Assurance of Support for family visas: what the assurer promises and which visas need one

An Assurance of Support is a legal commitment to repay the Australian Government welfare payments made to a visa holder or accompanying family members.

The Relationship Visa Australia guide covers family visa pathways; this page explains the separate financial assurance commitment.

Which family visas need an Assurance of Support

Home Affairs sets the following requirements and exceptions.

Sponsored Parent exception: subclass 870 has no Assurance of Support requirement, according to Home Affairs Sponsored Parent information, dated 12 October 2026.

Retiree exception: applicants applying as retirees for subclass 103 or 143 do not need an Assurance of Support. This is an exception for the retiree pathway, not a general exemption for every parent applicant.

For the relative pathway, the last remaining relative eligibility requirements sit alongside the assurance requirement.

What the assurer promises

The assurer makes a legal repayment commitment covering welfare payments made to the visa holder or family members who accompany them to Australia.

The commitment includes two distinct considerations:

• Repayment liability: the assurance is a promise to repay the Australian Government.
• Financial security: depending on the visa subclass, the assurer may also need a bank guarantee and term deposit through the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

A bank guarantee is therefore separate from the underlying repayment commitment. Once Home Affairs grants the visa, the Assurance of Support cannot be cancelled.

Who can be an assurer

An individual assurer must:

• be at least 18 years old;
• be an Australian resident; and
• be able to provide proof of income for the current and last financial year.

A prospective assurer should have that income evidence available when preparing to give the assurance. The repayment commitment and possible bank guarantee should be considered separately from the applicant’s family relationship.

How long it lasts and the bond

The assurance period depends on the visa group. Services Australia’s duration information is dated 4 March 2026.

Depending on the subclass, the assurer may need to provide a bank guarantee and term deposit through the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The assurance period is the duration of the commitment; the guarantee is a separate financial security requirement.

Assurance of Support versus the sponsor's 2-year obligation

An assurance and family sponsorship are distinct commitments. The following comparison is limited to the supported Parent and Remaining Relative sponsorship rules.

The sponsor’s 2-year obligation does not describe the assurance period. For example, the general assurance period applicable to Parent subclass 103 is 4 years.

Applying: Services Australia steps

The supported sequence begins after the visa application:

1. Apply for the visa. Home Affairs decides whether the visa category requires an Assurance of Support.
2. Receive the request. Home Affairs issues a Request for Assurance of Support letter if an assurance is needed.
3. Provide financial security if required. Depending on the subclass, the assurer may need a bank guarantee and term deposit through the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

The individual assurer must also be able to provide the required income evidence.

Before you lodge

Compare parent visa options and visas for relatives for the relevant family pathway. The family relationship requirements and financial assurance are separate checks.

An application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed because the assurance requirement, applicable exception and supporting income evidence can be addressed together. Enquiries from this site go to Australian Migration Lawyers.