Family migration to Australia
The Australian family migration stream caters to people who have a relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Under the Australian family visa migration category, partners, children, parents and other family members may be eligible to apply to migrate to Australia to join their Australian citizen or eligible permanent resident family members on a permanent basis.
For the purposes of family migration to Australia, 'family' includes:
- Spouse (including married, defacto, prospective and same-sex spouses); or
- Child (including step child and adopted child); or
- Parent (including step parent and adoptive parent); or
- Brother/sister (including step, half and adoptive brother/sister); or
- A grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew (including step relations).
Please note that first cousins are only permitted to be sponsored to move to Australia under the Skilled Regional Sponsored visa.
Some Australian family visas will also require you to have an Assurance of Support from an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Your assurer must:
- Lodge a bond with The Commonwealth Bank of Australia; and
- Undertake to provide financial assistance to the person applying to migrate so that they will not have to rely on government support; and
- Make a legal commitment to repay any social security payments made to the personal applying to migrate during their first two years in Australia.