Family Visas
The Family Stream seeks to reunite Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens with their close family members.
Visa Options
There are a number of migration options for fiancés, partners, children, parents and other family members of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Some visa classes within the Family Stream are subject to being capped and queued. These visas may have extensive waiting periods and this may affect your decision to apply for one of these visas.
Most common options are:
Partner Visa
Partner visas are for people who are married or in a defacto relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen. This leads to permanent residence, usually over a period of 2 years.
Child Visa
Children of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens and some orphan relatives may apply for a Child visa to enter and remain permanently in Australia.
Children from overseas do not have an automatic right of permanent residence in Australia and must apply for the appropriate visa and be assessed against and meet all the legal criteria before a visa can be granted.
Parent Visa
Generally, the following are requirements for all parent categories:
• You must be a parent of a child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Your child must be settled in Australia (in most cases as a resident for at least 2 years) and must sponsor you.
• You must pass the balance of family test – at least half of your children must live permanently in Australia or you must have more children living permanently in Australia than in any other single country.
• You must meet health and character requirements
• If you are applying for any category that has the word ‘aged’ in its title, you must meet the definition of an Aged Parent (see the Parent Migration booklet)