Partner & Family Visas

Australian family reunification in 2026 relies on four primary pathways, each requiring sponsorship from an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

The Partner Visa is a two-stage process (temporary to permanent) that demands extensive evidence of a genuine, shared life; the Parent Visa offers either a high-cost “contributory” route for faster residency or a temporary 10-year stay without a permanent pathway; the Carer Visa provides a permanent home for relatives needed to support family members with critical medical needs that cannot be met locally; and the Child Visa ensures dependent children—including students up to age 25—can join their parents indefinitely. These pathways prioritize household unity

Australia offers several visa options for families who wish to bring their parents to live in the country on a permanent basis. There are six main parent visa subclasses that applicants may be eligible for, including subclasses 173, 870, 804, 103, 884, and 143.

For parents who are looking for a temporary stay with their children in Australia, the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) provides two choices, allowing parents to live in Australia for either three or five years at a time. This visa enables families to reunite for extended periods without applying immediately for a permanent parent visa.

If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, you may be able to sponsor your partner to join you in Australia through a Partner visa, commonly known as the Australian Spouse visa. This visa allows couples to live together in Australia, with a pathway to permanent residency.

Depending on your circumstances, there are different visa options available to help your partner travel to Australia, remain in the country, and eventually live and work there permanently.

Our team of immigration lawyers offers end-to-end support across all partner visa categories, including the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300), as well as onshore and offshore Spouse and De Facto Partner visas (subclasses 820 & 801 and 309 & 100).

The Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) is a provisional visa for skilled professionals who receive nomination from an Australian state or territory government to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia. This visa is valid for up to five years and provides a pathway to permanent residency through the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

Applicants who receive nomination for this regional visa are awarded an additional 15 points toward their overall migration score.