Live in Australia
Range of visas for partners or family members of Australian citizens or Permanent residents; and options to apply for Australian citizenship.
Partner visa
This visa is suitable for spouses or de facto partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible NZ citizens. There is an onshore visa category (SC 820/801) and an offshore one (SC 309/100).
Partner visa is processed as a two-stage visa – initially the applicants will be granted provisional partner visa and after 2 years since lodgement of the application, they can be considered for the permanent stage.
To qualify for a Partner visa you must be in a marriage that is legally valid in Australia, or in a de facto relationship. You and your partner must demonstrate a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others and be in a genuine and continuing relationship.
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For the de facto relationships, there is additional requirement that the couple must have been de facto for at least 12 months prior to lodgement of the application unless the compelling circumstances apply or the relationship is registered with a relevant Australian authority.
Prospective marriage visa
This offshore visa option is available for applicants who are engaged to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen.
This is a temporary visa valid for 9 months enabling you to migrate to Australia. Later you will need to apply for a partner visa.
To be eligible for prospective marriage, or so-called fiancé visa, you must be in a genuine relationship and must make official arrangements to get married – such as lodging a notice of intention to marry with an Australian marriage celebrant.
Parent visa
There are various options for parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents who wish to join them in Australia permanently. Two main categories of parent visas are:
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Parent/Aged Parent visa (SC 103/804)
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Contributory Parent/Contributory Aged Parent visa (SC 143/884).
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For the Contributory parent visa, the second instalment fee in the amount of $43,600 per person is payable before the visa is granted. The Parent visa does not attract the contribution payment however the applications are placed in a long queue – currently, the waiting time is about 30 years.
The applicant for parent visa must be sponsored by their child who is a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident. A Balance of the family test must be met – meaning that at least half of your children must live permanently in Australia and more of your children live permanently in Australia than in any one other country.
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Temporary Sponsored Partner visa SC 870
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is a visa for 3-5 years enabling parent to live in Australia temporarily with their children. There is no balance of family test for this category but the sponsor must meet the income test.
Child visa
A child visa lets an eligible parent sponsor their child to live in Australia permanently. There is an offshore visa category (SC 101) and onshore one (SC 802).
The child must be sponsored by parent or parent’s partner, be single, under 18 years old, or if older needs to be dependent on their sponsoring parent. There are specific requirements regarding adopted children.
Other family visas
There are other specific visa categories under the family migration such as:
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Remaining Relative visa
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Adoption visa
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Aged Dependent relative
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Carer visa.
Some of them are capped and queued meaning that the waiting time for grant of the visa may be very long.
Australian citizenship
There are several ways to become an Australian citizen. Children born in Australia to a parent who is Australian permanent resident or citizen are automatically granted citizenship by birth. A child born outside Australia to an Australian citizen is eligible for citizenship by descent.
Migrants with permanent residence can apply for citizenship by conferral once they meet the residence requirements. Applicants must be of a good character and pass the citizenship test (unless exempt).
The general residence requirement is met if you have lived in Australia on a valid visa for at least 4 years and have been a permanent resident for 12 months. You could not have been absent from Australia over 12 months in total during 4 years including no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
There are some circumstances for variation to the residence requirement (Defence Force members, partners of Australian citizens who spent time offshore together) or special residence requirement.
FAQ
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Do you have an Australian spouse, de facto partner or fiancé?
OnBoard Migration will assess your particular case and create the best strategy for you. We can assist you with the visa application process and prepare tailored and personalised document checklist for you making sure that your application is complete and decision-ready, minimizing any risks and giving you peace of mind during the process.
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Are you interested to sponsor your parents for a visa to Australia?
Talk to our registered migration agent to understand about different parent visa options. OnBoard Migration will explain to you and to your parents requirements for all of the parent visa categories and assist you with the whole application process.
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Are you Australian permanent resident and thinking of applying for Australian citizenship?
Our experienced migration agent can assess your case and confirm whether you meet all the requirements. OnBoard Migration will assist you with the citizenship application and make the process smooth and stress-free for you and your family.
Do you want to know more?
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We can help you identify the best visa options for you considering your circumstances and intentions.