There are 3 major visas under Family Visa:
- Partner Visa
- Parent Visa
- Other relative Visa
Basic requirements for Spouse Visa
An Australian Spouse visa entitles married and de facto (opposite and same-sex) partners of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to enter and/or remain in Australia.
Applicants can apply for a Spouse visa from either inside or outside Australia and are required to meet specific requirements before the visa can be granted. An Australian Spouse visa is initially granted as a temporary visa. After two (2) years, the relationship is reassessed and if deemed genuine a permanent visa will be granted.
Basic requirements for Spouse Visa
To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa, the applicant must be either married to or in a de facto relationship with:
- an Australian citizen; or
- an Australian permanent resident; or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen.
Marriage Relationship
To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa as a married partner, the marriage must be legal under Australian law.
De facto Relationship
To be eligible to apply for a Spouse visa as a de facto partner, the applicant must have been in the relationship for at least 12 months and the applicant is required to demonstrate a genuine commitment to their partner. The definition of a de facto partner extends to opposite and same-sex couples.
All Australian visa applicants are required to satisfy health and character requirements.
Parent Visa
The Parent visa enables parents to migrate to Australia on permanent basis to join their children living in Australia. The Parent visa requires sponsorship from an eligible child in Australia.
The government limits the number of available Parent visas available each program year. Therefore, applicants who apply and meet core criteria for this visa are placed in a global queue. Whilst the Australian Government recently added 4000 Parent places in the Family Migration stream, applicants are still experiencing substantial waits before being granted a visa.
Applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory Parent visa where applicants, or their sponsor, pay a larger application fee and an Assurance of Support bond. The waiting period for the grant of a Contributory Parent visa is much shorter.
Other Relatives
Other relative Visa’s include Child Visa, Remaining Relative Visa, allowing other family members living in Australia.