Carer Visa for Sponsors
Stay
Permanently
Cost
Processing times
For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.
With this visa the applicant can
- stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- work and study in Australia
- travel to and from Australia for 5 years
See all conditions
Check your eligibility
Things to note
- you can sponsor a relative to stay in Australia and provide you with care for an ongoing medical condition
- you must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- you agree to support the applicant and their family for their first 2 years in Australia
Scope of sponsorship
Your sponsorship covers the main visa applicant and any family members who apply for the visa with them.
Cost for the sponsor
There is no cost to apply to sponsor a visa applicant but you must agree to financially support the main visa applicant and their dependants for their first 2 years in Australia.
Sponsor obligations
You must agree that, for the first 2 years the visa holder is in Australia on this visa, you will provide the applicant and any family members who come with them with:
- support
- accommodation
- financial assistance
Assurance of support
You might be asked to provide an assurance of support for the visa applicant.
An assurance of support is a legal commitment to repay the Australian Government any welfare payments made to a visa holder or family who come to Australia with them.
Learn more about assurances of support.
Withdraw sponsorship
You can withdraw your sponsorship at any time before we decide on the visa application.
You must make your request in writing and include:
- your full name
- your date of birth
- the file reference number we gave you when you applied or Client ID
You can't withdraw as a sponsor after we grant the visa. But if you don't comply with your sponsorship obligations, we might cancel the visa.
Send your request to the Child and Other Family Visa Processing Centre in Perth at the address on the form.
Be suitable to sponsor
You must be the applicant's near relative or relative.
You must agree to provide support, housing and financial help for the first 2 years the applicant lives in Australia. You must also support any members of the applicant's family who apply with them.
You or your partner must be settled and usually resident in Australia, 18 years of age or older, and either:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
- an eligible New Zealand citizen
If you are the applicant's relative's partner, you must live with the relative.
Be assessed as requiring care
You, or a family member who lives with you, must be assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services as having a medical condition which:
- is long term or permanent
- means you need will need help with practical aspects of daily life for at least 2 years
Be unable to reasonably access care in Australia
You or a family member who lives with you must be unable to reasonably get the care you need in Australia, whether from another relative or welfare, hospital or community nursing service.
Step 1
Before you apply
Before you apply, check both you and the applicant are eligible.
Organise your medical assessment
Your sponsor, or their relative who lives with them, must be assessed as needing care by Bupa Medical Visa Services.
We won't accept the visa application unless we have evidence this process has at least begun.
Step 2
Gather your documents
Provide accurate information
Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.
You need to show us proof that you:
- are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
- are usually resident in Australia
- are related to the main applicant
We use the information in the application to make our decision. It will benefit the applicant if you provide as much information as possible.
Identity documents
Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
Also provide a copy of your birth certificate showing both your parents’ names. If you don’t have a birth certificate and you can’t get one, provide a copy of the identification pages of one of these:
- a family book showing both your parents’ names
- government-issued identification
- a court-issued document that verifies your identity
If you have changed your name, provide proof such as:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names you have been known by
Financial documents
You may need to give us:
- income records
- tax records
- other proof showing you can support your relative
Medical assessment documents
Give us your Carer Visa Assessment Certificate to show your medical condition has been assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services.
If you have begun the assessment process but not yet been assessed, give us a letter from Bupa Medical Visa Services confirming your request.
You must also give us written evidence that you don't have reasonable access to care options in Australia.
Relationship to the applicant documents
Give us evidence that you are related to the applicant such as:
- a birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- death certificate
- adoption certificate
- family status certificates or family books, if officially issued and maintained
Step 3
Apply
Complete Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia (442KB PDF). Give the completed form and all other documents to the applicant to submit with their visa application.
Step 4
After you apply
We will let you know when we have received your sponsor application and documents. Let us know if you want to withdraw your sponsorship.
You can withdraw your sponsorship before we grant the visa. Write to us at the office where the application was lodged if you want to withdraw your sponsorship.
You cannot withdraw as a sponsor after we grant the visa.
Step 5
Visa outcome
We will let the applicant know in writing if their application is successful.
If we grant the visa, we will advise the applicant:
- when they can use the visa (date of first entry)
- the visa grant number
- any conditions attached to the visa
If we don't grant the visa, we will advise the applicant:
- why we refused the visa
- their review rights if any
- time limit for requesting a review of the decision if applicable
Your obligations
For the first 2 years the visa holder is in Australia on this visa, you must provide them and any family members who come with them with:
- support
- accommodation
- financial assistance
You can' t withdraw as a sponsor after we have granted the visa. But if you don't comply with your sponsorship obligations for 2 years after we grant the visa, we might cancel it.
Withdraw sponsorship
You can't withdraw as a sponsor after we grant the visa. But if you don't comply with your sponsorship obligations, we might cancel the visa.
Tell us if things change
If you are no longer able to meet your obligations or if any information has changed since the applicant lodged their information, let us know.