Travel to and from Australia for 5 years:

• Once the visa is granted, you can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date of visa grant as long as the travel facility on the visa remains valid. To travel after the initial 5-year period, you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident. Another option is to consider Australian citizenship, which eliminates the need for a visa to enter Australia.

You must:

1. Be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made:

•    You must be outside Australia at the time of application and when the decision on your application is made.

2. Be sponsored by your relative or their partner for the first 2 years in Australia:

•    You must be sponsored by an eligible relative or their partner, and the sponsorship must be approved.

3. Provide care for a relative or a member of their family who lives with them and has no reasonable access to care options in Australia:

•    You must provide ongoing substantial care and support for your sponsoring relative or the family member who lives with them. You should have a thorough understanding of your sponsor’s medical condition and their care needs.

How long you can stay:

• This is a permanent visa that allows you to stay in Australia indefinitely. Your permanent residence starts on the day the visa is granted for citizenship purposes.

Include family:

• You can include members of your family unit in your application when you apply.

The cost of the Carer Visa (Subclass 116) is AUD 2,055. There is also a charge for each family member who applies with you.

The following conditions may be attached to this visa:

• Condition 8502: Not arrive before the person specified in the visa
• Condition 8515: Must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship before entry

Please note that a new Carer visa application may take at least 7 years to process based on current planning levels.

For Applicant:

1. Be a carer:

•    You must be willing and able to provide ongoing substantial care and support for your sponsoring relative or the family member who lives with them. It is important to understand your sponsor’s medical condition and their care needs.

2. Have a sponsor:

•    You must be sponsored by an eligible relative or their partner, and the sponsorship must be approved.

3. Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused:

•    Your immigration history will be considered, and you may be ineligible if you have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused. However, there may be circumstances where you can still apply for a permanent visa despite a visa cancellation or refusal. See “Limitations on applications in Australia” for more information.

For Sponsor:

1. Be suitable to sponsor:

•    You must be the visa applicant’s relative or the relative’s spouse or de facto partner who lives with them.
•    You must agree to provide housing and financial assistance for 2 years after the visa is granted, and you must also support any members of the visa applicant’s family who are also granted the visa.
•    You or your spouse or de facto partner must be settled and usually resident in Australia, 18 years of age or older, and one of the following: an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
•    If you are the visa applicant’s relative’s spouse or de facto partner, you must live with the relative. The sponsorship must be approved.

2. Be assessed as requiring care:

•    You or a family member who lives with you must be assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services as having a long-term or permanent medical condition that requires help with practical aspects of daily life for at least 2 years.

3. Be unable to reasonably access care in Australia:

•    You or a family member who lives with you must be unable to reasonably access the necessary care in Australia, whether from another relative or an Australian welfare, hospital, or community nursing service.