Last updated: 30 March 2026

Family Sponsorship Visa: How to Sponsor Relatives

In Australia’s family visa system, the person who initiates and supports the process is the sponsor. Sponsorship is not just a formality — it is a formal undertaking that comes with obligations, and in some cases, financial commitments that last for years. This page explains who can sponsor a family member, what that sponsorship involves, and how the Assurance of Support system works for those categories where it applies.

What Is Family Sponsorship?

When an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen wants to bring a family member to Australia on a permanent family visa, they take on the role of sponsor. The sponsor’s role is to:

• Confirm their own eligibility to be a sponsor
• Vouch for the genuineness of the family relationship
• Take on legal obligations relating to the visa holder’s welfare in Australia
• In some cases, provide a financial guarantee to the Australian government

Sponsorship is assessed as part of the visa application. If the sponsor is found to be ineligible — or if their obligations are not met — this can affect the visa outcome or result in action against the sponsor.

Who Can Be a Sponsor?

The sponsor must be:

• An Australian citizen, or
• An Australian permanent resident, or
• An eligible New Zealand citizen (a New Zealand citizen holding a Special Category visa who has been ordinarily resident in Australia for at least two years, or who meets other prescribed criteria)

Additional general requirements:

• The sponsor must be at least 18 years of age
• The sponsor must meet character requirements — they must not be barred from sponsoring and must not be subject to a court order that would prevent them from being a sponsor
• The sponsor must be settled in Australia — generally meaning they are ordinarily residing in Australia, not just temporarily present

For partner visa sponsorship specifically, there are additional restrictions. The sponsor must not have:

• Previously been refused as a sponsor for a partner visa
• Had a previous partner visa sponsorship cancelled
• Exceeded the lifetime sponsorship limit of two partner visa sponsors
• Sponsored a second partner within five years of sponsoring the first (this requires ministerial approval)

For other family visa categories — such as parent, child, and carer visas — there are no equivalent lifetime numeric caps on sponsorship, but the character and eligibility requirements still apply to each application.

Sponsorship Process: How It Works

The sponsorship component is part of the visa application process, not a separate standalone process in most cases. When the visa applicant lodges their application through ImmiAccount, they include the sponsoring person’s details. The Department assesses both the applicant and the sponsor as part of the same application.

What the sponsor needs to provide (varies by visa type):

• Proof of citizenship or permanent residency (passport, citizenship certificate, or permanent visa grant notice)
• Identity documents
• Evidence of settlement in Australia (if required)
• Character declarations
• Income evidence (for Assurance of Support categories)
• Statutory declaration confirming the relationship and commitment to the sponsorship obligations

For parent visas, the Assurance of Support must be separately initiated through Services Australia — this runs parallel to the visa application and is not part of the Department of Home Affairs process directly.

Sponsorship Obligations

Taking on a sponsorship is a formal undertaking. The obligations vary by visa category but generally include:

Partner visa sponsors:

• Notifying the Department if the relationship with the visa holder ends
• Not facilitating the entry of someone into a marriage or de facto relationship of convenience
• Meeting any obligations under the sponsor undertaking as assessed by the Department

Parent visa sponsors:

• Initiating and completing the Assurance of Support process
• Meeting the financial obligations of the AoS if welfare payments are made to the parent during the AoS period
• Keeping contact details updated with the Department

Carer visa sponsors:

• Providing or arranging for the care that the carer visa is intended to support
• Notifying the Department if the care need changes significantly

Failing to meet sponsorship obligations can result in the Department taking action, which may include affecting the sponsor’s ability to sponsor future visa applications.

Assurance of Support: What It Is and How It Works

The Assurance of Support (AoS) is a specific financial commitment required for certain family visa categories — primarily parent visas (subclasses 103, 143, 804, and 864) and some other categories.

What it is:

The AoS is a legally binding commitment by the sponsor (the “assurer”) to repay the Australian government any income support payments made to the visa holder (the “assuree”) during the AoS period. It is not a promise to personally fund the visa holder’s living costs — it is a guarantee against the visa holder drawing on government welfare within the specified period.

How it works:

1. The sponsor applies to Services Australia (formerly Centrelink) to become an assurer
2. Services Australia conducts an income assessment to determine whether the sponsor has sufficient income to meet the obligation
3. If approved, the sponsor pays a bond into a Special AoS Bond Account held by the Department of Social Services
4. The bond is held for the duration of the AoS period
5. At the end of the AoS period, if no recoverable payments were claimed, the bond is refunded in full

AoS periods and bond amounts by visa category:

Bond amounts are not fees — they are security deposits that are returned at the end of the period. However, the cash must be available and held for the duration. For the 10-year AoS on the subclass 143, $10,000 per parent (plus $4,000 for a second parent) is tied up for a decade.

Income assessment:

Services Australia assesses whether the assurer has sufficient income to be responsible for the AoS. If the assurer’s income is insufficient, a secondary assurer can be added. The combined income of the primary and secondary assurer is then assessed.

The income threshold is reviewed periodically. Sponsors who are close to the threshold should seek current figures from Services Australia or a migration agent before relying on income estimates from older sources.

Sponsorship Limits: Partner Visas

For partner visa sponsorship specifically, the following limits apply:

• A person can sponsor a maximum of two partners across their lifetime as partner visa sponsors
• If a second sponsorship is sought within five years of the first sponsorship being approved, the second sponsorship requires ministerial approval, which is not automatic
• Previous sponsorship applications that were refused, or sponsorships that were cancelled, may affect the sponsor’s eligibility

These limits exist to protect against exploitation — specifically, to prevent a pattern of sponsoring partners serially for migration purposes.

If your sponsor has previously sponsored a partner, this must be disclosed in the application. The Department will assess the circumstances. It is not an automatic bar, but it is a factor that requires careful handling, particularly if the five-year rule is engaged.

Sponsorship in Practice: Common Scenarios

A daughter sponsoring her father for a parent visa:

The daughter — an Australian citizen — initiates the AoS process through Services Australia. She provides income and asset evidence to demonstrate she meets the threshold. Once the AoS is approved and the bond is paid, the parent visa application can proceed with the AoS reference number included. The daughter’s sponsorship obligations run for 10 years (for a contributory parent visa) from the date of visa grant.

A husband sponsoring his overseas wife for a partner visa:

The husband is an Australian permanent resident. He has not previously sponsored a partner visa. He lodges the sponsorship as part of the subclass 309 application. His obligations as sponsor are primarily to notify the Department if the relationship ends and to cooperate with any further assessment during the permanent stage.

A sibling sponsoring their brother for a carer visa:

An Australian citizen sibling is sponsoring their brother (not a citizen or resident) to come to Australia to care for a parent. The sibling is named as the sponsor, the parent as the person needing care, and the brother as the visa applicant. The sibling’s obligation is primarily to confirm the genuine care need and support the evidence of the care arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can sponsor a family member for an Australian visa?

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen. For most family visa categories, the sponsor must be settled in Australia, be at least 18 years old, and meet any relevant character requirements. For parent visas, the sponsor must also have sufficient income to meet the Assurance of Support assessment conducted by Services Australia.

What is Assurance of Support and who needs it?

Assurance of Support (AoS) is a formal legal commitment by the sponsor (and in some cases a secondary supporter) to repay the Australian government any income support payments made to the visa holder during a set period. It applies primarily to parent visas (subclasses 103, 143, 804, and 864) and some other family stream visas. A bond is lodged with the Department of Social Services as security. The bond is refundable at the end of the AoS period if no recoverable payments were made.

Are there limits on how many family members you can sponsor?

Yes, for partner visas specifically. A person can generally sponsor a maximum of two partners across their lifetime, and a second sponsorship within five years of the first requires ministerial approval. For other family visa categories (child, parent, carer), there are no strict numeric lifetime limits on sponsorship, though all sponsors must be eligible at the time of each application.

Before You Sponsor

Key steps for any family member acting as a sponsor:

1. Confirm your own eligibility — citizenship or permanent residency documentation is the foundation of every sponsorship
2. Check the sponsorship history — for partner visas, assess whether any prior sponsorships apply
3. Understand your obligations — know what you are committing to before the application is lodged
4. Prepare for the AoS assessment — if the visa requires AoS, gather income and asset evidence before lodging
5. Calculate the bond commitment — for parent visas, confirm the bond amount and the period it will be held
6. Consider professional advice — for complex situations (prior sponsorships, income uncertainty, multiple simultaneous applications), a registered migration agent can help you navigate the obligations clearly

For a full picture of family visa options, see the family visa Australia overview. For partner visa specific guidance, see partner visa Australia. For parent visas where the AoS is most significant, see parent visa Australia.

All of these pathways lead to permanent residency in Australia — the shared goal that the sponsorship process is designed to support.