Most people meet the health requirement without ever hearing of Form 815. A minority — often those with a past or inactive tuberculosis finding — are told the visa can be granted, but only if they sign one. If that is you, understand what you are agreeing to before you sign, because a health undertaking is a binding commitment that follows you into Australia.
I have guided many clients through this in more than 27 years of practice. Here is what Form 815 is, what it obliges you to do, and where it goes wrong.
What Form 815 is
Form 815, officially titled Health undertaking (design date 10/22), is an agreement you make with the Australian Government to place yourself under health monitoring after your visa is granted.
It exists because Australia's health requirement — Public Interest Criteria 4005 and 4007 in Schedule 4 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) — is not always a simple pass or fail. Some conditions do not disqualify you, but do need follow-up once you arrive. The health undertaking is the mechanism that lets the visa proceed while ensuring that follow-up happens.
You do not choose to complete Form 815 on a whim. It is issued to you through the health examination process when the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth identifies a condition that calls for an undertaking — most commonly a history of tuberculosis, or an inactive or treated TB finding on a chest x-ray.
Download the current form only from the official source: Form 815 on the Department of Home Affairs website.
What you are actually agreeing to
The obligations are not vague good intentions. Question 9 sets them out precisely, and they are time-bound.
By signing, you undertake to:
- contact the Health Undertaking Service (HUS) within four weeks of arriving in Australia (or, if you are already in Australia, within four weeks of the visa being granted);
- report to the health clinic to which you are referred; and
- place yourself under that clinic's professional supervision, and report on your return if you travel.
Keep your signed copy. You will need it when you contact the HUS — it carries the reference that links you to your undertaking.
Form 815 is not a health waiver
This is the distinction I most often have to draw for clients, because the two get confused.
A health undertaking (Form 815) applies where you can meet the health requirement, subject to monitoring a condition such as inactive TB. You are not failing the requirement — you are agreeing to follow-up.
A health waiver is different. It applies where you would otherwise fail the health requirement — typically because your condition's estimated costs exceed the significant cost threshold (currently $86,000, and under review) — and a decision-maker exercises a discretion under PIC 4007 to waive that failure. A waiver is discretionary and case-specific; an undertaking is a standard monitoring agreement. Do not assume signing an 815 resolves a significant-cost problem — it does not, and conflating the two can lead you to prepare the wrong case entirely.
Common mistakes and their consequences
Missing the four-week window. The single most serious error. Your undertaking is a commitment; failing to contact the HUS on time can put you in breach and, in a serious case, expose the visa to cancellation. Put the date in your calendar before you board the plane.
Treating it as paperwork you can ignore once you land. The monitoring is the point. If you are referred to a clinic, attend.
Confusing it with a waiver. As above — if your real problem is significant cost, an 815 is not your answer.
Not keeping the signed copy. You need it to make contact. A lost copy means delay at exactly the moment you are meant to be reporting.
How Form 815 fits your application
Form 815 sits within the health stage of your application, alongside the examinations arranged through the Department's health provider. It has nothing to do with character — that is Form 80 and, where service history is relevant, Form 1399 — but the discipline is the same: read what you are signing, and do what it says.
If a lawyer acts for you, your Form 956 keeps the correspondence on their desk, and any change in your circumstances after lodgement is a Form 1022. For the charges that sit around all of this, the Form 990i fee page carries the current figures.
If you have been asked to sign a Form 815 — or worse, told your health may be a significant-cost problem — book a $97 10-minute chat with me before you sign anything. Knowing whether you are looking at a routine undertaking or a genuine health-requirement fight changes everything about how the case is run.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to sign Form 815?
Applicants whose health examinations identify a condition that requires monitoring — most commonly a history of tuberculosis or an inactive TB finding. It is issued through the health examination process; you do not choose it yourself.
What does signing Form 815 commit me to?
To contact the Health Undertaking Service within four weeks of arriving in Australia (or within four weeks of grant if you are already here), to report to the health clinic you are referred to, and to place yourself under that clinic's supervision.
Is Form 815 the same as a health waiver?
No. Form 815 is an undertaking to monitor a condition where you can still meet the health requirement. A health waiver is a discretionary decision under PIC 4007 to waive a failure of the requirement, usually on significant-cost grounds. They are different processes with different consequences.
What happens if I do not contact the Health Undertaking Service in time?
You may be in breach of your undertaking, and in a serious case that can expose your visa to cancellation. Contact the HUS within the four-week window and keep evidence that you did.
Do I need to keep a copy of Form 815?
Yes. Keep your signed copy — you will need the reference on it when you contact the Health Undertaking Service after you arrive.
Been asked to sign a Form 815, or worried about your health examination? I act for visa applicants nationwide from eight locations. Book your $97 10-minute chat — or if you are ready to engage, start at myvisa.com.au/work.