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If you live in Australia as a citizen or permanent resident and want to bring your family from overseas, whether from Nigeria, India, the UK or elsewhere, the visa you need depends on who is coming and whether the stay is temporary or permanent. This guide sets out the main options, the sponsor and applicant requirements, and the steps. Fees, thresholds and queues change often, so confirm them on the Department of Home Affairs website before you apply.
Visa options at a glance
| Family member | Typical visa | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or de facto partner | Partner visa (offshore applicants apply for the temporary stage, then the permanent stage) | Leads to permanent residence |
| Dependent child | Child visa | Permanent |
| Parent | Parent visas, which have long waiting times | Permanent |
| Parent for a limited period | Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870 | 3 or 5 years, as granted |
| Any relative for a visit | Visitor visa, subclass 600, with a sponsor in Australia | Short visit, as granted |
Who can sponsor
- An Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Usually aged 18 or over.
- For some visas, “settled” in Australia for a minimum period. The period depends on the visa.
- For parent visas, able to meet income tests, set by the department.
What the applicant must show
- Relationship: marriage, birth or adoption certificates. For partners, evidence that the relationship is genuine and ongoing: photos, messages, shared finances, and statements from friends and family.
- Health: a medical examination with an approved doctor.
- Character: police certificates from your home country and any other country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
- Debts: no unpaid debts to the Australian government.
- For visits: a genuine intention to return, with proof of ties to your home country.
Step by step
- Decide who is coming and which visa fits.
- Check that the sponsor and applicant meet the requirements.
- Collect identity, relationship, financial and police documents, with certified English translations. See our translation guide.
- Lodge the sponsorship, where the visa requires a separate step.
- Lodge the visa application online and pay the fee.
- Complete health and biometrics steps when requested, and wait for the decision.
What changes by country
The visa categories are the same whatever the family member’s passport. What differs is the paperwork around them.
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| Item | What to check for your family member’s country |
|---|---|
| Police certificates | One from each country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, issued by that country’s own authority |
| Civil documents | Marriage, birth or adoption certificates, with certified English translations if not in English |
| Medical examination | Done with an approved doctor in the country where the applicant lives |
| Short visits | A visitor visa or authority is needed whatever the passport, but the type differs. UK and Canadian or US passport holders can use electronic options, while Indian and Nigerian passport holders apply for the visitor visa (subclass 600) |
A worked example
This is an illustration, not a real case. An Australian citizen in Melbourne wants to bring his wife, who holds an Indian passport and has lived only in India. They gather their marriage certificate, years of shared bills, photos, travel records and messages. She obtains a police certificate from India and a medical from an approved doctor. They lodge the partner application online and keep adding evidence to the file as the case runs. If instead his wife had also lived in the UK for two years, she would need a UK police certificate as well.
Planning tips
- Expect long processing times for parent visas, and plan around a temporary visa if the wait is too long.
- Build a partner evidence file over time, rather than at the end.
- Use official sources or a registered migration agent. Check the agent’s registration first.
- Budget for the visa fee, medical checks, police certificates, translations and any agent fees.
For a short visit, see the Australia visitor visa guide. For the overall process, read how to apply for an Australian visa from Nigeria.
Frequently asked questions
Can my parents live with me permanently?
Only through a permanent parent visa, which has long queues and set eligibility. The temporary parent visa is shorter.
Can a family member work on these visas?
It depends on the visa. Partner and child visas generally carry work rights. Visitor and temporary parent visas generally do not.
Do I need an agent?
No, but family cases can be complex. A registered agent can help you present your evidence.
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