Switching from OSHC to OVHC

If you're finishing your studies in Australia and moving to a work visa, you'll need to switch your health cover from OSHC to OVHC. This guide explains when and how to make the change, so you stay covered, avoid any coverage gaps and, meet your visa requirements.

OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) is health insurance designed specifically for international students on a student visa. Once your student visa ends, your OSHC cover also ends.

If you're staying in Australia after you have finished studying then you will need a work visa or other visa type, which means you'll also need a different kind of health insurance called OVHC (Overseas Visitor Health Cover).

Many work visas in Australia are subject to visa condition 8501. This condition requires you to maintain adequate health insurance for the entire time you're in Australia. There are a range of OVHC products that meet these requirements. 

Without the right health cover, you could face expensive medical bills if you get sick or injured. You may also be at risk of having your visa cancelled if your visa requires you to hold health insurance. It’s important to ensure you have the right health cover in place so there are no gaps in your coverage as you make the switch. 

Both OSHC and OVHC provide health cover while you're in Australia. The main difference is who they're designed for.

The best time to switch from OSHC to OVHC is before your student visa ends. This helps you avoid any gaps in your health cover.

If you're applying for a new visa while still on your student visa, you may be granted a bridging visa. 

During this time, you should check which type of health cover you need. In most cases, if your bridging visa is linked to your student visa application, you can stay on OSHC. If your bridging visa is linked to a work visa application, you'll likely need OVHC.

Important: If there's a gap of more than 30 days between your OSHC ending and your OVHC starting, you may need to re-serve waiting periods on your new policy. To avoid this, make sure you switch before your current cover ends. 

Switching your health cover is straightforward. Here's what you need to do:

Confirm what type of visa you have or are applying for. Check if your visa is subject to condition 8501, which requires you to hold adequate health insurance. You can check your visa conditions on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Contact your current OSHC provider and ask for a clearance certificate. This document shows how long you've been covered and confirms you've served your waiting periods. Your new OVHC provider will need this to recognise your waiting period history.

Compare OVHC products to find one that suits your needs. Consider whether you want hospital-only cover or hospital plus medical (local doctors/GPs) cover. Also think about whether you'd like extras cover for things like dental, optical, and physiotherapy.

Set your OVHC start date to begin immediately after your student visa ends. If you switch within 30 days and provide your clearance certificate, your waiting periods will transfer to your new policy.

If you have unused time left on your OSHC policy, contact your provider to cancel and request a pro-rata refund for the remaining period. PLEASE NOTE: we won’t pay a refund if the unexpired portion of your policy is less than 30 days.

The subclass 485 visa (Temporary Graduate visa) is one of the most common visas for international students who have finished their studies and want to stay in Australia to work.

If you're moving from a student visa to a 485 visa, you need to switch from OSHC to OVHC. The 485 visa is subject to condition 8501, which means you must maintain adequate health insurance while you're in Australia.

Allianz Care Australia offers a range of OVHC products that meet the health insurance requirements for 485 visa holders. These include Budget Working cover (hospital only), Standard Working cover (hospital and medical), Mid Working cover (hospital, medical, and extras), and Top Working cover (comprehensive hospital, medical, and extras).

When you switch from OSHC to OVHC with Allianz Care Australia, your waiting periods can transfer to your new policy. This is called portability.

For your waiting periods to transfer, you need to switch within 30 days of your OSHC ending and provide a clearance certificate from your previous provider. The OVHC cover that you choose will also need to be of a similar level of cover (or higher) to your OSHC for waiting periods to transfer.

If there's a gap of more than 30 days between policies, or if you don't provide a clearance certificate, you may need to re-serve waiting periods. The main waiting periods are 2 months for psychiatric, rehabilitation, and palliative care, and 12 months for pregnancy-related conditions and pre-existing conditions.

A pre-existing condition is an illness or condition you had signs or symptoms of in the 6 months before your cover started. If you served your pre-existing condition waiting period on OSHC, this will be recognised when you switch to OVHC (as long as you switch within 30 days). 

When choosing your OVHC product, think about what level of cover you need.

Hospital-only cover is the most affordable option. It covers you for in-hospital treatment but doesn't include visits to the doctor outside of hospital. This may suit you if you're generally healthy and want basic cover to meet your visa requirements.

Hospital and medical cover includes out-of-hospital medical services like GP visits, specialist appointments, pathology, and radiology. This is a good option if you want more comprehensive cover for day-to-day health needs.

Cover with extras includes benefits for services like dental, optical, physiotherapy, and chiropractic. This is available with Mid and Top Working cover products. 

You should also consider whether you need single cover (just for you) or family cover (for you and your partner and/or children).

Ready to switch from OSHC to OVHC? Here's a quick checklist:

• Check your new visa type and conditions
• Request a clearance certificate from your current OSHC provider
• Compare OVHC products and choose the right level of cover
• Apply for OVHC before your OSHC ends (within 30 days)
• Cancel your OSHC and request any refund you're entitled to

If you have questions about switching your cover, contact us today and we would be happy to help guide you through your options.