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Another type of a Visitor Visa is the Sponsored Family Visitor Visa which allows you to travel to Australia for a holiday or to visit your family. You must have an eligible relative in Australia or an Australian Government official who is willing to sponsor you. The sponsor provides a guarantee that you will leave Australia before your visa expires. You and each member of your family must complete an application form which is to be lodged in Australia by your sponsor and any correspondence by the department is with your sponsor only. You must be outside Australia when you apply for this type of visa. You can be granted a visa with a stay of up to three or six months and even up to 12 months in certain circumstances.
With this type of visa, a sponsor is only able to sponsor one person or, if a relative, one family unit at a time.
Who can Sponsor you
You can be sponsored by an eligible relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, 18 years old or over and is a resident of Australia for a reasonable period which is usually two years. You must be a relative (partner, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or the “step” or adopted equivalent of any of these).
The Sponsored Family Visitor Visa allows you to stay for a period of up to three months to twelve months depending on your circumstances. But you are only allowed one entry to Australia and will not be able to extend your stay. You can apply for another Sponsored Family Visitor Visa if you wish to visit again once you leave Australia. So it is important to ask for a visa period to cover all your activities in Australia.
When you apply for this type of visa, the Visa Processing Officer may request a security bond if there is a need for it. The security bond is an added assurance that you will depart Australia before your visa expires. This is normally requested if the Officer has some concerns that you may not comply with your visa conditions. Although the amount of the security bond is determined on a case by case basis, it is usually between AU$5000 and AU$15,000 per person. The Officer would send a letter to the sponsor that a security bond is needed then the sponsor pays it in full in Australia before a decision is made on the Sponsored Family Visitor Visa. The security bond is refunded once you leave Australia and have complied with all the visa conditions.
You may study or undergo training in Australia for up to three months with this type of visa. If you intend to study longer, you have to apply for a student visa instead.
As with the Tourist Visa, you cannot work when you have the Sponsored Family Visitor Visa. If you plan to work or conduct business, you should apply for a General Skilled Migration visa or a Business work.
Example requirements for a Sponsored Family Visitor Visa
Before you apply for this type of visa, it is important that you have an eligible sponsor who can be your relative or an Australian Government official. This sponsor can only sponsor one person, or one family unit at a time.
One other example requirement is that you must have a genuine intention to only visit your family in Australia or holiday. You must depart Australia before your visa expires, you will not work or study beyond what is permitted by your visa which is not more than three months.
You may be asked to undergo health examination but unless you are told to do so by the Visa Processing Officer, you are not advised to undertake it. If you are aged 75 or older, you will be required to undergo an Aged Visitor Health Check which is done by a Panel doctor of the Embassy or Consulate near you.
You may be asked to provide evidence that you have health insurance or adequate funds for medical treatment while in Australia. It is recommended that you take out health insurance for yourself and your family while in Australia because medical treatment can be very expensive there. And since you are a tourist only, you are not covered by Australia’s national health scheme.
You may also be asked to submit a police clearance from each country where you have lived for 12 months over the last 10 years since you were 16 years old. Another requirement is that you have sufficient funds to cover all costs while you are in Australia. You may be asked to provide evidence of your funds. If another person will provide financial support for your visit, he should present evidence of his funds like pay slips, personal bank statements, taxation records, and credit card limit.
If you are under 18 years of age, you must provide consent from your non-accompanying parent or legal guardian if you are travelling alone or with only one parent or guardian. You must provide evidence of your family relationship or guardianship, like your birth certificate indicating names of both parents.
You must not have any outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts.
How to Apply for a Sponsored Family Visitor Visa
- Complete Form 1149 Application for Sponsorship for Sponsored Family Visitors – this will be completed by your sponsor;
- Complete Form 48S Application to Visit Australia as a Sponsored Family Visitor – you fill this up but must be lodged on your behalf by your sponsor;
- The sponsor pays the appropriate visa application charge on your behalf;
- If you are under 18 years and will go to Australia without one or both your parents or legal guardian, a consent form must be signed by the non-accompanying parent or legal guardian;
- Submit certified copies of your sponsor’s evidence of citizenship or permanent residence, like his Australian citizenship certificate, Australian passport, permanent resident visa or Australian birth certificate;
- Submit certified copies of the personal information pages of your passport including any pages that have evidence of other travel or visas;
- Evidence of relationship between you and the sponsor must be submitted. Certified copies of certificates must be provided;
- Submit a recent passport sized photo of yourself and each applicant. Photo must be no more than six months old.
- Evidence of sufficient funds must be submitted. These include personal bank statements, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records or credit card limit.
Again, the above are only general instructions, please seek professional guidance by Migration Agents for your personal situation.
What to do after you lodge your application
After you have submitted your application for a Sponsored Family Visitor Visa to Australia, you must not make any flight arrangements until you have been advised that your visa is granted. The normal processing time for this type of visa is six weeks but this will differ depending on your circumstances.
The Immigration Department will contact you if an interview is required in your case. Your passport and other supporting papers may be needed during this interview. When a decision has been made, the Department will advise your sponsor or your authorized recipient in writing. If the visa is granted, your sponsor will forward this letter to you. The letter provides the visa grant number, validity date of your visa and the visa conditions. You then send your passport to the nearest Immigration Office overseas to have your visa label placed in your passport.
If your application for a Sponsored Family Visitor visa is refused, the letter will advise you of the reasons for the refusal, your review rights and the time limit for lodging an appeal. You may request a review of the decision by the Migration Review Tribunal.
References:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/visiting-family/679/
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/visiting-family/679/security-bond.htm
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/health_check_form.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/990i.pdf
