Bringing Your Family to Australia: Visa Options and Costs

One of the most common questions people ask about Australian immigration is whether they can bring their family. The short answer is yes, but the process and cost depend on your visa type.

Including family on your visa application

Most skilled and employer-sponsored visas allow you to include your partner and dependent children as secondary applicants. This means they are covered by the same visa and arrive with you.

Who counts as a "dependent"?

• Your spouse or de facto partner (including same-sex partners)
• Your dependent children under 18 (or under 23 if they are full-time students and financially dependent on you)
• In some cases, dependent children of your partner from a previous relationship

Additional costs for secondary applicants

| Visa | Partner fee | Child fee (under 18) | |------|-----------|---------------------| | 189 | AUD 2,385 | AUD 1,195 | | 190 | AUD 2,385 | AUD 1,195 | | 482 | AUD 1,560 | AUD 780 | | 500 | AUD 1,600 | AUD 400 |

Each secondary applicant also needs their own health examination and police clearance.

Sponsoring family after you arrive

If your family members were not included on your original visa, you may be able to sponsor them later. Options include:

Partner visa (Subclass 309/100 or 820/801): If you are a permanent resident or citizen, you can sponsor your partner for their own visa. The application fee is AUD 9,095, and processing takes 12 to 24+ months.

Child visa (Subclass 101 or 802): If your child was not included on your original visa, you can sponsor them separately.

Parent visa (Subclass 143): If you want to bring your parents to Australia permanently, the contributory parent visa costs AUD 47,755 per person and takes 5+ years to process. The non-contributory option (Subclass 103) costs AUD 4,990 but the queue is currently 30+ years.

Partner skills and points

If your partner has a positive skills assessment and competent English, you can claim 5 to 10 bonus points on the skilled migration points test. This can make a real difference for borderline cases.

Even if your partner does not add points, including them on your visa from the start is almost always better than sponsoring them later. It is cheaper and faster.

Education for children

Children of visa holders can attend Australian schools. Public schools in most states charge fees for temporary visa holders (typically AUD 5,000 to 15,000 per year). Children of permanent residents attend public school for free.