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Carer visa (Subclass 836)

AustraliaFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Australia Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

The qualifying family relationship is that of a carer applying onshore to look after an Australian relative who needs care, or a member of that relative's family who lives with them and needs care, where the person needing care has no reasonable access to care options in Australia. The applicant must be in Australia both when applying and when the decision is made.

See recorded sources

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The applicant must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor, and the Department must approve the sponsorship before the visa can be granted. The official source does not state the status the sponsor must hold.

See recorded sources

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

What matters for this visa is proof of caring capacity and need rather than kinship alone: the applicant must be willing and able to provide ongoing substantial care and continuing support or assistance to the Australian relative (or the family member who lives with them) who needs care, and must fully understand that person's medical condition and care needs, which in turn must be such that no reasonable care option exists for them in Australia.

See recorded sources
  • Eligibility tab — Be a carer
    Among other things, you must be willing and able to provide ongoing substantial care and continuing support or assistance to your Australian relative who needs care or their family member who lives with them and needs care.
  • Eligibility tab — Be a carer
    To show this, you should fully understand your Australian relative or their family member's medical condition and what their care needs are.
  • Overview tab — Check your eligibility
    be a carer for your Australian relative who needs care or a member of their family who lives with them and needs care and who has no reasonable access to care in Australia

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The applicant and any family members applying with them must meet Australia's health requirement, and family members aged 16 or over must meet the character requirement; other family members may also be asked to meet these requirements. Any debt owed to the Australian Government by the applicant or a family member must be repaid or subject to a formal repayment arrangement.

See recorded sources

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

This is a permanent visa: once granted, the applicant can stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor their own relatives, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, attend free English classes under the Adult Migrant English Program if eligible, and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. There is no temporary-to-permanent progression built into this onshore pathway. The visa cost is from AUD2,720.00 (concessions apply in limited circumstances).

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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