Other Family Migration

Back to Migrating to Australia

All documents and supporting material should be enclosed in your visa application. Health and character checks are required for all clients, however please do not undertake these checks until we request you to do so.

For furtner information about Other Family Migration, please visit DIBP\'s main website at http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/other-outside.htm and/or download our Other Family Migration Frequently Asked Questions (20KB PDF file).

Requirements and Information 

The documents and supporting material set out in the following checklists:

▪  Subclass 114 Application Document Checklist (37KB PDF file), if you are applying for a Aged Dependent Relative Visa

▪  Subclass 115 Application Document Checklist (37 KB PDF file), if you are applying for a Remaining Relative Visa

▪  Subclass 116 Application Document Checklist (41KB PDF file), if you are applying for a Carer Visa

▪  Visa Application Charge - see Visa Fees

•  If you wish for your partner/sponsor to be able to receive information from us about your application, you need to authorise them to do so by completing Form 956 - Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (119KB PDF file)

▪  Custody and access arrangements for children under 18 years of age. If you believe that you have full sole custody and access rights in relation to your child, please provide one of the following: 

▪  Form 1229 – Consent to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (93KB PDF file) fully completed

▪  Statutory declaration completed by the parent giving the consent, accompanied by a certified copy of his/her identification (for example, a passport or drivers licence)

▪  A court order obtained from the child’s home country by the migrating parent which permits him/her to permanently remove the child from the child’s home country or grant him/her the right to determine where the child lives. 

▪  Customary adoptions are relatively common in some parts of the Pacific. If you have a dependent adopted child who was legally or customarily adopted, please contact the nearest Australian mission for advice on what you need to provide as evidence of dependency and custody.

▪  View Booklet 4 - Other Family Migration (207KB PDF file) for more information.

Processing time

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has determined that as of 25 January 2011, the maximum number of Other Family (Class BO/BU) visas which can be granted under the migration program is 750 for the 2010 -2011 program year. As a result, we are unlikely to be able to finalise all Other Family Migration applications within this program year. All Other Family Migration applications will be placed in a queue and given an assessment date, which will be the date the Other Family Migration application was assessed by us.

Clients will be contacted once their Other Family Migration application has been finalised.

Capping and Queueing

In order to manage the Other Family Migration places in an orderly and equitable manner, a capping and queuing system has been introduced. This means all Other Family Migration visas will be assessed in date order of assessment. If an applicant is found to satisfy the core criteria for the grant of the visa, they are allocated an ‘assessment date’ and placed in a queue.

Applications are then considered for grant in order of their assessment date as visa places become available. The waiting period can be affected by withdrawals, refusals and changes to planning levels.

According to Ministerial Directions, priority is given to Carer visa applications, however it is expected that all Other Family Migration visa applicants will be subject to increased processing times.

Back to Migrating to Australia                                     Any questions? Email us