A family visa for Australia has been introduced in Australia by the Australian immigration department in an effort to bring family members together. Families can migrate here under certain conditions through family visas, including partners, parents, children, and other relatives. New Zealand citizens, Australian permanent residents, and eligible Australian citizens sponsor these visas.
Here are some common family visas for bringing family members to Australia, depending on the circumstances:
- Subclass 600 Visitor Visa – Sponsored Family Stream
- Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Family-Sponsored
- Subclass 115 Remaining Relative Visa
- Subclass 835 Remaining Relative Visa
- Subclass 116 / Subclass 836 Carer Visa
- Returning Australian bring overseas-born family
- New Zealand citizens bring family
- Partner Visa
- Parent Visa
1. Subclass 600 Visitor visa – Sponsored Family Stream:
This is a type of family visa in which the immediate family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents may qualify for visa Subclass 600. The visa application fees range from AUD135 to AUD340.
Visitor visa features (subclass 600):
If you have this type of family visa, you can travel to Australia as follows:
- For business or to visit
- This can be done for a period of three, six, or twelve months.
Requirements for this Family Visa Australia(subclass 600):
If you are traveling to Australia, you might be able to get this visa:
- as a visitor
- to visit family
- for business visitor activities
- on a tour with a registered travel agent from the People’s Republic of China.
This Family Visa in Australia allows you to do the following:
It enables you to visit friends and family or go on a holiday in Australia.
This visa allows you to enter Australia up to the following number of times:
- It is possible that you will only be allowed to enter once. Hence, if you wish to return to Australia after leaving, you will have to apply for a new visa.
- You might be able to travel to and from Australia as often as you want while your visa is valid, but the total time you spend in Australia cannot be more than the period of stay you have been granted.
2. Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa – Family Sponsored:
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa is a provisional visa, a type of family visa in Australia that allows the applicant to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia for five years. In order to qualify for the relative/family-sponsored stream, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
- 65 points. However, more than 65 points might be needed to receive an invitation to apply.
- Age under 45
- Select an occupation from the list of skilled occupations (must be a medium-term occupation)*
- The nominated occupation should have a suitable skills assessment.
- Competent in English, at the very least
- Those living in designated regional areas may be eligible.
- Comply with the requirements for good health and character.
Eligible Relative for this family visa in Australia:
In order to qualify, the sponsor must be:
- A minimum age of 18 is required.
- A resident of a designated area of Australia
- A citizen of Australia, a permanent resident of Australia, or a citizen of New Zealand who meets the residency requirements
- Be an eligible relative of either you or your partner
Relatives who are eligible include for this family visa type in Australia:
- a parent
- a child or step-child
- a brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, step-brother, or step-sister
- an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt, or step-uncle
- a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew, or step-niece
- a grandparent, or
- a first cousin
3. Subclass 835 Remaining Relative Visa:
Features of this visa:
This type of family visa in Australia allows someone living outside Australia whose only close relatives live in Australia to become a permanent resident of Australia. With this visa you can stay permanently in Australia. It costs around AUD 6415.
The Remaining Relative visa is for remaining relatives of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, including a parent, brother, sister, step-parent, step-brother, or step-sister.
Eligibility for this family visa type in Australia:
- Firstly, you (and your partner) must be the only close relatives in Australia.
- Then, there must be someone who can give you assurances of support.
Keep in mind that the visa application charge cannot usually be refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn, so you should not apply unless you believe you will succeed.
Who can be considered as your near relative?
So, your near relative is your parent or your partner’s parent (including biological and step-parent), your brother, sister, step-brother, or stepsister; a child turned 18 who is not dependent on you or your partner; or a child below the age of 18 who is not under your or your partner’s daily control.
Sponsors for this family visa type in Australia:
Sponsors must especially be your parents, brothers, sisters, step-brothers, stepsisters, or one of their partners. During your first two years in Australia, they must provide you with accommodation and financial assistance. If your application includes family members as applicants, this agreement includes them as well.
For being an eligible sponsor you must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- settled in Australia
- citizen of Australia
- Permanent resident of Australia
- an eligible New Zealand citizen.
This visa may not be available to you if:
- firstly, you or your partner have any close relatives who live outside Australia or are in Australia illegally, on a temporary visa or on a Bridging visa.
- secondly, you or your sponsor were the holders of, or sponsored someone for, a Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835 or subclass 115), Preferential Family visa Australia (subclass 104) or Family visa Australia (subclass 806).
Further conditions that you will have to meet for the visa:
- Firstly, you must meet health requirements. There is usually a validity period of 12 months for the results. Make an appointment for a health examination only after it is requested.
- Then there are specific character requirements you must meet. After you turn 16 years old, you must provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the last 10 years. Wait until you are asked for police certificates before arranging them.
- In order to confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws, you must sign an Australian Values Statement. In the visa application form, you will find this statement. Before signing the statement, you should have read, or been explained to, Life in Australia.
- Before this visa can be granted, you must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay them.
4. Subclass 115 Remaining Relative Visa:
The Remaining Relative visa allows people to stay in Australia to be with their closest relatives. An eligible relative must sponsor you, such as a parent, step-parent, sibling, stepsibling, or their partner. The visa costs around AUD 6,415. This visa will not be granted to you if:
- You or your partner has a near relative who lives outside Australia
- Your partner or a close relative lives in Australia on a temporary visa (and is not an eligible New Zealand citizen).
With this family visa in Australia, what can you do?
With this permanent visa, you and your family can:
- Stay indefinitely in Australia
- Apply for Australian citizenship (if eligible)
- Access to Australia’s public healthcare system
- Study and work in Australia
Eligibility for this family visa type:
- Your (or your partner’s) nearest relative must sponsor you.
- Besides your immediate family, you cannot have any other close relatives.
- You must have an assurance of support.
- Meet the health and character requirements.
Who can sponsor you for this family visa in Australia?
Your sponsor must be your (or your partner’s) parent, brother, sister, step-brother or stepsister. Furthermore, they must agree to give you support, accommodation, and financial assistance for your first two years of residency in Australia. Also, this agreement includes any family members included as applicants in your application.
Your sponsor must be:
- 18 years of age or older; and
- settled in Australia
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen
5. Subclass 116 / Subclass 836 Carer Visa:
Features of this visa family visa type in Australia:
In light of this visa, it is available to people who can provide care to a loved one with a long-term or permanent medical condition in Australia. It further allows you to stay permanently in Australia, which costs about AUD 1,795. The difference between subclass 116 and 836 is whether the applicant is inside or outside Australia at the time of applying and when the visa is issued.
- Carer visa (subclass 116): Offshore
- Carer visa (subclass 836): Onshore
Eligibility requirements for this visa:
Therefore, you might be eligible for this visa if:
- you will be able to assist a relative and a spouse or de facto partner who live in the same home on a regular basis
- Health and character requirements are met by you and your family members.
Similarly, for this type of family visa Subclass 116 in Australia, you will have to meet the same basic requirements as that of Visa Subclass 115. The requirements include the following: health, character, signing the Australian Values Statement, and clearing the debts of the Australian Government.
6. Returning Australian bring overseas-born family visa in Australia:
Australian Citizenship Act 2007 defines explicitly who is and who can become an Australian citizen. By all means, a person can apply for citizenship in Australia or acquire citizenship automatically. Following are the steps you need to take to become an Australian citizen.
Automatic acquisition
Evidently, a common and obvious way to become an Australian citizen is to be born in Australia and have an Australian citizen or permanent resident as a parent. Furthermore, if you were born in Australia and lived in Australia for at least 10 years beginning on your date of birth, you are an Australian citizen.
Here are some less common pathways for this family visa type:
- Citizenship by adoption under a law in force in a State or Territory
- Citizenship by Incorporation of Territory
- Citizenship for Abandoned Children
Application-based acquisition for this family visa in Australia:
In any event, you do not meet the above conditions, you will need to apply for citizenship. As has been noted the main categories of acquisition by the application are:
- Citizenship by descent– Suppose you are born outside of Australia on or after 26 January 1949. In that case, you may be eligible to acquire citizenship if one of your parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth.
- Adopted children- Particularly, the children adopted outside Australia by Australian parents under the Hague Convention or a bilateral agreement may apply to become Australian citizens through adoption.
- Citizenship by conferral- The most common path to becoming an Australian citizen is by conferral of citizenship. But for that, you will have to meet some specific requirements.
Resume Citizenship
You can renew your citizenship if you renounced your citizenship to avoid significant hardship before 4 April 2002.
7. New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship Visa (Subclass 461):
This family visa in Australia allows non-New Zealanders to live and work in Australia for up to five years if they are family members of New Zealand citizens. The visa costs around AUD 370.
Eligibility Requirements for this visa:
- Not being a citizen of New Zealand.
- Be a family member of a New Zealand citizen.
- Be a family member of someone with a Special Category visa (subclass 444), or travel to Australia with someone who will be granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444) on arrival.
The relationship that you need to have with a New Zealand citizen:
- their partner
- their child/step-child or their partner’s child/step-child
- the dependent child of you or your partner’s child/step-child.
Further requirements are the same as previous visas. To enumerate, these include health and having health insurance, character requirements, and clearing debts to the Australian Government, if any.
8. Partner Visa:
This type of family visa in Australia for partners allows married or de facto (same or opposite sex) couples to enter and remain in Australia together. Hence, under the partner visa program, you and your spouse or de facto have a number of options if you are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens.
9. Parent Visa:
This is another type of family visa in Australia where the parent of Australian citizens or permanent resident can bring their parent to Australia on various visa types. Some agents specialize, especially in parent and family migration.
Conclusion:
Therefore, any Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen may sponsor their family members to come to Australia. For one thing, keeping family and dependent relatives together is a priority for the Australian government. Hence applicants eligible for the family migration scheme can sponsor their parents, children, or relatives to live in Australia permanently or temporarily. Moreover, you can opt for any family visa available in Australia, including those for relatives, siblings, parents, and immediate family members.