Preston Russell Law - Legal Services for Southern People

New Health Screening for Migrants

by Mike Mika, Associate category Immigration Law

From 4 April 2005 new tuberculosis screening requirements for migrants have been implemented.
From this date all potential migrants from countries with high TB rates or with risk factors for TB will be tested. Furthermore the age for TB screening will be lowered from 12 years of age to 11 years of age.

Those that are considered a “tuberculosis risk” are potential migrants who are citizens of or have spent more than three months during the past five years in a country with high rates of tuberculosis.

The Immigration Service have listed countries with low incidence of TB. If migrants are from a country or have spent more than three months in countries not on this list, then they will have to undergo TB screening.

From 4 April 2005 the interim exemption that was granted to those under the working holiday scheme will now be lifted.

For medical certificates applicants and medical examiners should now complete the form Medical and X-ray Certificate dated March 2005. The previous Medical and Chest X-ray Certificate dated November 2004 has now been withdrawn from circulation.

Mike Mika is a staff solicitor at Preston Russell Law. You can contact him by clicking here.