Carer visa (subclass 836)

Carer visa (subclass 836)​

About this visa

A Carer visa (subclass 116) is a permanent visa for people who want to live in Australia to provide substantial and continuing care or assistance for a relative who either:

• Has a long-term medical condition that means they cannot look after themselves in practical aspects of daily life, or
• Needs permanent or long-term practical support to help them care for a member of their family in their household with such a medical condition.

The relative must not be able to reasonably obtain the care they need from any other relative or from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services in Australia.

​How long your visa lasts

This is a permanent visa.

What this visa lets you do

It lets you and any family members who have been granted this visa to:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely as an Australian permanent resident
• Apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
• Travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident for five years from the date the visa is granted – after that time you will need to apply for another visa if you want to return to Australia.

 Your obligations

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Your sponsor must agree to support you for two years after you first arrive in Australia.

Sponsors​

Who can sponsor a carer

You can sponsor someone for this visa if you or a family member who lives with you:

• Needs someone to care for either of you because of a long-term medical condition, and
• You cannot reasonably obtain the care or assistance you need from any of your other relatives in Australia or from other services, such as welfare, a hospital, nurses, or community services in Australia.

You must show that you have tried to access all care options that are available in Australia before you decide to sponsor someone for this visa.

To be a sponsor, you must be:

• A relative of the person applying for this visa, or be the partner of the relative
• 18 years of age or older
• Usually resident in Australia
• An Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

You must sign an undertaking (an agreement) to give support, accommodation and financial assistance (if needed) for the first two years after the person applying for this visa arrives in Australia. This agreement includes any family members included in the visa application.​

Sponsor obligations

For two years after your relative(s) arrives in Australia, you must help them and their accompanying family members settle in Australia by providing (if necessary):

• Support
• Accommodation
• Financial assistance

Eligibility​

Who could get this visa

You might be eligible for this visa if:

• You need to move to Australia to:
  • Care for a relative in Australia with a long-term medical condition, or
  • Assist a relative in providing this care to a member of their family unit living in their household.
• Your relative (or their family member) has their medical condition assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services as being one which significantly affects them in attending to the practical aspects of daily life and which will need direct care for at least two years
• Your relative cannot reasonably get the care they need from any other relative in Australia or from welfare, hospital or nursing community services in Australia
• You are willing and able to provide substantial and continuing assistance
• You should fully understand what kind of care or assistance your relative needs
• You and your family members meet health and character requirements.​

Your relative in Australia

You can apply for this visa if the relative who needs care or assistance is usually resident in Australia. The relative must be your partner, child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew (or step-equivalent).

Both this relative (and the member of their family who needs care, where applicable) must be either:

• An Australian citizen
• An Australian permanent resident, or
• An eligible New Zealand citizen.

If you are applying for this visa so you can assist your relative care for a member of their family, they must both live in the same house.

Applicants may also needed to meet below requirements 

Character requirements, Health requirements, Health insurance requirements, Must not have Debts to the Australian Government, biometric and other requirements if needed.

Your obligations

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Source – Australian Immigration Website.