How do Australian entry officers check health and that the person is conviction-free?

When you land in Australia, you will be required to complete an Incoming Passenger Card. One of the questions on the card is (emphasis original):

If you are NOT an Australian citizen:

• Do you have tuberculosis?
• Do you have any criminal conviction/s?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should expect further questioning by an immigration officer.

The Department's page on the eVisitor (subclass 651) visa specifically states:

If you have a criminal conviction in any country, apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead. If you arrive in Australia on an eVisitor with a criminal conviction, you might be refused entry.

In short, the officers at the border do not check your criminal record or health condition, since that was already done earlier when your visa application is processed. You are thus not also required to carry any documentation about either.

That said, Customs may choose to investigate, detain or quarantine you if you appear visibly sick or answer "yes" to the tuberculosis/criminal record questions. So if you have a non-contagious medical condition that could be misinterpreted as something else (say, chronic coughing caused by an allergy to duty-free shopping), it would be wise to take along a doctor's statement about this.

During the Visa application process certain questions will be asked and background checks made.

Depending on the answers/results, further information may be requested pertaining to

• health examinations
• Character requirements

So after a visa has been issued, the likelihood is slim that the entry officer will be asking again.

A visa can be cancelled before any arrival should they come to the conclusion that faulty information has been given or that the situation has changed.

Temporary visa applicants
You and any family members applying for a visa with you might need to have health examinations.

Whether you need them, and what examinations you need, depends on:

• the visa you are applying for
• how long you plan to stay in Australia
• what you plan to do in Australia
• the country you apply from
• any special circumstances that might apply to you
• whether you have any significant medical conditions

Check if you need to have health examinations
Online visa applications

To check whether you need to have health examinations:

• Log in to ImmiAccount.
• Go to your application.
• Click on the 'View health assessment' link in the Applications Status section.
• If we need you to have health examinations, you will find a link there called 'Organise health examinations'. There will be no link if we don't need you to have health examinations.
• Click on the link and complete your medical history.

When you complete your medical history you will be given a referral letter containing an identifier we call a HAP ID. You need the HAP ID to arrange your health examinations.

Paper visa applications

Your case officer will contact you if you need to have health examinations. You will be given a referral letter containing an identifier we call a HAP ID. You need the HAP ID to arrange your health examinations.

You must be of good character to visit or live in Australia. This means you must pass the character test, and remain of good character.
...
When applying:

• declare all criminal conduct you have engaged in
• truthfully answer all questions
• provide all requested information
• We consider all circumstances of a case. Even if you do not meet the character requirements, we, or the Minister for Home Affairs can choose to grant your visa.

If you are not completely honest about your criminal history, we may refuse your application.
...

After you apply
We may ask you to:

• provide a police certificate

...
Police certificates
We may ask you to provide a police certificate (also called a penal clearance certificate) from every country you lived in.
If we ask you for one, it will usually be if you are over 17 and lived in any of the listed countries, including Australia, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years.

Sources:

• Who needs health examinations
• Character requirements for visas