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Family Migration

Family stream categories

Family stream migrants are selected on the basis of their family relationship with their sponsor in Australia. There is no test for skills or language ability as for skilled stream migrants.

The family stream component of the Migration Program consists of four main categories:

1. Partner

• Spouse: the husband, wife or de facto partner of the Australian sponsor
• Prospective Marriage: a fiancé(e) overseas who plans to marry their Australian sponsor after travelling to Australia, and
• Interdependency: a person in an interdependent relationship with an Australian partner involving a mutual commitment to a shared life together.

2. Child

• Dependent child: the natural, adopted or stepchild of the Australian sponsor
• Adopted child: a child adopted overseas, and
• Orphan relative: an unmarried child under 18 years at the time of application who cannot be cared for by either parent.

3. Parent

There are two visa categories for parents wishing to migrate to Australia:

• the parent category, and
• the contributory parent category.

The differences between the two categories are that:

• the contributory parent category has more visa places available each migration program year, and
• applicants for a contributory parent visa pay a substantially higher second visa application charge and a larger Assurance of Support (AoS) bond (with a longer AoS period).

To apply for a visa in the parent or contributory parent category, an applicant must be the parent of a child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

‘Settled' means a person must have been resident in Australia for a reasonable period, usually two years.

4. Other Family

Aged Dependent Relative: single, widowed, divorced or formally separated person who is dependent on an Australian relative

Remaining Relative: a person who has no near relatives outside n>Australia and is the brother, sister, child or step equivalent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Carer: a person willing and able to give substantial, continuing assistance to an Australian relative or member of their family who has a medical condition that impairs their ability to attend to the practical aspects of daily life. The need for assistance must be likely to continue for at least two years.

Sponsorship

All family stream migrants must be sponsored by a close family relative, partner or fiancé(e)(as applicable for the category).

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and would usually be 18 years of age or older and must be usually resident in Australia.

• Partner applicants must be sponsored by their partner (or a parent or guardian of their partner if their partner is under 18)
• Child applicants must be sponsored by a parent or relative, or that person's cohabiting spouse
• Parent applicants must be sponsored, generally by their child (natural, adopted or stepchild), and
• Other family applicants must be sponsored by a relative

Limitations on sponsorship

For people sponsoring a spouse, fiancé(e) or interdependent partner, there are limits on the number of sponsorships they may make, and the timeframe in which they may be made.

A person who entered Australia as a remaining relative or a person who previously sponsored a remaining relative cannot sponsor another person as a remaining relative.

Health and character requirements

Like all migrants, family stream applicants are assessed on an individual basis and they MUST be assessed against Australia's health and character requirements.

Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is required for most family stream applications. Some are subject  to a discretionary AoS if assessed as being at risk of becoming a charge on Australia's welfare system. Centrelink is responsible for processing the AoS applications.