Subclass 602 medical treatment visa: who can apply

The subclass 602 medical treatment visa is a temporary visa for a person who needs medical treatment or consultations in Australia, who is supporting someone receiving treatment, who is donating an organ, or who needs time in Australia to settle an existing matter about leaving the country. It does not give a general right to live or work here. The base application charge is $480 as at 25 September 2026, per the Department of Home Affairs current visa pricing page.

Who the subclass 602 medical treatment visa is for

The visa covers several distinct situations, and the one you fall into shapes the evidence you need.

The first is medical treatment or consultations in Australia. This includes a course of treatment, specialist consultations, or recovery here. It does not extend to coming to Australia to obtain or arrange a surrogacy. The Department will refuse an application where the purpose is a surrogacy arrangement.

The second is supporting someone who is receiving medical treatment. A family member or carer may hold a 602 to accompany and support a patient who is in Australia for treatment.

The third is organ donation, either as the donor or as a person arranging an organ donation for someone else. Dedicated criteria apply to donors.

The fourth, and the one that is least understood, is to remain in Australia to finalise an existing matter concerning your departure. People sometimes use a 602 to stay lawfully while they resolve a pressing issue before leaving, where no other visa fits. The Department assesses these cases against their own merits, and the scope is narrow.

The funding and health-cost requirement

A central requirement runs through the treatment categories. You must show that you can meet the costs of your treatment and stay, and that your treatment will not be an undue cost to the Australian community or prejudice the access of an Australian citizen or resident to health services. In practice this means evidence of adequate funds, confirmation of arrangements with the hospital or treating provider, and, where relevant, evidence of insurance.

Some applicants are helped by a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and their home country. These agreements vary in what they cover, and they do not remove the need to show that your presence will not disadvantage Australians seeking the same services. Where no agreement applies, you should expect to demonstrate full private funding.

Work, study and how long the visa lasts

The subclass 602 is not a work visa. It commonly carries condition 8101, which provides that the holder must not engage in work in Australia. If you need to earn an income while here, the 602 is the wrong visa, and you should consider an alternative before lodging.

Study is also limited. Where condition 8201 is imposed, the holder may study for no more than three months. The visa is granted for the period the Department considers necessary for the stated purpose, so the length varies from a short grant to a longer one for an extended course of treatment. There is no fixed term that applies to every applicant.

Applying onshore or offshore, and the section 48 point

You can apply for the subclass 602 either from inside Australia or from overseas, and where you are affects what happens next.

If you apply onshore while you still hold a substantive visa, you are generally granted a Bridging visa A under the Migration Regulations 1994, which keeps your status lawful while the 602 is decided. If you apply from overseas, you must be outside Australia when the visa is decided unless the criteria provide otherwise.

The onshore route carries a feature that matters to people who have had a recent visa setback. Section 48 of the Migration Act 1958 restricts a non-citizen in the migration zone who does not hold a substantive visa, and who since last entering Australia has had a visa application refused or a visa cancelled, from applying for most further visas while they remain here. The Medical Treatment visa is one of the limited classes that such a person may still apply for onshore. For someone whose onshore partner visa or skilled visa application was refused, and who has a real and immediate medical need, the 602 can be one of the few lawful options available in Australia. It is not a workaround for the bar, and the treatment and funding criteria still have to be met in full.

Common reasons applications fail

Most refusals come back to evidence rather than eligibility. The frequent gaps are a lack of proof of funds for the full cost of treatment and stay, treating-provider confirmation that is vague or missing, and insufficient material showing that the stated purpose is the real purpose of the trip. Where the matter is support of a patient, applications can falter if the link between the applicant and the patient, and the need for that support, is not documented.

Applications tied to surrogacy will not succeed, because the visa is not available for that purpose. And a 602 that is used to stay on after a treatment episode has ended, without a fresh and valid reason, invites scrutiny about whether the genuine temporary purpose remains.

If a 602 is refused

A refusal of an onshore application generally attracts merits review at the Administrative Review Tribunal, within a strict statutory time limit. Merits review means the Tribunal looks at the decision afresh on the evidence before it and can make the decision again.

Procedural fairness matters at review. Where a decision turns on particular issues, the applicant must be given a genuine opportunity to deal with those issues, as the High Court confirmed in SZBEL v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2006] HCA 63. In practice, that means a well-prepared review addresses squarely whatever concern led to the refusal, with the documentary evidence that was missing the first time. Deadlines for lodging a review are jurisdictional and are not forgiving of delay, so act quickly if you receive a refusal.

Visa Plan Lawyers advises applicants on whether the subclass 602 fits their circumstances, on assembling the funding and treatment evidence the Department expects, and on review where an application has been refused. If you are weighing a medical treatment visa, or your onshore application has been refused and you need a lawful way to remain while you sort out what comes next, book a consultation with our team through our partner visas and onshore matters service.

Charges and requirements change, so confirm the current application charge and criteria with the Department of Home Affairs before you lodge.

General information only, current at the date shown. It is not legal advice on your situation. To get advice on your matter, book a consultation.