Fact Sheet 34 - Assurance of Support

Some visa applicants need to provide an Assurance of Support (Aos) before their visa application can be granted.

What is an Assurance of Support (AoS)?

An AoS is a legal commitment by a person (not necessarily the sponsor) to repay to the Australian Government certain welfare payments paid to migrants during their respective AoS period.

An AoS is also a commitment to provide financial support to the person applying to migrate, so that they will not have to rely on social welfare payments.

Respective AoS periods are:

• 10 years for Contributory Parent visa holders or
• 2 years for all other visa types where an AoS is needed.

The AoS period commences from the date of:

• visa grant, for applicants in Australia
• arrival on the migrant visa, for applicants outside Australia.

The AoS scheme enables welfare costs for these migrants to be met by an Australian permanent resident or citizen, rather than the Australian community.

Types of Assurance of Support

Required AoS

Family stream

A required (mandatory) AoS applies to the following visa categories:

• Parent
• Aged Parent
• Contributory Parent
• Contributory Aged Parent
• Aged Dependent Relative
• Remaining Relative.

However, an AoS only applies to adult applicants, aged 18 years and over.

Parent visas

For permanent Contributory Parent category visa applicants, an AoS bond (held for 10 years) of $10,000 is required for the main applicant and $4000 for any adult secondary applicant.

For Parent category visa applicants, an AoS bond (held for 2 years) of $5,000 is required for the main applicant and $2000 for any adult secondary applicant.

For these visas listed above the following requirements apply:

• an AoS must be provided before the visa can be granted
• the AoS requirement cannot be waived.

Skilled stream

From 1 September 2007 an AoS is no longer required for Skilled visas.

However, the AoS requirements must be met for the Skilled visas listed below for applications made before 1 September 2007. Should an application made before 1 September not be decided by 1 January 2008, then the AoS will no longer be required:

• Skilled – Australian-sponsored
• Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored
• Skilled – Australian Sponsored Overseas Student
• Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored Overseas Student
• Skilled – Australian-sponsored New Zealand Citizen
• Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored New Zealand Citizen.

Discretionary AoS

In most other visa subclasses, a discretionary AoS may be requested if an applicant is assessed as being at risk of becoming a charge on Australia's welfare system. This request is based upon close consideration of the education, skills, employment history, English language capacity and age of the visa applicant and their sponsor.

Roles and Responsibilities

The department

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship determines:

• which visas should include an AoS requirement and
• in discretionary AoS cases, when an AoS is needed.

The department does not undertake assessments of AoS applications.

Centrelink

The AoS scheme is based in the Social Security Act 1991 and is delivered by Centrelink. From 1 July 2004, Centrelink assumed responsibility for all AoS assessments.

Centrelink has the following responsibilities:

• provide AoS application forms
• assesses an Australian resident's capacity to provide an AoS
• counsel assurers about the implications of the AoS undertaking
• advise the requirements that need to be met by assurers (including joint assurers) in order to provide an AoS
• advise obligations of being an assurer, including the bond lodgement and procedures for bond release
• advise the recoverable social security payments affected by an AoS.

More information about the AoS scheme can be obtained from Centrelink on their web site or by telephone.
See: Centrelink
Telephone:
132 850 (English)
131 202 (languages other than English)

What steps do I need to take to obtain an AoS?

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will send you a letter advising that you need to obtain an AoS. You must forward this letter to your potential assurer.

Your potential assurer is to provide this letter to Centrelink to initiate the AoS assessment.

Centrelink will advise your assurer how to make an AoS application and the responsibilities that accompany an AoS commitment.

How will I find out about the outcome of the AoS assessment?

Centrelink will advise the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the assurer when the AoS is finalised.

 

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 34. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 17 November 2008.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.