Carer Visa
If your Australian relative or a member of their family unit, has a medically certifiable condition which needs constant care, you may qualify for a visa to enter Australia and provide care for them. This visa is for people to be sponsored by their Australian relative or their Australian relative’s spouse when they are needed to care for that Australian relative or a member of their family unit who has a medical condition. This is a difficult visa to get and many rules apply to the degree of care required. In some circumstances, dependent children can be added to the application after it has been lodged.
The relative with the medical condition should arrange for an assessment of their medical condition with Medibank Health Solutions (formerly known as Health Services Australia or HSA) to get a Medical Assessment Certificate. This is an essential step.
What does this visa let me do?
If you are granted this visa you and your family members can live in Australia as Australian permanent residents.
You can also:
- work and study in Australia
- receive subsidized health care through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
- be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
- sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods and visa specific restrictions)
Government benefits
You may be eligible to receive ‘carer payments’ when you commence caring for your relative.
Waiting periods are generally two years for most social security payments and 10 years for age and disability pension payments (exemptions may apply).
Processing priority
Under Australia’s family reunion migration program, a high priority is given to child and partner visa applications. Other family applications have a lower processing priority, and you should expect a substantial wait before your application is finalized.
In the other family categories, carer is given priority over aged dependent relative and remaining relative.
Do You Qualify for the Care Giver Visa?
If you would like to discuss your options for family migration, please contact us.