The cost health threshold is the point at which an individual’s health care costs will be considered in their visa application. If the individual’s health care costs exceed this amount, they may be required to provide documentation to prove that they can afford to pay for their own health care. The cost health threshold for New Zealand immigration is $81,000 over a 5 year period now.
This is a significant increase from the previous figure of $41,000. This change came into effect on 4 September 2022.
Due to changes in healthcare costs, the new threshold will allow people who may not have been considered of an acceptable health standard before, to now apply for residency.
A working group from Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry of Health is currently reviewing aspects of immigration instructions related to health requirements for residency. This includes the list of medical conditions that are included in the threshold. The goal of this work is to make sure that these settings stay effective and suitable for the risks they are supposed to reduce.
On October 2021, the working group took HIV/AIDS off the list of medical conditions because people living with HIV now have access to treatment that manage the virus as a chronic illness. The costs for this type of treatment is no longer considered to be significant.
Our opinion on the changes introduced!
The new cost health threshold is a positive change that will make it easier for people with certain medical conditions to apply for residency in New Zealand. This is a welcome development, as it shows that the government is keeping up with changes in healthcare and making sure that its immigration policies are responsive to these changes.
We think that this working group review is a good idea, as it will make sure that the health requirements for residency are effective and up-to-date. We hope that they will continue to review these requirements on a regular basis so that they can respond quickly to changes in healthcare.
