Sponsored Family stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600): who can sponsor and what it asks

The Sponsored Family stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) requires an eligible relative as sponsor, who must be at least 18 and a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident.

For parent visits, this guide’s parent tourist visa page provides related information. A family member can also support a Tourist-stream application without formal sponsorship by providing a letter of invitation.

Start by checking the relationship between the applicant and proposed sponsor. Eligible relationships include spouses or de facto partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and their step equivalents. Usually, the sponsor must have lived in Australia for the last 2 years.

Initial preparation checklist

This table covers sponsor eligibility and selected visa requirements, rather than a complete application checklist.

Who can sponsor [relative list and exclusions]

The sponsor must meet both the relationship requirements and the age, status and residence requirements. A family connection alone does not establish eligibility.

The Home Affairs relationship guidance describes a narrow exception involving a sponsor who is a relative of another applicant who is a member of the applicant’s family unit. This is not a general inclusion of cousins or in-laws.

Use this stream’s specific relationship list rather than automatically applying a general definition of immediate family for a visa. The broader guide to sponsoring a family member provides related context.

For sibling visits, a brother or sister is expressly included in this stream’s relationship list. The pages on how to sponsor a brother or sister and relative visa options cover related topics separately from this visitor stream.

Security bond

Home Affairs can request a security bond, usually between AUD5,000 and AUD15,000 per person, but can request any amount. The Home Affairs bond guidance states that the bond is refunded if the visitor complies with their visa conditions and leaves Australia before the visa expires.

The usual range is therefore not a fixed charge or a maximum.

Stay up to 12 months and what you may do

The standard stay is 3 months; a stay of up to 12 months is available only in limited circumstances. The Home Affairs stay and conditions guidance also sets out these restrictions:

Sponsorship obligations

Sponsorship includes responsibility for repaying money the visitor owes the Australian Government. It is different from supporting a Tourist-stream application with an invitation letter.

Before you lodge

For broader family pathways beyond this visitor stream, see family visa Australia. A family visit should be considered separately from permanent family migration.

An application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed because sponsor eligibility, the narrow relationship exception and the applicant’s offshore requirements can be addressed before lodgement. Enquiries from this site go to Australian Migration Lawyers.