Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Health examinations before lodging vs Health examinations after the request
For the visas the My Health Declarations service lists, an applicant can complete the health examinations before lodging and attach the HAP ID to the application, which removes the examinations from the processing time and suits a visa decided within months. Results are valid for twelve months, so for a partner, parent or other visa that takes longer than that, examinations done early expire before the decision and are repeated on request, and the Department itself advises waiting for its request for some visas. Do them early for a skilled, employer-sponsored or student visa with a short queue; wait for the request on a long one, and never book them for a visa the service does not list.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - How
- My Health Declarations in the ImmiAccount before lodging; the HAP ID is entered in the application · The Department’s referral letter after lodgement generates the HAP ID
- Available for
- The subclasses the service lists; not for the rest · Every visa
- Validity
- 12 months from the examinations · 12 months from the examinations
- Suits
- Visas decided within a year: most skilled, employer-sponsored and student visas · Partner, parent and other visas with long queues
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| Health examinations before lodging | Health examinations after the request | |
|---|---|---|
| How | My Health Declarations in the ImmiAccount before lodging; the HAP ID is entered in the application | The Department’s referral letter after lodgement generates the HAP ID |
| Available for | The subclasses the service lists; not for the rest | Every visa |
| Validity | 12 months from the examinations | 12 months from the examinations |
| Suits | Visas decided within a year: most skilled, employer-sponsored and student visas | Partner, parent and other visas with long queues |
| Outcome | Not told until the visa is lodged | Told through the application |
| Watch out | Examinations that expire before the decision are repeated at your cost | Waiting for the request adds the examination time to the processing time |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
For the visas the My Health Declarations service lists, an applicant can complete the health examinations before lodging and attach the HAP ID to the application, which removes the examinations from the processing time and suits a visa decided within months. Results are valid for twelve months, so for a partner, parent or other visa that takes longer than that, examinations done early expire before the decision and are repeated on request, and the Department itself advises waiting for its request for some visas. Do them early for a skilled, employer-sponsored or student visa with a short queue; wait for the request on a long one, and never book them for a visa the service does not list.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Free questions are closed: advice on your own case is the consultation.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Not sure which visa fits you?
Answer three questions. An automated guide points you to the route that usually applies. General information only.
Questions we get asked first
Health examinations before lodging or Health examinations after the request — which is better?
For the visas the My Health Declarations service lists, an applicant can complete the health examinations before lodging and attach the HAP ID to the application, which removes the examinations from the processing time and suits a visa decided within months. Results are valid for twelve months, so for a partner, parent or other visa that takes longer than that, examinations done early expire before the decision and are repeated on request, and the Department itself advises waiting for its request for some visas. Do them early for a skilled, employer-sponsored or student visa with a short queue; wait for the request on a long one, and never book them for a visa the service does not list.
What is the main difference between the Health examinations before lodging and the Health examinations after the request?
How: Health examinations before lodging — My Health Declarations in the ImmiAccount before lodging; the HAP ID is entered in the application; Health examinations after the request — The Department’s referral letter after lodgement generates the HAP ID. Available for: Health examinations before lodging — The subclasses the service lists; not for the rest; Health examinations after the request — Every visa. Validity: Health examinations before lodging — 12 months from the examinations; Health examinations after the request — 12 months from the examinations.
Keep reading