People living with HIV are refusing optimal treatment in the mistaken belief that doing so will help their application for permanent residency in Australia, says a sexual health clinician.

Currently, the government automatically rejects permanent residency applications if the visa holder’s medical costs are expected to exceed $51,000 over 10 years.

But the actual cost of optimal HIV treatment — including antiretroviral therapy (ART), consultations and laboratory tests — is currently estimated to be about $119,000 over a 10-year period.

While this may drop in coming years, those living with HIV on non-humanitarian visas are sticking with older ART regimens to boost their chances of gaining permanent residency, says Associate Professor Jason Ong, from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre.