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Family Visas to Australia: Bring loved ones to Australia
In 2020, there were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia, which means almost 30% of the population were born overseas. Whilst some families migrated to Australia together, others still have family members overseas.
Fortunately, there are a variety of family visas available that enable migrants in Australia to reunite with their family overseas. You may have heard people talking about all kinds of family visa agents in Perth, a family sponsorship visa to Australia, or an Australian family sponsor visa, and this article will outline how the Australian family visa programs work.
To sponsor family members to Australia, you will need to first look at your relationship with them, because not all relatives can be eligible. Generally speaking, the most popular family visa categories are:
- Parents (Permanent or Temporary)
- Spouse or de facto partner
- Child
Parent Visa (Subclass 804, Subclass 173, Subclass 143, Subclass 884, Subclass 864)
The general eligibility requirements for this visa include:
- Sponsored by an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Meet the balance of family test, which means:
- at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, or
- there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country
- Meet health and character requirements
In terms of processing time, the non-contributory parent visas can take up to 30 years to be finalized. The contributory parent visas can take approximately 5 years to be finalized, but the application fees will be much higher. For applicants in Australia, they must be considered an aged parent, which means their age needs to be eligible to receive pension in Australia.
Partner visa (Subclass 820, Subclass 801, Subclass 309, Subclass 100)
The general eligibility requirements for this visa include:
- Sponsored by an eligible Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand
- You can be either married, or if you are not married, be in a de facto relationship for at least 12 months.
- The relationship is genuine with sufficient supporting evidence to demonstrate various aspects of your relationship.
- Meet character and health requirements
Generally speaking, partner visa applications are a 2-stage process. The applicant will be approved with a temporary partner visa, and will be eligible to submit the permanent visa 2 years from the date of submitting the temporary partner visa.
It is also possible to apply for a fiancé visa (Subclass 300) and arrive in Australia. The fiancé visa holder can apply for a permanent partner visa after getting married within the required timeframe.
Child Visa (Subclass 101, Subclass 802)
It should also be noted that there are different visa subclasses depending on the applicant’s age and location. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to speak to a registered migration agent to find out the most suitable visa pathway for your situation.
The general eligibility requirements for this visa include:
- Sponsored by an eligible parent who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
- The child must meet one of the following requirements:
- under 18 years old, or
- over 18 and under 25 years and studying full time, or
- over 18 years with a disability
- The child cannot have a partner or spouse
- Meet character and health requirements
