Family Visa Australia 2024:
Family Visa Options for Reunification

Last Update

Family Visa Options in Australia for Reunification

Are you wanting to reunite with your loved ones in Australia after years of not being together? Whether it’s your children you want to sponsor or a partner you want to live with in Australia permanently, obtaining a specific family visa is your ticket.

But first, you need to know which family visa type is best for you, the basic eligibility requirements, and other information you need to know about to secure a family visa. Here, we’ll pull the curtain on what are the crucial steps and processes you have to learn to make that dream of reunification a reality very soon!

What is a Family Sponsored Visa in Australia

Family visas are a visa type that allows Australian citizens and permanent residents to bring eligible family members to Australia and live here temporarily or permanently.

Most common applicants for a family visa are children, partners, and parents of a sponsoring Australian citizen or permanent resident. Under certain conditions, other family relatives may also apply and qualify for a family visa, including grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and even cousins.

Family Visa Options for Partners, Children, Parents, and Relatives

There are specific visa types and requirements for different family members. The application itself can either be temporary or permanent, as well as for purposes such as tourism, work, education, or caregiving to an ailing Australian family member.

Explore more of the different family visa options below and determine which type best applies to your situation.

Partner Migration Onshore (820 & 801)

Partner Migration Onshore (820 & 801) is a permanent visa for applicants who are in a serious relationship with an Australian citizen/permanent resident. This visa allows you to live and work permanently in Australia with your partner.

Partner Migration Offshore (309 & 100)

The Partner Migration Offshore ( 309 and 100 ) visas are permanent residence visas for people who are either married to or in a committed de facto relationship with an Australian citizen/permanent resident, who lives outside Australia.

Contributory Parent Visas (804, 864, 884 & 8700 (173, 103 & 143)

There are a number of contributory parent visas available to parents who wish to live in Australia with their children. These include the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173), the Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 143), the Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) visa (subclass 864), and many more.

Carer Visas (836 & 116)

There are two types of carer visas that allow you to work in Australia: the 836 visa and the 116 visa. The 836 visa is for people who have been offered a job in Australia, while the 116 visa is for people who have been invited to apply for a job in Australia.

Other Family And Child Migration Visas

There are many family and child migration visas available to people who want to migrate to Australia. The type of visa that you apply for will depend on your relationship with the person who is sponsoring you, as well as your own personal circumstances.

Visitor & Tourist Visa (600)

The Visitor Visa (600) is a short stay family visit visa that allows you to visit Australia for tourism or business purposes. This visa is valid for up to 12 months and may allow you to enter Australia multiple times.

Need Visa Assistance?

Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.

Success Stories of 389+ Highly Rated Reviews


Our customers are always happy to share their thoughts with us.
Here is what some of them had said!

Haroon Parvez

The team at parish Patience Immigration Lawyers were incredibly helpful throughout the application process. Their assistance made our lives so much less stressful and their expertise cleared up any confusion we had. They remained engaged with us the whole time and quickly responded to any questions with thoughtful, detailed answers. Special thanks to Usman Ali and Shan . We highly recommend the team at Parish patience immigration lawyer for anyone considering help regarding any kind of visa .

W. A.

Highly recommended lawyers! Extremely professional and reliable service, with outstanding outcomes. A special thanks to Mr Thong and Marlene, for helping us with our difficult case. Not only did they ensure that everything was ready to go, but their professionalism came in favor when we were granted our visa within just under 6 months!

J P

Thong and Marlene helped my partner gain permanent residency in Australia. We did the application ourselves but it turned out lots of information we needed to provide was missing. Thong and Marlene picked our case up and helped amend it. I really appreciate their help and guidance and look forward to contacting them again in the future. I am pleased by their efforts and professionalism.

Alaa Omer

Successfully handled my case. He had been prompt, caring and very professional in dealing with my case. I am glad to have received very strong support, guidance and service from them. I would highly recommend Parish patience immigration lawyers. I wish the best for their future prospects.

Jabir Ibna Mohammad

I’m really thankful for the guidance and assistance I’ve received regarding my Partner visa from Shan and his assistance Asha at Parish Patience. They handled my matter professionally and there were clear instructions from the beginning till end. I got my partner visa 820 granted in less than 7 months, thanks to their knowledge and expertise. I wish them all the best and highly recommend Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers for any sort of immigration matters.

Speak to an Immigration Lawyer Sydney!


If you need to apply for a visa and want every aspect of your application process as smooth as possible, speak to the best migration lawyer Sydney has to offer from Parish Patience. With the law firm’s long history of fulfilling dreams of permanent residency for our clients, rest assured that you and your visa application are in the hands of top immigration lawyers Sydney permanent residents and citizens trust, who will make it their sworn duty to fight for your case right from the start. Contact us today!

Our Accreditations

    Solve your Visa Problems


    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


    Got some more specific questions about business visa requirements to Australia? Here are some
    of the most common ones alongside our responses.

    Can I bring my family to Australia on student visa?

    Yes! You can bring your immediate family members (dependents) to Australia, such as your parents, de facto partner, or children. They must be included in your visa application.

    What is the sponsored family visitor visa 600 checklist?

    A visitor visa under Subclass 600 allows qualified applicants to visit Australia as a tourist and visit family members and/or friends. In order to qualify and stay for up to 12 months as a tourist/visitor, you must fulfill the following checklist requirements:
    •Identification documents, such as birth certificates and copy of passport
    •If or have been married/widowed/divorced – marriage certificate, divorce papers, death certificate
    •Police certificates from every country you’ve ever been to as a character requirement
    • At least two (2) passport-sized photos
    • Health insurance coverage
    • Medical Certificate
    • For dependents under 18, birth certificate/family book containing applicant’s parents’ names, or adoption papers if applicable
    • Proof of intent to visit Australia only temporarily, such as financial capability to stay and leave
    • Australia after visit, such as payslips, bank and credit card statements.
    • Letter of invitation from a sponsoring family or relative in australia, detailing your purpose of visit, relationship with them, length of stay, etc.
    • Demonstrate need to return to home country, such as employment, schooling, and proof of financial stability.
    • If your sponsor is shouldering the expenses of your entire stay, your sponsor must also show their financial capacity

    What are the 491 family sponsored visa requirements?

    If you wish to live and work in Australia’s regional areas under a family-sponsored visa 491, you must meet the following key requirements, namely: 

    • Be under 45 years of age
    Your skilled occupation must be included in the skilled occupation list
    • Your English proficiency must at least be ‘Competent English’
    • Must have a positive skills assessment on your nominated occupation conducted by a skills-assessing authority
    • Obtain at least 65 points (ideally more) to secure an invitation for application
    • You must receive a nomination from an eligible relative
    • You must be of excellent health and have no criminal history of any kind.

    What does ‘family unit’ mean in visa application?

    In regards with visa applications, your de facto partner/spouse and children are members of the family unit. For relatives, they can be considered members if they almost always live with you, have no partner or children, and are mostly dependent on you financially and physically.

    How to apply family tourist visa in Australia?

    You can apply for an Australian family visa as a tourist/visitor under Subclass 600. To qualify, you must be invited by a sponsoring relative or family member and disclose the purpose of your visit, length of stay, etc. After that, you must submit all necessary documents to give the Department confidence that you will only visit Australia temporarily and not overstay unlawfully.

    Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers Sydney
    Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers Sydney
    381 Google reviews
    Sadia Ahmed
    Sadia Ahmed
    2024-03-13
    Usman looked after my file and we are granted 189 today . Very supportive team
    T Malhi
    T Malhi
    2024-03-07
    I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Parish Patience for the exceptional service they provided throughout my journey from Winning MRT(student visa ), 485 Visa and another student visa extensions to finally obtaining skilled migration. Usman demonstrated remarkable expertise and unwavering patience in addressing all my inquiries. I never felt the need to persistently follow up for updates on my application. His consistently kind, generous, and positive demeanor was truly commendable. I highly recommend Usman's services and extend my heartfelt appreciation to him.Thank you, Usman for bringing joy to those who have lost hope. You should be proud of the work you do
    Yaad Matharu
    Yaad Matharu
    2024-03-07
    I highly recommend their service. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Usman for his exceptional professionalism and expertise.
    Umer Saeed
    Umer Saeed
    2024-03-04
    Very professional, high standards of service and comprehensive knowledge of immigration, i strongly recommend them to anyone who requires immigration advice.
    Safat Aqib
    Safat Aqib
    2024-02-27
    I received excellent service from Parish patience. Usman and Billah were extremely proficient and courteous, and they assisted me throughout every stage. I strongly recommend them to anyone who requires immigration advice.
    Kanika Dua
    Kanika Dua
    2024-02-22
    Hi Just want to share my recent experience with parish patience. I was depressed and hopeless about my case and MR PRASAD at parish patience gave me hope and prepared my file very strong so I win in the AAT hearing. The case is in my favour now and hopefully i will get PR very soon. Highly recommend their service. They all are professionals and experts in their fields.
    Anand Inbasekaran
    Anand Inbasekaran
    2024-02-19
    I thank Upasna for making the visa process smooth and stress- free. Her attention to detail, prompt responsiveness, and in-depth knowledge of immigration procedures reflect a high standard of service. It was a pleasure to work with Parish Patience, and I would confidently recommend your services to others.
    Thihan Oo
    Thihan Oo
    2024-02-17
    Very happy and grateful for your services, fast, reliable, approachable and super efficient team, Shan and Asha, you guys are the best.
    Sarma B
    Sarma B
    2024-02-16
    I can't express enough gratitude for the outstanding service provided by my lawyer in helping me secure my partner visa. From the moment I walked into their office, I felt reassured by their warm demeanor and professionalism. Throughout the entire process, they were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly supportive, guiding me through each step with patience and clarity. What truly sets them apart is their accessibility. Whenever I had a question or concern, they were readily available, promptly responding to calls and emails, which alleviated any anxiety I had about the process. Their dedication to their clients is truly commendable. Thanks to their expertise and unwavering support, I am now able to build a future with my partner without the stress of immigration uncertainties. I wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone in need of legal assistance, especially for partner visas. Thank you immensely for your outstanding representation!
    Rohan chowdhury
    Rohan chowdhury
    2024-02-06
    Usman Ali is by far one of the best lawyers I’ve met, very knowledgeable, very professional, calm, supportive, prompt in replying with his emails, basically everything that you look in a lawyer. He made the process unbelievable quick, effective and successful. Heartily thankful for him and the whole team.