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Other Family Visas
Beyond partner, parent, and child visas, Australia offers a small number of family visas for carers, aged dependent relatives, remaining relatives, and the families of New Zealand citizens.
Other Family Visa Overview
Not every family situation fits neatly into the partner, parent, or child visa categories. Australia's migration program includes a further group of family visas for relatives who depend on an Australian family member, who are coming to provide care, or who have no close family left outside Australia. These visas are narrow in scope and heavily oversubscribed, so careful assessment before lodging is essential.
Subclass 114 / 838 Aged Dependent Relative Visa
Permanent residence for an older relative who has been financially dependent on an Australian relative — Subclass 114 is applied for offshore and Subclass 838 onshore.
Subclass 836 / 116 Carer Visa
Permanent residence for someone coming to Australia to provide long-term care to a relative with a medical condition where that care cannot reasonably be obtained in Australia.
Subclass 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) Visa
A five-year temporary visa allowing the non-New Zealand family member of a New Zealand citizen to live, work, and study in Australia.
Subclass 115 / 835 Remaining Relative Visa
Permanent residence for someone whose only close family members live in Australia, sponsored by an eligible Australian relative — Subclass 115 offshore and Subclass 835 onshore.
What to Know Before You Apply
These visas are among the most technically demanding in the family stream. Three issues decide most applications.
These visas are capped and queued
Aged Dependent Relative, Carer, and Remaining Relative visas sit in the Other Family category of the migration program, which has a small annual allocation. Applications that meet the criteria are placed in a queue, and waiting periods can run for many years. The Department of Home Affairs publishes current processing times and queue information on its website. This makes it especially important that an application is correct when lodged — a refusal after a long wait is difficult to recover from.
The definitions are narrower than they sound
Each of these visas turns on a technical definition. A remaining relative must have no near relatives other than those in Australia, which includes siblings, children, and parents anywhere in the world. An aged dependent relative must be old enough for the Australian age pension, single, and substantially reliant on their Australian relative for financial support. A carer visa requires an assessment from Bupa Medical Visa Services confirming that the care needed cannot reasonably be provided in Australia or obtained through welfare services.
Timing and location determine the subclass
Each pathway has an offshore and an onshore version. Applying onshore generally requires the applicant to hold a substantive visa and usually results in a bridging visa while the application is processed. Applying offshore requires the applicant to be outside Australia both when the application is made and when it is decided. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons an otherwise strong application fails.
How Ebra Partners Can Help
Because places in the Other Family category are limited and waiting periods are long, the most valuable thing we do is an honest assessment at the outset. We work through the definitions with you in detail, identify whether a near relative overseas or a family member in a third country will affect eligibility, and tell you plainly if a different visa pathway would give you a better outcome.
Where an application is viable, we prepare the sponsorship, gather the evidence of dependency or care needs, coordinate the medical assessment in carer matters, and manage correspondence with the Department through what is often a multi-year process. Where it is not, we look at the alternatives — a partner visa, a skilled visa, or a long-stay visitor arrangement — so you are not left waiting on an application that was never going to succeed.
Book a Family Visa ConsultationOther Family Visas — Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies as a remaining relative?
A remaining relative is someone whose only near relatives are resident in Australia. Near relatives include parents, siblings, step-siblings, and non-dependent children — anywhere in the world, not only in your home country. If you have a sibling living in a third country, you will generally not meet the definition. Both the applicant and their partner must meet the test.
What does the carer visa medical assessment involve?
A carer visa requires the Australian relative to have a medical condition assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services. The assessment must confirm that the condition is likely to continue for at least two years, that it requires ongoing assistance with daily activities, and that the care cannot reasonably be provided by another relative in Australia or obtained from welfare, hospital, nursing, or community services. This assessment is the decisive element of the application.
What is the difference between a Subclass 461 visa and a partner visa?
The Subclass 461 visa is for the family member of a New Zealand citizen who holds or is eligible for a Special Category (Subclass 444) visa. It is a five-year temporary visa with full work and study rights, and it can be renewed. It does not grant permanent residence. Depending on your circumstances, a partner visa or a skilled visa may offer a permanent outcome, and we can compare the options for you.
How long do Other Family visas take?
These visas are subject to annual planning levels, so applications that meet the criteria are queued and waiting periods can extend for many years. The Department of Home Affairs publishes current global processing times for each subclass on its website and updates them monthly. We will explain the realistic timeframe for your subclass before you commit to an application.
Can I stay in Australia while my application is processed?
If you apply onshore (Subclass 838, 836, or 835) and hold a substantive visa at the time, you will generally be granted a bridging visa allowing you to remain in Australia while the application is decided. Work rights on that bridging visa depend on your circumstances. Offshore applicants must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.