Every year, a large number of international students who have completed their studies directly use the OSHC insurance they held during their studies when applying for the 485 temporary worker visa, assuming that the policy can still be used as long as it has not expired.

However, according to the official policies of Australia, OSHC is not applicable to the 485 visa. Misusing the insurance will violate the 8501 visa clause, cause delays in visa processing, and even affect the validity of the visa.

In today's article, we'll break down how to achieve a compliant and cost-effective "seamless transition" of health insurance when switching from a student visa to a work visa. Let's take a look~

1. OSHC and OVHC apply to completely different types of visas

OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover): Mandatory insurance for 500 student visa holders and their dependent family members under the visa during their period of study. Once the student visa status ceases, even if the OSHC policy has not yet expired, it will no longer meet the compliance requirements for other temporary visas.

OVHC (Overseas Visitor Health Cover): Designed for non-student temporary visa holders, it is mandatory to purchase OVHC for the 485 Graduate Temporary Visa to meet visa condition 8501 (maintaining compliant health insurance throughout the entire stay in Australia. Apart from the 485 visa, OVHC is also required for the 482 Employer Sponsored Visa, certain 600 Visitor Visas, Guardian Visas, etc.).

II. Complete Procedure for OSHC Refund

Required Materials for Refund Application

1. OSHC Policy Number

2. Personal Passport Information

3. Visa Status Evidence: Student Visa Expiry Certificate / 485 Lodgement Receipt

4. Bank card receiving account (some companies only support local Australian accounts)

Application Channels (3 Official Methods)

1. Personal account backend on the official website of the insurance company: Locate the "Cancel Policy / Refund" section, submit the policy surrender application online, and keep the email receipt as proof

2. Official email of the insurance company: Send an email stating the reason for surrender: the student visa has expired, and you have switched to the 485 Graduate Temporary Visa, to apply for a refund of the remaining OSHC Insurance premium

3. Offline Insurance Stores / Official Customer Service Hotline

Key Time Risk Points (Priority)

1. Policy surrender effective date ≠ Application submission date

When you submit a refund application, the insurance provider will set the effective date of the policy surrender. Your OVHC must be in force on the exact day the surrender takes effect, with no gap in insurance coverage. For example: If your OSHC expires on 1 September, do not surrender the policy one week in advance. It is recommended to set the policy surrender effective date as the same day your OSHC expires, and schedule your OVHC to take effect the following day for a seamless transition.

2. Refund Period

Most insurance companies have a processing period of 2 to 4 weeks, leading to slow refund arrival. Do not wait for the refund to be credited to your account before purchasing an OVHC; complete the OVHC purchase first to avoid an insurance gap during the bridging visa period, which would violate Clause 8501.

3. Refund Amount Calculation

Only the coverage period that has not yet commenced will be refunded; the number of coverage days that have already elapsed will be deducted, and the original Insurance premium will not be fully refunded.

⚠️Heads-up to avoid pitfalls: For the OSHC plans affiliated with certain schools, you need to first contact the school to confirm whether the policy is managed uniformly by the school, as individuals cannot directly surrender such school-affiliated policies.

III. How to Choose an OVHC

When purchasing OVHC, there are insurance plans available ranging from dozens of Australian dollars to hundreds of Australian dollars.

How should young people who have just graduated and are looking for a job make their choices?

The primary objective is to comply with the provisions of 8501.

• Basic Hospital Insurance: Meets the minimum requirements of the immigration office, covering expenses for sudden serious illness, accidental hospitalization and emergency ambulance services. It offers the best value for money and is ideal for healthy graduates on a tight budget.

• Comprehensive Medical Insurance: It covers reimbursement for general practitioner consultations and some prescription drugs, making it suitable for people with chronic diseases who need regular prescription refills or those who prioritize reimbursement for daily outpatient visits.

Switching your insurance after graduation may seem straightforward, but in reality, every step including timelines, product types, refund coordination, and dependent coverage comes with compliance requirements. Any mistake can directly delay the processing of your 485 visa and even lead to a rejection.

Many students who handle insurance procedures on their own are prone to issues such as errors in OSHC cancellation, incorrect OVHC policy selection, insurance coverage gaps, and missing coverage for dependents, which end up being more trouble than it's worth.

If you don't want to go through official policies one by one and compare complicated insurance products on your own, you can directly opt for the one-stop OSHC insurance service.

We will provide:

• Provide full assistance in applying for a refund of the remaining OSHC Insurance premium to ensure no loss of your rights and interests

• Provide a variety of compliant OVHC products to meet diverse needs

• Precisely control the insurance connection time to achieve compliant connection with zero gap

• We provide bilingual after-sales customer service in both Chinese and English, and will follow up on all subsequent claims settlement matters throughout the process.