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Visas, Immigration and Refugees

Assurance of Support

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An Assurance of Support (AoS) covers the principal applicant and other family members included in the application.

In certain migrant visa subclasses an AoS is a mandatory requirement which must be met prior to visa grant. If you applied for one of these visas, your assurer must also lodge a refundable bond with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Other visa subclasses may have an AoS as a discretionary requirement only. For these visa subclasses, a bond will not be required.
See: Fact Sheet 34. Assurance of Support

AoS Assessments and AoS Period

On 1 July 2004, Centrelink assumed responsibility for the assessment of AoS applications, including bond lodgement.
See: www.centrelink.gov.au > Individuals > Assurance of Support

An AoS bond is held for the duration of the AoS period.

For applicants applying for a permanent Contributory Parent visa, the AoS period runs for 10 years from:

  • the date you arrived in Australia (if you applied from outside Australia)
    or
  • the date you were granted a permanent visa (if you applied from within Australia).

For applicants of all other visas, the AoS period is 2 years from:

  • the date you arrived in Australia (if you applied from outside of Australia)
    or
  • the date you were granted a visa (if you applied from within Australia).

Release of bond

After 1 July 2004 - AoS cases accepted by Centrelink

For all AoS cases accepted by Centrelink, only Centrelink can authorise release of the bond. Release of the bond will depend upon whether the visa holder (the assuree) has claimed any recoverable Centrelink payments during the life of the AoS. After the AoS period has expired, the assurer should ask the nearest Centrelink office to release the bond money (less any claims by Centrelink).

Before 1 July 2004 - AoS cases accepted by the department

For all AoS cases accepted by the department, a bond may be released by the department before the AoS period begins. This only applies if the person for whom the bond was paid:

  • does not travel to Australia before cancellation or expiry of the visa
  • withdraws their visa application
  • is not accepted for permanent entry to, or stay in, Australia
    or
  • dies before the AoS comes into effect.

Important: In all other circumstances, if the AoS period has already begun, only Centrelink can authorise the bond release.

Further information

Please contact Centrelink for more information about the AoS scheme, including up-to-date bond amounts. Centrelink will advise when to lodge the bond/s and how much must be deposited.
See: www.centrelink.gov.au
Telephone: 132 850