nib offers Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) for international graduates and temporary workers living in Australia, including people moving onto a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
If you have completed your studies in Australia and plan to remain here on a 485 visa, nib offers graduate health cover designed to meet applicable working visa health insurance requirements.
nib specifically lists the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) among the visa subclasses for which its OVHC range can meet Department of Home Affairs health insurance requirements.
nib's overseas health insurance is designed to help reduce eligible hospital and medical costs while international workers and graduates are living in Australia.
Before choosing nib for your 485 visa, compare the particular policy's hospital benefits, medical benefits, waiting periods, exclusions and potential out-of-pocket expenses.
The benefits available depend on the nib OVHC product selected.
nib currently highlights several important features across its overseas working cover range, including:
The exact benefits, exclusions, limits and waiting periods depend on the particular policy.
Hospital cover can help towards eligible costs if you require hospital treatment while living in Australia.
nib states that its overseas covers provide access to benefits towards hospital accommodation and medical treatment for services included under the policy.
Before selecting cover, check:
Do not choose a policy based only on the premium without checking what hospital services are actually included.
GP benefits vary depending on the nib OVHC policy selected.
nib states that selected OVHC covers include GP benefits and that eligible members can access telehealth GP consultations.
If regular doctor visits are important to you, check:
A lower-cost hospital-focused policy may provide different outpatient benefits from a more comprehensive option.
nib currently states that its overseas health covers include unlimited emergency ambulance cover, except where members are covered by applicable state ambulance schemes.
Emergency ambulance treatment can be expensive in Australia, so ambulance benefits are an important feature to consider when comparing 485 visa health insurance.
Always check the policy terms for the precise conditions applying to ambulance benefits.
A waiting period is the period you need to hold your policy before you can claim certain benefits.
Waiting periods can vary according to the treatment and level of cover.
They can be particularly important for:
nib states that when customers switch to nib, waiting periods already served on equivalent cover can be recognised.
However, additional waiting periods may apply where the new policy provides services or higher benefits that were not covered by your previous policy.
If you have an existing medical condition, carefully check how the relevant nib OVHC policy treats pre-existing conditions.
Waiting periods may apply before benefits become payable for certain treatment associated with a pre-existing condition.
If you are currently receiving treatment or expect to require treatment soon, review the applicable policy documents and confirm your benefits before changing insurers. For more information, read our guide to pre-existing conditions and 485 visa health insurance, including how waiting periods may affect your cover.
If pregnancy and birth-related services are important to you, check whether they are included under the particular nib OVHC policy you are considering.
nib explains that waiting periods vary between services and gives pregnancy and birth as an example of treatment that can carry a 12-month waiting period under applicable health cover.
Before selecting cover, check:
Do not assume every nib OVHC product provides identical pregnancy benefits.
International students may already hold nib Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) while studying in Australia. If you are finishing your studies, read our guide to moving from a Student visa 500 to a Temporary Graduate visa 485 for more information about the transition.
nib specifically provides information for international students who plan to remain in Australia after completing their studies and move onto a 485 Graduate visa. It states that graduates need appropriate health insurance and offers working-visa-compliant graduate cover.
When moving from OSHC to 485 health insurance:
You can consider switching to nib if you already hold appropriate Australian health insurance with another insurer.
nib states that it will recognise waiting periods already served on equivalent cover when customers switch.
Before switching:
Do not cancel your existing policy until you understand when your replacement cover will commence.
nib provides telehealth access for eligible international members.
Its current information states that members on selected OVHC policies with GP benefits can access telehealth doctor appointments with experienced GPs for virtual consultations.
Telehealth can be useful for non-emergency medical issues when an in-person appointment may not be necessary.
Eligibility depends on your particular policy, so check the current nib information for your cover.
International members can use the nib App to manage aspects of their health insurance.
nib currently states that members can use the app to:
Available functionality may depend on membership and cover.
nib provides access to a network of healthcare providers and a provider-search service.
International members can use nib's provider tools to locate healthcare professionals, including GPs, in their area. nib also provides telehealth options for eligible members.
Before receiving planned treatment, check whether your provider and service are recognised under your particular policy and what benefit you can expect.
The claims process depends on the healthcare service received and your policy.
Generally, you should:
nib allows eligible members to manage and make claims through its app and member services.
For planned or expensive treatment, consider checking your expected benefit before receiving treatment. For more information about the general claims process, read our How to Make a Claim on 485 Visa Health Insurance step-by-step guide.
There is no single nib premium applicable to every Temporary Graduate visa holder.
The price can depend on factors such as:
Because health insurance premiums can change, compare the current nib price rather than relying on an old advertised premium.
Also compare benefits, waiting periods and potential out-of-pocket expenses—not simply the monthly cost.
nib states that its OVHC range includes health covers that meet Department of Home Affairs visa condition 8501 requirements, including for visa subclass 485.
However, you should select the appropriate product for your particular circumstances and check your individual visa conditions.
If you are unsure whether condition 8501 applies to you, check your visa grant information and current Department of Home Affairs requirements.
nib is one of the established Australian insurers providing health insurance for international graduates and workers.
Whether nib is the right choice for you depends on your individual circumstances.
When comparing nib with other insurers, consider:
The cheapest policy is not necessarily the policy that provides the best value for your healthcare needs. For a broader overview of choosing cover, read our 485 Visa Health Insurance Guide covering OVHC costs, benefits, waiting periods and other important considerations.
Yes. nib specifically identifies subclass 485 among the visa subclasses covered by its OVHC options that meet applicable Department of Home Affairs health insurance requirements.
nib states that its OVHC range includes cover that meets visa condition 8501 requirements for subclass 485. You should still choose the product appropriate for your individual circumstances.
Selected nib OVHC policies include GP benefits. nib also provides telehealth GP access for eligible members on selected covers with GP benefits.
nib states that its overseas covers include unlimited emergency ambulance, except for members covered by applicable state ambulance schemes. Policy conditions apply.
Yes. nib provides working-visa-compliant graduate cover for eligible international students moving from their studies to a 485 Graduate visa.
nib states that waiting periods already served on equivalent cover can be recognised when switching. Additional waiting periods may apply where your new cover provides benefits not included under your previous policy.
Eligible nib international members can use the nib App to manage their policy, access their digital card, check benefits and make claims.
There is no single insurer that is best for every 485 visa holder. Compare nib's premium, hospital and medical benefits, waiting periods, excesses and other policy features against alternative 485 health insurance options.
nib offers OVHC for eligible Temporary Graduate visa holders, with benefits designed to help towards hospital and medical costs while living and working in Australia.
The most appropriate policy depends on your budget, healthcare needs and preferred level of cover.
Compare nib against other available 485 visa health insurance options based on: