Family and Partner visas allow the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.

There are 6 subclasses in this visa type.

Subclass 820, Partner Visa (Onshore)

The subclass 820 visa is a temporary partner visa for individuals who are married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows you to live in Australia with your partner for a period of up to two years.

To be eligible for a subclass 820 visa, you must:

• be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of your relationship, such as joint bank accounts, bills, or rental agreements
• meet the health and character requirements

If your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and you meet the other eligibility criteria, you may be granted a subclass 820 visa. After two years, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent partner visa (subclass 801) if your relationship is still ongoing.

You can find more information about the subclass 820 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclass 801, Partner Visa (2nd Stage)

The subclass 801 visa is a permanent partner visa for individuals who are married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows you to live in Australia with your partner on a permanent basis.

To be eligible for a subclass 801 visa, you must:

• have held a temporary partner visa (subclass 820) for at least two years
• be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of your relationship, such as joint bank accounts, bills, or rental agreements
• meet the health and character requirements

If your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and you meet the other eligibility criteria, you may be granted a subclass 801 visa. This visa allows you to live, work, and study in Australia on a permanent basis.

You can find more information about the subclass 801 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclass 309, Partner (provisional) Visa

The subclass 309 visa is a temporary partner visa for individuals who are married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows you to live in Australia with your partner for a period of up to two years.

To be eligible for a subclass 309 visa, you must:

• be outside Australia at the time of application
• be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of your relationship, such as joint bank accounts, bills, or rental agreements
• meet the health and character requirements

If your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and you meet the other eligibility criteria, you may be granted a subclass 309 visa. After two years, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent partner visa (subclass 100) if your relationship is still ongoing.

You can find more information about the subclass 309 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclass 100, Partner (migrant) Visa (2nd Stage)

The subclass 100 visa is a permanent partner visa for individuals who are married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows you to live in Australia with your partner on a permanent basis.

To be eligible for a subclass 100 visa, you must:

• have held a temporary partner visa (subclass 309) for at least two years
• be in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of your relationship, such as joint bank accounts, bills, or rental agreements
• meet the health and character requirements

If your relationship is genuine and ongoing, and you meet the other eligibility criteria, you may be granted a subclass 100 visa. This visa allows you to live, work, and study in Australia on a permanent basis.

You can find more information about the subclass 100 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclass 300, Prospective Marriage Visa

The subclass 300 visa is a temporary visa for individuals who are engaged to be married to an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows you to enter Australia to marry your partner and to live with them for a period of nine months.

To be eligible for a subclass 300 visa, you must:

• be engaged to be married to an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of your engagement, such as a copy of your engagement ring or a letter from a religious official
• meet the health and character requirements

If you are granted a subclass 300 visa, you must enter Australia and marry your partner within nine months of the visa being granted. After you are married, you can apply for a permanent partner visa (subclass 309 or subclass 100) to remain in Australia with your partner on a permanent basis.

You can find more information about the subclass 300 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclass 101, Child Visa

The subclass 101 visa is a permanent visa for children who are outside Australia and who have a parent who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. This visa allows the child to live in Australia with their parent on a permanent basis.

To be eligible for a subclass 101 visa, the child must:

• be outside Australia at the time of application
• have a parent who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• be able to provide evidence of their relationship to their parent, such as a birth certificate
• meet the health and character requirements

If the child meets the eligibility criteria, they may be granted a subclass 101 visa. This visa allows the child to live, work, and study in Australia on a permanent basis.

You can find more information about the subclass 101 visa, including the eligibility criteria and the application process, on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

 

Subclasses 143 and 173, Contributory Parent visa 

An individual with a child who is an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident may be sponsored by their child for a Parent visa. There are no age requirements for this visa, but the application can only be submitted by someone outside Australia.

The Parent visa can be applied for as a permanent visa or temporary, two-year visa. The holder can then apply for a permanent Parent visa after two years.

Partners and other (dependent) family members can be included in the visa application. They will receive the same visa status.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Valid passport
• Sponsorship by a child living in Australia
• Majority of applicant’s children live in Australia
• Health check
• Character requirements fulfilled
• No outstanding debts to the Commonwealth
• No prior refusal or cancellation of an Australian visa

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent or temporary visa with option for Permanent Residency visa
• Payment of an indexed health insurance tax
• Sponsoring child must agree to provide financial support to parents if necessary and must provide a safety deposit (for permanent visa)

 

Subclasses 864 and 884, Contributory Aged Parent visa 

Parents over the age of 65 who are already in Australia on a valid visa can apply for this visa. Parents with a child who is an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident may be sponsored by their child for a Parent visa.

The Contributory Aged Parent visa can be applied for as a permanent visa or a temporary, two-year visa. A temporary Parent visa holder can apply for a permanent visa.<br<>br>

Partners and other (dependent) family members can be included in the visa application. They will receive the same visa status.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Aged over 65
• Valid passport
• Sponsorship by a child living in Australia
• Majority of applicant’s children live in Australia
• Health check
• Character requirements fullfiled
• No outstanding debts to the Commonwealth
• No prior refusal or cancellation of an Australian visa

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent or temporary visa with option for Permanent Residency visa
• Payment of an indexed health insurance tax
• Sponsoring child must agree to provide financial support to parents if needed and must have a safety deposit (if visa is permanent)

Note: In some cases, it may be advisable to apply for a different parent’s pension visa (subclass 804 Aged Parent). This visa unfortunately has an extremely lengthy processing time (currently about 20 years), but parents who are in Australia could be eligible for a Bridge visa for the duration of the processing time and can still legally remain in the country.

 

Subclasses 101 and 802, Child visa 

An Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident can sponsor their child or partner’s child for a visa to obtain permanent residency.

The visa can be granted to minors and dependent children. Birth, adopted, and children of the partner fall into this category.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Aged under 18
• Sponsorship by Australian parent
• Health check

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent visa
• Parent’s obligation to assist and support the child
• Sponsoring parent may have to provide an assurance of support

The visa classes vary depending on whether the child is already in Australia (as the holder of another valid visa) or abroad.

Note: If a parent has applied for a provisional Partner visa or a Fiancée visa, they will need to apply for a temporary Child visa for their children (visa subclass 445 Dependent Child). This visa can be granted to the child once the parent has received their temporary Partner visa and is valid for the duration of the temporary visa. In the later application for permanent residency, the child can be included in the application and will receive the permanent residency together with the parent.

 

Subclass 102, Adoption visa 

This visa is an option for a child who is adopted outside Australia to come to Australia to live with their adoptive parents. The applicant or their partner must be Australian citizens, eligible New Zealand citizens, or Australian permanent residents.

If the adoption is to be carried out in Australia, it must first be examined and endorsed by the relevant Australian authorities and youth services. If the child was adopted outside of Australia, it must be proven that the adoption took place in accordance with the legal requirements of the respective country and that the adoptive parents have full custody of the child. In addition, adoptive parents and children must have lived together as a family for at least 12 months before this visa can be applied for.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Aged under 18
• Sponsorship by Australian adoptive parents
• Health check
• Legally compliant adoption

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent visa
• Sponsoring parents assist the child and provide adequate accommodation and financial support to meet the child’s reasonable needs

 

Subclasses 114 and 834, Aged Dependent Relative visa 

A relative of an Australian citizen, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident may be eligible to be sponsored for this visa. The visa may also be of interest for parents who fail the Balance of Family Test because the majority of their children do not live in Australia.

It should be noted that one of the requirements for this Aged Dependent Relative visa is that the applicant is single and over 65 years of age. In addition, they must depend on the support of the sponsoring relatives and be able to prove this.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Aged over 65
• Valid passport
• Single
• Sponsorship by Australian relative
• Dependence on Australian relative
• Health check
• Applicant is not a convicted criminal
• No outstanding debts to the Commonwealth
• No prior refusal or cancellation of an Australian visa

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent visa
• Payment of an indexed health insurance tax
• Sponsoring relative has to provide assurance of support

Sponsoring relative has to pay a refundable bond before the visa is granted

 

Subclasses 115 and 835, Remaining Relative visa 

If all of an applicant’s closest relatives already live in Australia, this permanent visa may be an option. A relative of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen may be sponsored for this visa, as long as they are the only member of the family who does not yet live in Australia. Close relatives in this case are parents, siblings, and children.

The applicant’s spouse or partner can be included in the visa application. However, in this case, all close relatives of the partner also have to live in Australia.

The most important visa requirements at a glance:

• Valid passport
• All family members live in Australia
• Sponsorship by Australian relative
• Dependence on Australian relative
• Health check
• Applicant is not a convicted criminal
• No outstanding debts to the Commonwealth
• No prior refusal or cancellation of an Australian visa

Visa validity and essential visa conditions:

• Permanent visa

The eligible visa classes vary depending on whether the applicant is already in Australia (as a holder of a valid visa) or abroad.