My daughter is five years old and has been diagnosed as slightly autistic. We tried applying to Australia”s Significant Investor Program, but our advisor told us it would not be an option. The country does not accept applicants with a “long-term illness” because of the added burden on the health care system. We”re now considering business immigration to the United Kingdom. We have been planning immigration by investment since long before our daughter”s birth, and we would love to be able to give her and her sister a western education and opportunities.
Answers
A family member applying for a dependent visa under the UK Tier 1 (Investor) category is not subject to any specific exclusions on account of illness or disability. The UK authorities do have the power to require a visa applicant to attend a medical examination or submit a medical report, for example, if they are concerned that the applicant might pose a risk to public health, but this is unlikely in the case of a child with mild autism. Applicants and their dependent family members must each pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the application, which allows access to the National Health Service ("NHS") once in the UK. The charge is 200 pounds per applicant, per year of their stay in the UK.
There is no health requirement for immigrants to the UK. I would be shocked and amazed that (if) Australia has a policy of not accepting applicants with any long-term illness. The requirement for an investor is to have 2 Million pounds to invest in the UK. For an entrepreneur visa you must show 200,000 pounds to invest in a new or already formed UK business. For the spouse you must prove (1) you are married and (2) the relationship is genuine. For the children, you should provide birth certificates. There is no discrimination against those with long-term conditions. The UK would be happy to provide your children with a western education and opportunities. As part of the visa application, all migrants will pay 200 pounds each for each year of their visa to use the National Health Service (NHS). You may also want to consider private medical insurance if you plan to take advantage of private healthcare.
This will not be an issue for the UK. When you apply for the visa you will all need to pay a health surcharge. Everyone has to pay this in order to access our NHS health services.
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