Australian family visas are for individuals wanting to bring their partner, children or parents to Australia from overseas.
Visa Solutions Australia (VSA) has been helping reunite families in Australia for 20 years. Whether you’re in Australia or offshore, our experienced registered migration agents can assist you with your family visa needs. They can help with partner, child, parent or other family visas.
Partner visas enable the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia and offers a pathway to permanent residency.
For applicants applying in Australia, the main partner visas available are the temporary Partner (subclass 820) Visa and the permanent Partner (subclass 801) Visa. For individuals applying for a partner visa offshore, the Partner (Provisional) (subclass 309) Visa and Partner (Migrant) Visa are available.
The Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) Visa, also known as the fiancé visa, is a temporary visa which lets an applicant come to Australia to marry their prospective spouse and then apply for a Partner visa.
To be eligible for a partner visa, applicants must be in a genuine relationship. The application process for a partner visa requires applicants to provide evidence of their ongoing relationship including relevant documentation as well as meeting health and character requirements.
Child visas are available to children whose parents reside in Australia. There are two child visa subclasses available, the subclass 101 and the subclass 802. The subclass 101 allows a child outside of Australia to move to Australia to live with their parents while the subclass 802 allows a child who is already in Australia to stay in Australia permanently with their parents.
To be eligible for a child visa, applicants must be a dependent child of a parent who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, be single, be under 18 years of age or a full-time student under 25 years of age and be financially dependent on their parent.
Parent visas are available to parents of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens. There are a range of parent visa options, enabling individuals to visit their children in Australia on a temporary basis or move to Australia permanently.
To be eligible for a parent visa, applicants must be sponsored and meet the balance of family test, unless specified otherwise. The balance of family test states that applicants must have at least half of their children residing in Australia.
Families can be complex and there are many family situations that aren’t covered by the mainstream family visa subclasses. Carer visas, remaining relative visas, orphan relative visas and adoption visas ensure that all types of families have the chance to be reunited.
Carer visas are available to those who are willing to travel and live in Australia to provide care to a relative with a long-term medical condition who does not have reasonable care options in Australia. The person requiring care must be an Australian citizen, or permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
A remaining relative visa is available to those who do not have any close relatives around them other than relatives living in Australia as Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
An orphan relative visa enables a child who is single to come to Australia to live with a relative if their parents are deceased, can’t care for them or can’t be found. The relative must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
An adoption visa lets children adopted outside Australia live in Australia with their adoptive parent. The adoptive parent or the prospective adoptive parent must be an Australian citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen or hold an Australian permanent visa.
The visa application process can be complex so our experienced team of registered migration agents can help you navigate the complexities of the process. Visa Solutions Australia has been operating for 20 years, offering exceptional migration and legal services, helping thousands of families reconnect. Our professional team of registered migration agents come from all backgrounds and speak many languages.
We recognise that every story is personal, and each situation is unique. We are genuinely invested in your visa outcome so we tailor-make our solutions to specifically cater to your visa requirements
To start your visa journey, book a consultation with one of our registered migration agents. During your consultation, your migration agent will outline a suitable immigration pathway/s based on your personal and professional circumstances and discuss the next steps to how we can help make your dream of calling Australia home a reality.
Applicants of a family visa are required to have a sponsor and meet health and character requirements. Each visa subclass of the family visa category has its own requirements and eligibility criteria.
The following are the main requirements for each visa subclass
Partner Visa – Applicants are required to provide evidence of an ongoing, genuine relationship.
Child Visa – Applicants must be a dependent child of an Australian citizen or permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
Parent Visa – Applicants must have at least half of their children living in Australia.
The family visa category includes partner visas, child visas, parent visas, carer visas, remaining relative visas, orphan relative visas and adoption visas.
If you want to bring a family member to Australia, they will need a visa. The type of visa they require is dependent on their relationship with you. You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. Certain temporary residents may also bring a family member/s to Australia on a temporary basis.
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, you will need to identify whether your family member requires a temporary or permanent visa based on their relationship with you and your combined intentions.
If you are a visa holder yourself, you will need to check if your visa allows subsequent entrants and if you have previously declared members of your family. If your visa does not allow subsequent entrants, then your family members will need to apply for their own visa, subject to meeting eligibility requirements.
Partners, spouses and children of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens are eligible to apply for an Australian family visa.
A sponsor must be a relative of the visa applicant who is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Those considered a relative are:
A sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen and be at least 18 years old.
Processing times for family visas can vary depending on the visa subclass, the stream and the demand at the time of application.
Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and many factors can affect processing times. Factors that can impact the visa processing time include:
The cost of a family visa will depend on which family visa you apply for. Fees for each visa and their subclass vary. Individual circumstances will also have an impact on cost. If you would like to find out more about the cost of a family visa, please contact the Visa Solutions Australia team for a quote.
How long you can stay in Australia on a family visa will depend on whether the visa you hold is permanent or temporary. Those who hold a permanent visa can stay in Australia indefinitely while those on a temporary visa can only stay for the period indicated on their visa.
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