Health Insurance (Eligible persons and holders of Removal Pending Bridging visa) Order 2017 (Cth)

Health ref. no. 804

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT 1973

Health Insurance (Eligible persons and holders of Removal Pending Bridging visa) Order 2017

I, GREG HUNT, Minister for Health, pursuant to subsection 6(1) of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) hereby DECLARE that:

(a) Every person included in the specified class of persons:

1. a lawful non-citizen residing in Australia; and 2. a holder of a valid Removal Pending Bridging Visa (Subclass 070) issued under the Migration Act 1958;

being a person who, but for this Order, would not be an eligible person for the purposes of the Act shall, during any period in which the person is in Australia, be treated as being an eligible person for the purposes of the Act, according to the dates specified in the current Schedule.

(b) This Order shall have effect from the date of signature.

Dated this 26th day of October 2017

GREG HUNT MINISTER FOR HEALTH

ATTACHMENT - STATEMENT OF REASONS

Health Insurance Act 1973 Class order subsection 6(1)

ORDER NO: 804

DATE OF ORDER: 2017

RELATED ORDERS: Individual orders: 585, 589, 590, 594, 595, 599, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 614, 619, 624, 625, 629, 639, 652, 677, 678, 680, 686, 695, 698, 701, 705, 711, 715, 720, 733, 745, 749, 755

Class orders: 760, 773, 790

NAME OF PERSON/GROUP: Removal Pending Bridging Visa (RPBV) Subclass 070

REASON FOR APPROVAL

On 22 March 2005, the Australian Government created a new visa class – the Return Pending Bridging Visa (RPBV) – that was to be inserted into the legislation on 11 May 2005. The RPBV is used for immigration detainees who have exhausted options for further protection or permanent residency and are unable to be removed from Australia. It is issued to individuals who meet strict immigration criteria and agree to leave Australia when conditions allow.