Independent guide

Visa Condition 8501 and Health Insurance

Condition 8501 requires the visa holder to maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance while in Australia.

The exact health cover you need depends on your visa and circumstances. Student visa holders use OSHC, while many temporary work and visitor visa holders may use OVHC. A policy should not be described as suitable merely because it is called OVHC: the selected cover still needs to meet the relevant visa requirements.

Common visa categories connected with 8501

Home Affairs publishes a list of visas that may be subject to condition 8501. The current list includes subclasses such as 407, 408, 417, 462, 482, 485, 500, 590, 600 and 870, along with some bridging and other temporary visas. Whether the condition is imposed can depend on the visa and circumstances.

Where NIB fits

nib markets OSHC for student visa requirements and OVHC for a range of temporary visa holders. Always check the exact NIB product selected rather than assuming every NIB policy is suitable for every visa.

Student visa

Start with OSHC.

NIB OSHC for 500 →

Graduate / work visa

Start with OVHC and verify visa suitability.

NIB OVHC →
Independent information websiteReviewed against current NIB and Australian Government information • Updated August 2026
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