Australia Carer Visa
Australia
Residency
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See if you're a match →Australia's Carer visa lets someone move permanently to Australia to care for a relative with a long-term medical condition.
- Type
- Permanent family-care residence
- Sponsor
- Relative with a long-term care need
- Core requirements
- Care need, no reasonable care option, sponsor, health, and character
- What to know
- Narrow medical-care route
Summary
Australia's Carer visa lets someone move permanently to Australia to care for a relative, or a member of that relative's household, who has a long-term medical condition and no reasonable access to care options in Australia.
Subclass 116 is the offshore version. Subclass 836 is the onshore version. The route is narrow and medical-evidence-heavy.
Eligibility
The applicant generally needs:
- A relative in Australia, or a member of that relative's household, with a long-term medical condition.
- Evidence that the person has no reasonable access to care options in Australia.
- Sponsorship by the relative or the relative's partner, usually for the first 2 years.
- Health, character, debt, and visa-history clearance.
What This Route Allows
If granted, the visa gives permanent residence. It can allow the applicant to live in Australia and provide the needed care.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a general route for family members who prefer to provide care personally. The official test focuses on serious care need and lack of reasonable care options in Australia.
Next Steps
- Confirm the medical care need.
- Confirm why reasonable care is not available in Australia.
- Confirm the sponsor's eligibility.
- Gather medical, caregiving, family, and support records.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs - Carer visa (Subclass 116) - offshore route.
- Department of Home Affairs - Carer visa (Subclass 836) - onshore route.