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Thread: Medical referred to MA - Deppresion/Bipolar

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    South Africa
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    2

    Default Medical referred to MA - Deppresion/Bipolar

    Hi all,

    My fiance has an offer of employment from an accredited employer and his occupation is on the skills shortage list. We have been busy with the whole process since February this year and finally handed in our visa applications last week. We were told that the whole process would take between 3 to 4 weeks but was contacted by our CO and she told me that my fiance and our son's visas were approved, they have to however send my medical to a MA because I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2009 and then again in 2010. I was suffering from major depression due to life events but after the last hospitalisation I have never been back to my psychiatrist and psychologist, have been off medication too and never had any problems.

    So after I received the news from our CO that I have to send them a report from my treating doctor I started phoning around, the psychiatric hospital cannot help me with any reports as they are kept by the doctor, also the doctor does not work with the hospital anymore. I have eventually found a contact number for the doctor but when I contacted him he told me that he closed his practice in 2010...he doubts that he will have any paperwork for me.

    My question is what implications are there when something like this happens? Also if I do get a report from the treating doctor, are my chances good enough to receive my visa? I am stressed out about this as this happened many years ago...
    Last edited by mmck; 24th July 2014 at 06:39 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    he closed his practice in 2010...he doubts that he will have any paperwork for me.
    I think that nevertheless, he should be able to issue you with a letter stating that he signed you off at the end of your treatment with a good prognosis - this is what I would ask him for, if I were in your situation, even if he hasn't retained any medical notes from the time. Also, your own present doctor should be able to say that you have not required treatment in the time between then and now.

    The reason for the medicals is to check that nobody getting a visa can be foreseen to be likely to cost the NZ Health Service a lot for treatment. Therefore, if your present-day doctor can confirm that you are not any longer under treatment for this condition and have not shown any signs of needing such treatment in these past five years, that should be good. But remember that the MAs have the right to require any further reports and consultations as they think necessary in order to get a clear picture of your situation, so it's possible that your one might ask that you see a different specialist to get an up-to-date opinion.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Thank you jandm! I explained my situation to my CO and got a report from both my psychiatrist and doctor, she also said that I don't have to go see another doctor for an up-to-date opinion. If I may ask, does my medical have priority as my fiance has a talent visa - accredited employer? My case officer said it could take up to 4 weeks for my medical to be assessed by the MA, but hoping it might happen faster than that.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

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    No, there isn't any priority system for medicals being looked at by MAs. The MAs are an entirely separate department, and nobody, not even the COs, can have any direct contact with them on individual cases. Everyone just has to wait till their report comes back when the MA is satisfied. The shortest turn-around is normally three weeks, so your CO telling you that they're currently running at about four weeks is not bad going.

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