NHI number and Immigration

[Antonio]

Hi guys,

I would like to ask has anybody had the same or similar situation.
My partner and I applied for Skilled Migrant Residence Visa. We passed medicals before appliying for our previous visas and they are all good. All documents were accepted and usual checkings are going on. We both have a good health insurance at the moment and decided to do some health checkings, these checkings are not cheap but all covered by insurance. The thing is that all information about some health issues are in our NHI database now. Problems like small stones in kidneys, gastro issues, etc. Nothing really serious.
The question is can these things affect and cause promlems with our Residence application?

I know one person who had a work visa and went to GP to ask for antidepressants, it was a hard time for her. But when she applied for a new work visa under partnership she was asked by Immigration to provide a letter from her doctor that she can live fully life, that she will not harm herself and something like this. Her medicals were all good. So I can assume that Immigration has an access to NHI system.

[Antonio]

Chris, JandM, please let me know what you think about the situation.

[JandM]

I have no idea about exactly what links exist between INZ and the NZ healthcare system, but I do know that in general, INZ have more powers than the police to investigate people. While you are applying for a visa, these powers most often show up as meaning that your CO can interview anyone about you, if that seems to be the best way of finding out the truth on any matter.

On the particular health issues you have been told about as a result of the private medicals you have had done, see here. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#46506.htm At A4.10.1, there is the list of serious conditions which are automatically considered a 'no' for residence. For anything short of that, the point of the INZ medical is to check whether any condition the applicant has is likely to require expensive care or treatment from the NZ Health Service. Ordinary common conditions, well understood and controlled by common medications, are not a problem. If anything of that kind shows up in the medical, it will be referred to a Medical Assessor, who has the power to require further tests and/or reports from doctors or specialists, giving an account of the person's condition, treatment and prognosis.

[Antonio]

Thank you so much for your help JandM! I think everything should be ok, we don't have serious conditions.

[jawnbc]

Not a lawyer, but it seems--SEEMS--that your health info cannot be shared without your or your representatives' permission.
https://www.privacy.org.nz/the-priva...4/rule-eleven/