Applicant Eligibility

Family in Australia

You must have a brother, sister, parent (or step-equivalent) who is settled and usually resident in Australia and is one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

You and your partner cannot have any other brothers, sisters, parents (or step equivalents), or non-dependent children other than those who are usually resident in Australia and are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Your sponsor must be your brother, sister, parent (or step-equivalent) or their partner, who are settled and usually resident in Australia and they must be one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person or an organisation prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.
See: Assurance of Support

Health requirements

You must meet health requirements.
See: Health requirements

Character requirements

You must meet character requirements.
See: Character and penal clearance requirements

Applicants under 18

If you are under 18 and were adopted overseas by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, your adoptive parent must have spent 12 months living overseas before they are eligible to sponsor you.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government, before a decision can be made on your application.

Limitations on applications

You may be prevented from applying for this visa if:

• you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and have had a visa cancelled or refused since you last arrived in Australia
• your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia
• you hold a sponsored visitor visa
• you are in immigration detention
• you have previously applied for a protection visa.

If any of the above circumstances apply, contact your nearest departmental office before making an application.
See: Contact Us

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

The Life in Australia book provides more information on the values that Australians share and their way of life.
See:
Australian Values - Overview
Life in Australia Book

 

Before lodging an application, please read all related eligibility requirements.
See: Other eligibility