Proposing an Immediate Family Member (Split Family Provisions)
On this page
The holder of any permanent humanitarian visa (including Permanent Protection visas) in Australia can propose their immediate family members for entry to Australia through the offshore Humanitarian Program. This is commonly referred to as the ‘Split Family’ provisions.
Immediate family members
An immediate family member is either the proposer’s partner, dependant child or, if the proposer is not 18 or more years of age, the proposer’s parent.
| Family Member | Description |
| Partner | The spouse or de facto partner of the proposer, where the relationship is recognised as valid for the purposes of the Migration Act 1958. |
| Dependent child | The child or stepchild, of the proposer (other than a child who has a partner or is engaged to be married), being a child who either has not turned 18 or has turned 18 and is dependent on the proposer. |
| Parent | Includes parents or step-parents if the proposer is not 18 or more years of age. |
Split family provisions
People applying to be resettled in Australia as the immediate family member of a permanent Humanitarian (including Permanent Protection) or Resolution of Status visa holder must be proposed for entry to Australia by that family member. The applicant’s relationship to the proposer must have been declared to the department before the grant of the proposer’s visa.
Applications from immediate family members of humanitarian visa holders are afforded a high priority under the Humanitarian Program and are processed accordingly.
Generally, visas for immediate family members are granted in the same category as the proposer’s visa.
Example: the immediate family of a proposer who entered Australia on a Refugee visa (subclass 200) will also be granted a Refugee visa and the Australian Government will fund their travel to Australia.
However, if the proposer holds a Protection visa (subclass 866), their immediate family member will be granted a Global Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 202) and the Australian Government will not fund their travel to Australia.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for a visa as the immediate family member of a humanitarian visa holder, applicants must satisfy the following:
- on the date of the grant of the proposer’s Permanent Protection Resolution of Status or Humanitarian visa, the applicant⁄s overseas must have been a member of the proposer’s immediate family
- the applicant’s relationship to the proposer must have been declared to the department before the grant of the proposer’s visa
- the offshore application must be made within five years of the grant of the proposer’s visa
- the applicant must continue to be a member of the proposer’s immediate family.
Lodging an application
An application for a visa as the immediate family member of a humanitarian visa holder must be made on an Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa (form 842), accompanied by a Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (form 681) completed by their immediate family member in Australia.
These applications must be submitted at the appropriate departmental office:
| If the applicant lives in: | The application must be lodged at: |
|---|---|
| Africa (any country) | The department’s Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre in Sydney. See: Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia from applicants in Africa (28KB PDF file) |
The Middle East and |
The department’s Offshore Humanitarian Processing Centre in Melbourne. See: Lodging Certain Humanitarian Applications in Australia from applicants in the Middle East and parts of South West Asia (29KB PDF file) |
| All Other Countries | The nearest Australian mission overseas. See: Immigration Offices Outside Australia |
Application forms
The forms to apply for a Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa are listed below.
See:
Form 681 – Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal (319KB PDF file)
Form 842 – Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa (1.0MB PDF file)
After an application is lodged
For information on what happens after you lodge your application.
See: After an Application is Lodged
Proposer responsibilities
If immediate family applicants are granted a Special Humanitarian Program visa, the proposer or the applicant must pay for their travel to Australia. Assistance may be available under the IOM Refugee Travel Loan Fund.
See: International Organization for Migration (IOM) > Refugee Travel Loan Fund
If the applicants are granted a Refugee visa (subclass 200, 201, 203 or 204) the Australian Government will pay for their:
- travel costs
- medical examinations
- x-ray examinations.
On arrival in Australia, the proposer is expected to assist in the settlement of the applicant⁄entrant (the applicant becomes an entrant on arrival in Australia). The proposer should:
- meet the entrant at the airport
- provide for the entrant’s immediate accommodation needs
- assist the entrant to find permanent accommodation
- familiarise the entrant with services and service providers such as:
- Centrelink
- banks
- public transport
- translating and interpreting services
- health care
- permanent housing
- education
- employment services
- childcare.
Support for humanitarian visa holders
The Australian Government helps humanitarian visa holders to prepare for travel to and life in Australia and settle into the Australian community.
The Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) ProgramThe Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Program is offered to humanitarian visa holders who are preparing to settle in Australia. It is delivered overseas, before the entrants begin their journey to Australia.
AUSCO is designed to provide an initial introduction to aspects of Australian life, aiming to enhance participants' settlement prospects, create realistic expectations for their life in Australia, and help them acquire information concerning Australian culture prior to arrival. It is the beginning of the settlement process.
AUSCO is available to all humanitarian visa holders over the age of five, and is delivered over five days to ensure AUSCO adequately covers all topics in sufficient detail.
See: Fact Sheet 67 – The Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Program
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Refugee Travel Loan Fund is an interest-free loan program which helps meet the travel costs of Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) visa holders.
Loans are available to assist SHP visa holders or their Australian proposers who do not have enough money to pay for the expense of travelling to Australia. Loans are provided on a needs basis and loan recipients have their travel organised by IOM.
Details of the fund and application forms are available from IOM at:
Email: travel.loan.canberra@iom.int
Telephone: 02 6267 6634
Website: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Australia provides settlement assistance for refugees and humanitarian entrants on arrival in Australia.
See: Fact Sheet 66 – Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy
The Beginning a Life in Australia booklets are designed to assist newly arrived migrants to settle in Australia. There is a booklet produced for each state and territory and they are available in English and 37 community languages.
See: Beginning a Life in Australia
The Life in Australia book is a resource to help migrants understand Australian history, culture, society and the values we share before they sign the Australian values statement.
See: Life in Australia book