Fact Sheet 34 - Assurance of Support
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Some visa applicants need to provide an Assurance of Support before their visa application can be granted.
This Fact Sheet gives an overview of the Assurance of Support scheme.
What is an Assurance of Support?
An Assurance of Support 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 Assurance of Support period.
Respective Assurance of Support periods are:
- 10 years for Contributory Parent visa holders or
- 2 years for all other visa types where an Assurance of Support is needed.
The Assurance of Support 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 Assurance of Support
A required Assurance of Support applies to the following visa categories:
- Parent
- Aged Parent
- Contributory Parent
- Contributory Aged Parent
- Aged Dependent Relative
- Remaining Relative
For these visas:
- an Assurance of Support must be provided before the visa can be granted and
- the Assurance of Support requirement cannot be waived
Note: From 1 September 2007 an Assurance of Support will no longer be required for Skilled visas.
However, the Assurance of Support 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 Assurance of Support 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 Assurance of Support
In most other visa subclasses, a discretionary Assurance of Support 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 Assurance of Support requirement and
- in discretionary Assurance of Support cases, when an Assurance of Support is needed.
The department does not undertake assessments of Assurance of Support applications.
Centrelink
The Assurance of Support scheme is based in the Social Security Act 1991 and is delivered by Centrelink.
Centrelink:
- provide Assurance of Support application forms
- assesses an Australian resident's capacity to provide an Assurance of Support
- counsel assurers about the implications of the Assurance of Support undertaking
- advise the requirements that need to be met by assurers (including joint assurers) in order to provide an Assurance of Support
- advise obligations of being an assurer, including the bond lodgement and procedures for bond release
- advise the recoverable social security payments affected by an Assurance of Support.
More information about the Assurance of Support scheme can be obtained from Centrelink on their web site or by telephone.
See: www.centrelink.gov.au
Telephone:
132 850 (English)
131 202 (languages other than English)
What steps do I need to take to obtain an Assurance of Support?
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will send you a letter advising that you need to obtain an Assurance of Support. You must forward this letter to your potential assurer.
Your potential assurer is to provide this letter to Centrelink to initiate the Assurance of Support assessment.
Centrelink will advise your assurer how to make an Assurance of Support application and the responsibilities that accompany an Assurance of Support commitment.
How will I find out about the outcome of the Assurance of Support assessment?
Centrelink will advise the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the assurer when the Assurance of Support 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 9am to 4pm (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 1 January 2008.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007.