Family Visas

Spouse Visa To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa, the applicant must be either married to or in a de facto relationship with an:
 Australian citizen; or
 Australian permanent resident; or
 Eligible New Zealand citizen.
All Spouse visa applicants must be sponsored by their partner who must be at least 18 years of age.

To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa as a married partner, the marriage must be legal under Australian law.

To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa as a de facto partner, the applicant must demonstrate at least 12 months of cohabitation with their Australian partner in the period immediately prior to lodging the visa application. The definition of a de facto partner extends to opposite and same-sex couples.

Onshore Spouse visa applicants are required to hold a valid substantive visa and be in Australia at the time that the visa is granted.

Offshore Spouse visa applicants are required to be outside of Australia at the time that the visa is granted.

All Australian visa applicants are required to satisfy health and character requirements.

Spouse Visa
An application for a Spouse visa is a process that involves two stages. The first stage is a temporary Spouse visa will be granted and be valid for two years from the date of application. Second stage is that, the applicant's relationship with their partner must be continual and if assessed to be genuine, whereby a permanent Spouse visa will be granted.

Successful applicants and holders of an Australian Spouse (Permanent) visa become permanent residents of Australia and will be entitled to live, work and study in Australia on a permanent basis. Australian permanent residence benefits include access to government-subsidised healthcare (Medicare), and to certain social security benefits with the ability to apply for an Australian citizenship.

Prospective Marriage Visa
To be eligible to apply for a Prospective Marriage visa, the applicant must be engaged to an:
 Australian citizen; or
 Australian permanent resident; or
 Eligible New Zealand citizen.
All Prospective Marriage visa applicants must be sponsored by their fiancé who must be at least 18 years of age. Prospective Marriage visa applicants are required to demonstrate that they:
 Personally know and have physically met their fiancé
 Engaged to marry their fiancé
 Will marry their fiancé within the visa validity period
 Intend to live in a genuine spousal relationship with their fiancé.

A Prospective Marriage visa must be applied for offshore and applicants are required to be outside of Australia at the time that the visa is granted.
All Australian visa applicants are required to satisfy health and character requirements.

Applicants and holders of a Prospective Marriage visa in Australia are permitted to work, study and travel freely in and out of Australia during the 9 month validity period.  Prospective Marriage visa holders are entitled to apply for a Spouse visa in Australia after they have married their fiancé.

Parent Visa
In order to apply as a parent, applicants must pass the balance of family test. In addition, all parent migrants must be sponsored by their child who must be an

Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
 Applications for the Parent visa must usually be lodged outside Australia.
 Applicants are also required to satisfy health and character requirements.

Successful applicants who are holders of a Parent visa become permanent residents of Australia.  As a permanent resident, you are entitled to live, work and study in Australia on a permanent basis.  When you are granted permanent residence, a visa label is placed in your passport as proof of your permanent residence status.

Benefits of Australian permanent residence include access to government-subsidised healthcare (Medicare), certain social security benefits and the ability to apply for Australian citizenship.

Successful applicants and holders of a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa will hold a two year temporary residence visa. During this period, you will have access to government-subsidised healthcare (Medicare), work and study rights.

Aged Parent Visa
To be eligible to apply for an Aged Parent visa, applicants must meet the age requirement, pass the 'balance of family' test and be sponsored by their child who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen settled in Australia.

Aged
An aged parent is one who is old enough to be granted an Australian age pension. For male applicants, the qualifying age is currently 65 years and for female applicants, the qualifying age ranges from 63 to 65 depending on the applicant's date of birth.

Balance of Family
The 'balance of family' test applies to all Parent visa applicants and the applicant must demonstrate that they have:
 at least half of their children living lawfully and permanently in Australia; or
 more children living lawfully and permanently in Australia than in any one single country overseas.

An Aged Parent visa must be applied for onshore and applicants are required to be in Australia at the time that the visa is granted.

All visa applicants are required to satisfy health and character requirements.

Applicants and holders of an Australian Aged Parent visa are entitled to become permanent residents of Australia and are entitled to live, work and study in Australia on a permanent basis. Additional benefits of Australian permanent residence include access to government-subsidised healthcare (Medicare), certain social security benefits and the ability to apply for Australian citizenship.

Successful applicants and holders of an Australian Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa will be granted a two year temporary residence visa.