“I had lived in Ireland for a year and wanted to continue travelling. Among the options I looked for was Australia. I wanted something that aligned with my profession and would give me more opportunities,” Perez told SBS Spanish.

Carlos Araya Perez arrived in Australia in 2018 from Chile. Credit: Supplied by Carlos Araya Perez

But when he arrived, his lack of local experience and contacts led him away from the engineering field and into informal employment.

“I am resilient, and from the first week I felt like it was something I couldn’t change. I focused on what I could do: take care of my health and change my perspective on myself.”

“I was concerned about access to medication. It wasn’t free, and the program was renewed from time to time. That insecurity scared me the most.”

What is the ‘significant cost threshold’?

When he applied for permanent residency, he discovered that his medical condition would exclude him because he exceeded the government’s ‘significant cost threshold’ of $86,000 over 10 years.

According to Vikas Parwani, a lawyer at the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre, there is a lack of information about visa options for migrants with chronic health conditions.

“The cost of HIV was estimated at approximately $11,000 per year (by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth). Across 10 years, that’s $110,000. That exceeds the limit and is a reason to refuse a permanent visa,” he explained.

“The Australian Government administers the health requirement to protect the community from public health and safety risks, contain public expenditure on health care and community services, and safeguard the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to health care and community services in short supply,” a Home Affairs spokesperson said.

Learning this, Perez chose to extend his student visa, while seeking alternatives.

An ‘intrusive’ process

“Carlos was lucky to be able to apply for a couple’s visa, which does allow for a waiver. For other people with Carlos’s condition, a waiver is often not even offered.”

The centre said all clients who reached the health waiver stage during this period were successful. However, in earlier years, success rates were lower — particularly when the significant cost threshold was set lower than it is today.

Approval and a fresh start

At the end of the year, he can apply for permanent residency.

“If you’re going through the same thing and don’t know what to do, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are communities and organisations that we are here to support.”