Form 815: What a Health Undertaking Actually Means

What Form 815 is

Form 815 is a Health Undertaking — a formal written agreement between the visa applicant (or visa holder) and the Australian Government to follow up with a designated health authority after arriving in, or continuing to live in, Australia. It's requested as part of meeting the visa health requirement when a medical examination has identified a condition that needs ongoing monitoring or treatment, rather than a condition that disqualifies the applicant outright.

The most common scenario is a chest x-ray or other test during the standard visa medical examination showing evidence of past exposure to tuberculosis (TB) — for example, an inactive or previously treated case — where the applicant isn't currently infectious or unwell, but Australian public-health authorities want to monitor the situation after arrival as a standard precaution. Health undertakings can also relate to other conditions requiring periodic monitoring, depending on what the panel doctor's report and the Department's Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) determine.

Who is asked to sign one

Form 815 is requested of specific applicants — not routinely issued to everyone who undergoes a visa medical. It's raised when the medical examination and the MOC's review identify a specific, monitorable condition, most commonly related to TB history, where ongoing follow-up in Australia is the appropriate management path rather than treatment being required before the visa can proceed.

If you're asked to sign Form 815, it will generally follow directly from your visa medical results — the Department or your case officer will explain what condition triggered the request and what follow-up is expected. It isn't something applicants pre-emptively lodge; it's issued by the Department when the medical assessment calls for it.

What signing it actually commits you to

By signing Form 815, you're agreeing to a specific set of follow-up steps once you're in Australia (or, if you're already onshore, once your visa is decided): registering with the Health Undertaking Service or a nominated health authority clinic within a set period — commonly within a few weeks of arrival if you applied from outside Australia, or within a few weeks of grant if you applied while already in Australia; attending the clinic you're referred to; completing whatever follow-up is directed, which might include further x-rays, examinations, or a course of treatment; and keeping the clinic informed of your current address while you remain under monitoring.

This is meaningfully different from an ongoing treatment obligation with no endpoint — for most TB-related undertakings, the monitoring period is time-limited and ends once the health authority is satisfied the condition remains inactive or has resolved as expected. Read the specific undertaking you're asked to sign carefully, since the exact commitments can vary by condition and by state or territory health authority.

This is not a visa refusal

It's worth stating plainly: being asked to sign a Health Undertaking is not the same as failing the health requirement, and it doesn't mean your visa is being refused. In most cases, it's effectively the opposite — the Department has assessed that your condition doesn't require a refusal or a formal waiver process, and instead a monitored follow-up in Australia is a sufficient and appropriate way to manage the public-health consideration.

A change in your underlying health condition after you sign the undertaking doesn't automatically put your visa at risk either — the undertaking is a monitoring and public-health measure, not a conditional grant that can be unwound the moment your health status shifts.

Applicants sometimes describe receiving a request to sign Form 815 as one of the more stressful moments in their visa process, precisely because 'health undertaking' sounds ominous. Understanding that it generally represents a resolved pathway to grant — rather than an obstacle — can make the request considerably less alarming.

What happens if you don't comply

Home Affairs' public guidance doesn't set out an exhaustive published list of every consequence for non-compliance, but the undertaking is a formal commitment made as a condition connected to your visa, and treating it as optional carries real risk. In practice, not registering with the Health Undertaking Service within the required timeframe, not attending the clinic you're referred to, or not completing the directed follow-up can create compliance issues with the Department and with the relevant health authority, separate from any change in your actual health.

If your circumstances make it genuinely difficult to comply on time — for example, you're not yet settled at a fixed address, or you're experiencing a personal emergency — contact the Health Undertaking Service or the Department as early as possible to explain the situation, rather than letting a deadline pass silently. If you're concerned about a compliance issue with an existing undertaking, a MARA-registered agent can advise on your options — on Migratio you describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from MARA-registered agents (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book).

How it relates to PIC 4005 and PIC 4007

The visa health requirement sits in Public Interest Criteria 4005, 4006A, and 4007 of Schedule 4 to the Migration Regulations 1994, and Form 815 fits into that framework as one possible outcome of the process, distinct from the others. Where a health condition is serious enough to fail PIC 4005 outright, some visa subclasses allow a formal PIC 4007 health waiver to be considered — a different and more involved process, covered in our dedicated PIC 4005 waiver guide. Other visa subclasses (including several skilled visas) have no waiver provision at all, meaning a PIC 4005 failure ends the application.

A Health Undertaking under Form 815 is a different track altogether — it applies where the condition doesn't require refusal or a waiver decision in the first place, because ongoing monitoring in Australia is judged to adequately manage the public-health consideration. It's worth not conflating the two: being asked to sign Form 815 is a considerably more favourable position than needing to argue a PIC 4007 waiver. For the medical examination process itself — what it involves and when it happens — see our visa medical examination guide and, for partner visa applicants specifically, our medicals and police checks guide.

What is Form 815 (Health Undertaking)?

Form 815 is a written agreement to attend follow-up appointments with an Australian health authority after your visa is decided, typically requested when a medical examination finds a condition — commonly related to past tuberculosis exposure — that needs monitoring rather than blocking the visa.

Does being asked to sign Form 815 mean my visa will be refused?

No. In most cases it's the opposite — it generally means the Department is prepared to continue processing, or has decided to grant, your visa on the condition that you agree to follow-up monitoring in Australia.

What do I have to do after signing Form 815?

Typically: register with the Health Undertaking Service or a nominated clinic within a set timeframe after arrival or grant, attend the appointments you're referred to, complete any directed follow-up (which may include further tests or treatment), and keep the clinic informed of your current address while under monitoring.

What happens if my health condition changes after I sign the undertaking?

A change in your health condition after signing doesn't automatically put your visa at risk — the undertaking is a public-health monitoring measure, not a conditional grant tied moment-to-moment to your health status.

What's the difference between Form 815 and a PIC 4007 health waiver?

A PIC 4007 waiver is a separate, more involved process considered when a condition is serious enough to fail the health requirement (PIC 4005) outright and the visa subclass allows a waiver. Form 815 applies to a different, generally more favourable situation — where ongoing monitoring in Australia is judged sufficient and no waiver process is needed.

What if I can't meet the timeframe to register with the Health Undertaking Service?

Contact the Health Undertaking Service or the Department as early as possible to explain your circumstances, rather than letting the deadline pass without contact. A MARA-registered agent can also advise if you're concerned about a compliance issue.