This visa allows aged persons who rely on a relative in Australia for all, or most, of their living costs to migrate to Australia.

This visa requires that the applicant is sponsored by their relative in Australia.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for people who are:

• aged (age requirements apply)
• financially dependent on a relative in Australia for a reasonable period of time
• single, having never married, or is widowed, divorced or formally separated from their spouse.

Family members of the aged dependent relative may also be included in the application if they meet certain requirements.

How much does this visa cost?

You must pay a visa application charge when you lodge your visa application. This will usually not be refunded if your application is unsuccessful, or if you decide to withdraw your application after you have lodged it. A second visa application charge is also required before the visa is granted.

What does this visa let me do?

This visa allows you (and your dependent family members) to live as permanent residents in Australia.

You can also:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods).

Age

To meet the age requirements for this visa:

Men must be 65 years or older.

Women should use the following table:

• Before 1 July 1935 60 years old
• 1 July 1935 – 31 December 1936 60.5
• 1 January 1937 – 30 June 1938 61
• 1 July 1938 – 31 December 1939 61.5
• 1 January 1940 – 30 June 1941 62
• 1 July 1941 – 31 December 1942 62.5
• 1 January 1943 – 30 June 1944 63
• 1 July 1944 – 31 December 1945 63.5
• 1 January 1946 – 30 June 1947 64
• 1 July 1947 – 31 December 1948 64.5
• 1 January 1949 and later 65

Example: A woman born in 1943 will have to wait until 2006 (when they turn 63) before they can apply for this visa.

Marital status

You must demonstrate that you do not have a spouse (married or de facto). To establish your current marital status, you should provide official documents such as the death certificate of your previous spouse, divorce certificate, or family status certificates or family books (if these documents are officially issued and maintained).

Relative in Australia

You must have a relative in Australia who is settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Your sponsor will be your relative in Australia.

Dependency

You must demonstrate that you have been wholly or substantially dependent on your relative in Australia for financial support for your basic needs of food, shelter and clothing or because you have a disability which prevents you from working. This support must have been continuing for at least three (3) years.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide them with an Assurance of Support.

Health

You must meet health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You must meet character requirements.

Debts to the Australian Government

Before the applicant can be granted this visa they must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

On 1 September 1994 a Special Category Visa (SCV) was introduced for New Zealand citizens. They require a valid New Zealand passport to travel to Australia and in most cases, do not need to seek a visa before travelling.

At the time of presenting their passports for immigration clearance they are considered to have applied for a visa and, subject to health or character considerations, will automatically receive an SCV which is recorded electronically.

Their New Zealand passports are stamped, showing the date of arrival in Australia. This is the only evidence provided or necessary to show they are holders of an SCV.

People who become New Zealand citizens after their arrival in Australia can, subject to health and character considerations, obtain an SCV from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, as can New Zealand citizens who were already in Australia before 1 September 1994.

Certain New Zealand citizens who were already in Australia before 1 September 1994, and were still in Australia on that date, automatically became SCV holders on 1 September 1994.

Is it necessary to apply for a permanent residence visa?

It is not necessary for a New Zealand citizen who holds an SCV to apply for or be granted permanent residence in Australia. The SCV allows a New Zealand citizen to remain and work in Australia lawfully as long as that person remains a New Zealand citizen.

In conjunction with the introduction of the new bilateral social security arrangement between Australia and New Zealand on 26 February 2001, the Australian Government also announced that New Zealand citizens who arrive in Australia on or after 27 February 2001 must apply for, and be granted, Australian permanent residence if they wish to access certain social security payments not covered by the bilateral agreement, obtain Australian citizenship or sponsor their family members for permanent residence. Under transitional provisions, these changes do not affect New Zealand citizens who:

• were in Australia on 26 February 2001 as SCV holders
• were outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but were in Australia as an SCV holder for a total of 12 months in the 2 years prior to that date, and subsequently returned to Australia, or
• have a certificate, issued under the Social Security Act 1991, stating that they were residing in Australia on a particular date. These certificates are no longer issued.
• Australian citizenship

Applying for citizenship

New Zealand citizens who arrive on or after 27 February 2001 may be eligible for Australian citizenship if they have a permanent visa or meet the transitional provisions described above.

New Zealand citizens, aged 16 and over, applying for Australian citizenship should check the information on penal clearance certificates on Form 47P Character requirements.

People who arrived in Australia before the age of 16 and have not resided in New Zealand are not required to refer to Form 47 P.

Citizenship by birth – before 1 September 1994

Every person born in Australia on or after 26 January 1949 and before 20 August 1986, is an Australian citizen by birth (with the exception of certain children born to diplomats and certain other excluded people).

Following amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (the Act), a person born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 is an Australian citizen by birth only if at least one of the parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of the person’s birth. However, this did not include the children of New Zealand parents.

This is because most New Zealanders in Australia between 20 August 1986 and 31 August 1994 were ‘exempt non-citizens’. The Act specifically excluded the children of ‘exempt non-citizens’ from obtaining Australian citizenship by birth.

When the Migration Reform Act came into effect on 1 September 1994, the term ‘exempt non-citizen’ ceased to apply and SCVs were introduced for New Zealand citizens.

Citizenship by birth – from 1 September 1994 to 26 February 2001

From 1 September 1994 to 26 February 2001, a child born in Australia to a New Zealand citizen parent who held an SCV, is an Australian citizen by birth.

Citizenship by birth – From 27 February 2001

A child born in Australia, on or after 27 February 2001, to a New Zealand citizen parent/s is not an Australian citizen by birth, unless the New Zealand citizen parent:

• was not affected by the 26 February 2001 changes, or
• held an Australian permanent resident visa or Australian citizenship.

Note: Children born to a New Zealand parent who was living in Australia temporarily as a diplomat or as the holder of a special purpose visa (that is guests of government, aircrew or armed forces and their families) are not Australian citizens by birth.

Automatic acquisition of citizenship on 10th birthday.

A child born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, who did not acquire Australian citizenship at birth, automatically acquires it on their 10th birthday if they have been ordinarily resident in Australia for 10 years from birth. This provision operates regardless of the parent/s immigration or citizenship status.

This visa is for people whose only near relatives are usually resident in Australia and are Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.

This visa requires you to be sponsored by an eligible relative (or your relative’s eligible spouse), in Australia.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for you if both of these apply:

• you have a brother, sister, parent (or step-equivalent) who is an Australian citizen,
• Australian permanent resident or
• eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia
• you and your spouse have no brothers, sisters, children, parents (or step-equivalents) other than those in Australia.

Your spouse and other family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

What does this visa let me do?

If you are granted this visa you and your eligible family members can live in Australia as Australian permanent residents.

You can also:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods and visa specific restrictions).

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Your sponsor must be your brother, sister, parent (or step-equivalent) or their spouse, who are settled and usually resident in Australia and they must be either one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person or an organisation prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

Health

You must meet health requirements.

Character

You must meet character requirements.

Applicants under 18

If you are under 18 and were adopted overseas by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, your adoptive parent must have spent 12 months living overseas before they are eligible to sponsor you.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must repay, or have made arrrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government, before a decision can be made on your application.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

This visa allows aged parents to remain in Australia permanently with their children who are living in Australia. This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child or another eligible sponsor in Australia.

This visa allows you, your accompanying spouse and dependent family members to live as permanent residents in Australia.

You can also:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods).

Your spouse and other family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this visa-

Age requirements

Men

Men must be 65 years or older to meet the age requirements.

Women

Women should use the following table. The table shows the age at which a woman becomes eligible to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) visa.

Child in Australia

You must be the parent of a child who is settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, your child will sponsor you. If your child is under 18 years you may also be sponsored by one the following:

• your child’s spouse
• a close family relative or guardian of your child
• a close family relative or guardian of your child’s spouse
• a community organisation.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

An Assurance of Support must be given by the Sponsor or another person and they must be prepared to provide financial assistance to the applicant and any accompanying dependent family members so they do not need to rely on any government forms of support for two (2) years of residency in Australia repay any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying dependent family members in the first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Balance of family test

The balance of family test requires that:

• half your children must be permanently resident in Australia

  or

   

• you have more children permanently resident in Australia than any other single country

Health

You must meet certain health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You must meet character requirements.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

This visa allows aged parents to remain in Australia permanently, with their children who are living in Australia.

This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child, or another eligible sponsor, in Australia.

This visa is for you if you are:

• Aged;

  and

   

• a parent of a child (natural, adopted or step child) who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen; and either:

   

  • at least half of your children are permanently resident in Australia

    or

     

  • you have more children living permanently in Australia than any other country. Your spouse and other family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

What does this visa let me do?

This visa allows you and your dependent family members to live as Australian permanent residents in Australia.

You can also:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods).

You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this visa.

Age requirements

Men 
Men must be 65 years or older to meet the age requirements.

Women 
Women should use the following table. The table shows the age at which a woman becomes eligible to apply for an Aged Parent visa.

Child in Australia

You must be the parent of a child who is settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, your child will sponsor you. If your child is under 18 years you may also be sponsored by one the following:

• your child’s spouse
• a close family relative or guardian of your child
• a close family relative or guardian of your child’s spouse
• a community organisation.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

An Assurance of Support must be given by the Sponsor or another person and they must be prepared to provide financial assistance to the applicant and any accompanying dependent family members so they do not need to rely on any government forms of support for two (2) years of residency in Australia repay any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying dependent family members in the first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Balance of family test

The balance of family test requires that:

• half your children must be permanently resident in Australia or
• you have more children permanently resident in Australia than any other overseas single country

Health

You must meet health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You must meet character requirements.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must repay, or have made arrrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government, before a decision can be made on your application.

Limitations on applications

If you are in Australia, you may be prevented from applying for this visa if, for example:

• you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and have had a visa cancelled or refused since they last arrived in Australia
• your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia
• you hold a sponsored visitor visa
• you are in immigration detention
• you have previously applied for a protection visa.

Government benefits

If you are granted this visa you will have a waiting period before you are eligible to receive most social security payments.

You will not automatically receive the age pension in Australia if you are an aged parent.

Waiting periods are generally, two (2) years for most social security payments and ten (10) years for age and disability pension payments (exemptions may apply).

Waiting periods

Applicants for non-contributory parent visas may have to wait many years before being granted a visa, as the Government limits the number of places available each program year. To manage demand fairly, people who apply and meet core criteria for the grant of this visa, are placed in a global queue.

Because of long waiting periods, applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory parent visa where applicants (or their sponsor) pay a much larger visa application charge and Assurance of Support bond. Applicants (or their sponsor) are contributing to Government revenue and helping to offset some costs placed on the community by parent migration. The Government also limits the number of places available for Contributory parents each year, but there are more places available so the waiting period for grant of a Contributory parent visa is much shorter.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA AS A PARENT

This visa allows parents to migrate to Australia permanently to join their children who are living in Australia.

This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child, or another eligible sponsor, in Australia.

This visa is for you if you are a parent of a child (natural, adopted or step child) who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen and:

• at least half of your children are permanently resident in Australia
• you have more children living permanently in Australia than any other country

Your spouse and other family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

This visa allows you and your accompanying spouse and dependent family members to live as permanent residents in Australia.

You can:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods).

You must meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply for this visa.

Child in Australia

You must be the parent of a child who is settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, your child will sponsor you. If your child is under 18 years you may also be sponsored by one the following:

• your child’s spouse
• a close family relative or guardian of your child
• a close family relative or guardian of your child’s spouse
• a community organisation.

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

An Assurance of Support must be given by the Sponsor or another person and they must be prepared to provide financial assistance to the applicant and any accompanying dependent family members so they do not need to rely on any government forms of support for two (2) years of residency in Australia repay any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying dependent family members in the first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Balance of family test

The balance of family test requires that:

• half your children must be permanently resident in Australia; or
• you have more children permanently resident in Australia than any other single country.

Health

You, your spouse and all dependent family members must meet certain health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character

You, your accompanying spouse and all dependent family members aged sixteen and above must meet the character requirements.

Debts to the Australian Government

Before you can be granted this visa you must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government.

Limitations on applications

If you are in Australia, you may be prevented from applying for this visa if, for example:

• you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and had a visa cancelled or refused since you last arrived in Australia
• your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia
• you hold a sponsored visitor visa
• you are in immigration detention
• you have previously applied for a protection visa.

Australian Values Statement

If you are aged 18 years or over, you are required to sign an Australian values statement. The statement is included in your visa application form and all applicants aged 18 years and over will need to sign it to confirm that they will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. Before signing this statement you are required to have read, or had explained to you, material made available by the government on life in Australia which is contained in the Life in Australia book.

Waiting periods

Applicants for non-contributory parent visas may have to wait many years before being granted a visa, as the Government limits the number of places available each program year. To manage demand fairly, people who apply and meet core criteria for the grant of this visa, are placed in a global queue.

Because of long waiting periods, applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory parent visa where applicants (or their sponsor) pay a much larger visa application charge and Assurance of Support bond. Applicants (or their sponsor) are contributing to Government revenue and helping to offset some costs placed on the community by parent migration. The Government also limits the number of places available for Contributory parents each year, but there are more places available so the waiting period for grant of a Contributory parent visa is much shorter.