I think you have to make the case as the person who wrote the article explains.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/before-you-go/10049348/Disability-needn...
I am not sure about what happens if you don't disclose- but if you mean you will not be asking for healthcare (?) and will be importing your TKI from India (I assume a generic?) then you need to find out what the rules are for importing drugs for an existing condition.
You might find some help and advice by contacting the following organisation- I am sure they will be very able to help.
http://www.leukaemia.org.au/web/
This is obviously a complex issue and I am sorry I cannot advise you in a more knowledgeable way.
Hopefully others who had contributed to this thread will eventually respond.
Good luck,
Sandy