Under current migration law, your 457 visa will not be granted unless you can prove you have appropriate health insurance that will cover you and your accompanying family.

• This health insurance must be at least as comprehensive as the minimum level of coverage required by DIAC under the subclass 457 visa program. There are now a number of products available which meet this minimum level of coverage (see item 4 –Appendix A).
• Your 457 visa will be subject to certain condition including condition 8501 which states that you must maintain an adequate level of health cover for yourself and your dependent family for the duration of your 457 visa.
• Required health coverage must be the level set out in Appendix A to DIAC’s Guidelines
• As a 457 applicant you are able to choose a suitable product, as long as it meets the department’s requirements. For an easy tool to compare eligible providers, go to i-select or for a static list see Selected health funds.
• Upon request, your insurer will provide the required evidence in the form of a letter or certificate setting out details of the insurance provider, policy coverage and persons covered, which you must include with your 457 visa application
• Dependent family members will usually be included in the same letter, but if applying separately from the main subclass 457 visa holder, they must produce evidence as per above, showing that the policy covers family members.
• If you cancel your policy during your stay or you fail to comply with condition 8501, then this will be a breach of your 457 visa which may be cancelled as a result.
• 457 visa holders should be aware that under expanded powers, DIAC officers use information provided by insurance companies to monitor compliance with Condition 8501.

DIAC is not concerned with who pays for this health cover, so it is acceptable for your sponsor to pay for the insurance as a part of your employment package. There is no requirement that you pay for your insurance policy personally as long as there is a policy in place.