Are you thinking of traveling to Australia with your family—your partner and children? Would you like to get a family visa for Australia and move to this wonderful country? Migrating to Australia with your family is possible; keep reading, we have all the information you need.
To begin, you should be aware that the Australian government allows all international students and skilled workers to add their partner and children to their trip, as it aims to support family reunification.
Every day we receive inquiries about whether I can bring my family with me and whether I can easily obtain a family visa for Australia. As we mentioned before, yes, you can. However, we must clarify that the term “family” only includes spouses and children, not siblings, parents, uncles, grandparents, cousins, nephews, nieces, etc.
Once we understand this, we can proceed with the step-by-step explanation of the requirements you need to meet to obtain family reunification and a family visa for Australia. Keep in mind that this process may take some time, additional money, and involve other conditions; however, you will later see the benefits reflected in areas such as improved quality of life, access to quality education for your children, and more.
Requirements to bring your spouse and children and obtain a family visa to Australia
Although the list seems a bit long, we’ll go through them one by one. Remember that you must gather all these documents before starting your family visa application for Australia. Also, keep in mind that we’re here to help. Now, the documents you need to travel to Australia with your family or partner are:
Passport
A copy of the passport of each family member traveling to Australia must be submitted.
Marriage certificate
You must submit a document proving your marriage. If you are not married, you can include a certificate of common-law marriage or cohabitation. This document must be no more than 12 months old.
If you don’t have the required time, which is most likely when people are not married, you must prove with evidence that you have been in a stable relationship for a long time.
Examples of evidence you can add include: travel tickets, joint bank statements, utility bills in the couple’s name, a rental agreement where both of you are named, photographs together, etc.
Letter of motivation
This point does not apply to children, only to the main applicant and the spouse; a document must be written stating why you wish to accompany your partner to Australia, what your motivations and plans are.
Visas from other countries
If you have visas from other countries, you must add them to the application.
Family health insurance
To apply for a family visa to Australia, you must purchase Australian health insurance (OSHC). The insurance coverage must be valid for the duration of the educational program you will be starting, including any vacation months. This insurance is mandatory and must be paid in full; it cannot be paid in installments.
Children’s birth certificate
This document must be added to prove legal kinship with the applicant.
Enrolling children
If they have children between the ages of 5 and 18, they must be enrolled in the Australian education system and have its support.
Declare the economic funds
This point doesn’t mean you have to pay anyone money or spend any amount upon arrival in the country; it’s simply a requirement the Australian government requests for emergency situations. In fact, there are nationalities for whom the Department of Immigration rarely asks proof of funds.
As a primary requirement, we must inform you that all documents in other languages must be translated into English by a certified translator. You should also note that regardless of your travel dates and those of your family, they must be declared in the same application, not later.
Why apply for a family visa for Australia?
Benefits of moving with your family or partner to the land of kangaroos
Currently, many people who have the opportunity to travel to Australia are unaware of the benefits they can gain by traveling with their family or partner. Therefore, we decided to list them here so you can consider them and make the most of your trip.
- We know that life as a couple, especially with children, can be expensive. That’s why we understand that for most people, it’s important for their spouse to be able to work as soon as they arrive in the country. Therefore, we want to let you know that with a family visa for Australia, you and your partner can legally work a certain number of hours. It’s important to clarify that the number of hours will depend on the type of course the main applicant has selected.
- If the main applicant will be going to Australia for language studies, technical courses and undergraduate studies, the accompanying person or spouse will only be able to work 20 hours a week and full days during holidays.
- Conversely, if the person will travel to Australia to pursue a research master’s degree or doctorate, this study grants both of them permission to work full-time.
- Children will also receive benefits such as being allowed to work up to 40 hours every two weeks with their parents’ permission.
- If the main applicant obtains Australian residency, the spouse and children will obtain it immediately.
- Children will be able to enjoy the Australian education system and its benefits
- All these benefits also extend to same-sex couples and adopted children.
Some disadvantages of traveling to Australia with family or a partner
- The applicant’s companion may only take one English course of a maximum of 12 weeks, which can be taken at any time.
- If the person registering as a companion wishes to undertake an educational program longer than 3 months, they must apply for their own student visa; they cannot do so with the family visa for Australia.
- As you may have already realized, the costs associated with a family visa for Australia are high. Therefore, you must have sufficient resources both to apply for your visa and to travel and live in Australia.
What is the average cost to apply for a family visa to Australia?
It’s really difficult to give you an exact price; however, we’ll try to provide approximate values here. Ideally, you should consult everything before starting this process, as it’s quite extensive and time-consuming. To begin, we should clarify that we’ll give you costs in Australian dollars; your task will be to convert this amount to your local currency.
Cost of traveling to Australia with family (partner and children)
- Main visa applicant AUD $620.
- Spouse or partner AUD $460.
- Children or minors under 18 years of age: AUD $150 each
This would give a total value of AU$1,230 per family group with one child; this is paid only once on the immigration portal.
Cost of school tuition for the child(ren)
As we mentioned at the beginning, children between the ages of 5 and 18 must be enrolled in the Australian school system. The total cost of school fees will depend on the child’s grade level, the educational institution, and the state you choose to live in. Fees typically range from AUD $9,500 to AUD $18,562 per year and can be paid in semesters.
To give you a clearer idea, we’ve added this table with approximate costs by state.
| State | Primary | Secondary |
| South Australia | AU $10,800 | AU $14,200 |
| Queensland | AU $13,372 | AU $16,924 |
| New South Wales | AU $9,500 | AU $10,500 |
| Western Australia | AU $14,254 | AU $18,562 |
| Tasmania | AU $11,100 | AU $16,200 |
| Victory | AU $9,676 | AU $14,350 |
| Canberra | AU $10,000 | AU $15,000 |
Now, you should know that children would not pay school tuition in any state, as long as the principal applicant or their parents enroll in a research master’s or doctoral program.
You should also be aware that children under 5 years old cannot enroll in the primary education system. Therefore, childcare should be considered an additional expense if both parents plan to work. The cost of these childcare centers is around AUD 350.
Some official websites where you can find relevant information on this topic are:
- Australian Capital Territory’s Education and Training department
- New South Wales – Department of Education and Communities
- South Australia – South Australian Government Schools
- Tasmania – Department of Education
- Victoria – Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- Western Australia – TAFE International Western Australia
Cost of Australian family health insurance (OSHC)
Before applying for a family visa to Australia, you should be aware that all family members included in the application must be covered by an Australian International Student Health Cover (OSHC). The total cost of the insurance will depend entirely on the number of people included.
To make things a little clearer, we’ll leave the following rates here as an example:
- For a single person: AUD $534.
- With a partner: AUD $3,274.
- Complete family (father, mother and one child): AUD $6,582.
You should know that the Australian government does not accept international health insurance, only this one.
Housing costs for a family group in Australia
Just like in your home country, accommodation costs increase with the size of your family group and the more space you need. Average weekly prices in Australia are as follows:
- A room for a single person: AU $150 – AU $280.
- A small apartment or room for a couple: AU $300 – AU $400.
- A small house or apartment for a couple with one child: AU$400 – AU$500.
Before applying for a family visa for Australia, you must choose the city where you will live.
Which is the best city in Australia to live in if you have a partner and children?
When people ask us, “What’s the best city in Australia to live in with children?” we’re always left wondering, because honestly, they’re all good. However, we’ll help you by describing some of them so you can make a decision.
If you are thinking of pursuing a master’s degree or a doctorate, we recommend cities like Adelaide and Perth, as these are areas where you can easily find schools for your children, and sometimes they are even cheaper or free.
If you want to apply for a family visa to Australia because you wish to complete your studies, we advise you to choose areas such as Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Hobart, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. These cities also facilitate the immigration process.
If your goal is to learn English and enjoy family life, supporting your children’s upbringing, you might consider areas like the Gold Coast, Brisbane, or Perth. These cities boast very high employment rates.
Finally, if you have a very generous budget to support yourself and your family, you can opt for Australia’s top three cities: Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. These areas consistently rank among the best cities in the world to live in.
You already have our recommendations, now it all depends on whether and what you envision for your personal and family life.
How to apply for a family visa for Australia if you are already in the country?
If traveling to Australia with your family or partner from your home country seems expensive and complicated, we advise you to start the process alone. While it may sound like a difficult change, we believe it’s the best way to begin. However, don’t forget to mention your entire family in your visa application to let the immigration department know you have a partner and children.
Once you are settled and safe in the country, you can begin the process of applying for a family visa for Australia at any time you wish.
If you think this is the best way or if you are considering traveling with separate visas, we recommend that you name yourselves on each application, as this is a point in your favor for the potential immigration process.
Types and requirements of family visas for Australia
Partner Temporary Visa (Subclass 820) and Partner Permanent Visa (Subclass 801)
This family visa for Australia is granted when the applicant already lives in Australian territory; there are two classes: temporary (class 820) and permanent (class 801).
These visas are known in English as “Partner Temporary Visa (Subclass 820) and Partner Permanent Visa (Subclass 801).” In both cases, the person residing in the country must sponsor their spouse’s visa, and a minimum of one year of continuous, demonstrable relationship is required, as mentioned previously. Another requirement is that the applicant must be at least 18 years old when beginning the application process.
The “temporary partner visa” (class 820) grants the right to remain in Australia with your partner, but not permanently. If you are interested in living in the country permanently, you must apply for a permanent residence visa.
As a general guideline, you should know that to obtain a permanent residence visa, you must wait approximately two years after obtaining a temporary family visa for Australia. If, after this time, the applicant still meets the legal requirements, they can obtain a “permanent partner visa” (class 801).
However, if you think waiting two years is too long, there are some cases that allow you to shorten the wait. The circumstances that allow this are as follows:
- If, at the time of applying for the permanent visa, the applicant already has a marital relationship with the permanent resident or Australian citizen sponsoring the visa.
- In the event that at the time of applying for the permanent visa, the applicant has been in a demonstrable marital or partner relationship with the permanent resident or Australian citizen sponsoring the visa and there is a child involved.
- If the permanent resident applying for the visa enjoys asylum status or holds a permanent visa under a humanitarian program, they must demonstrate that they had a relationship before the humanitarian visa was granted and that this relationship must have been declared to the Australian authorities in a timely manner.
Benefits of the family visa for Australia according to its class
The “temporary partner visa” (class 820) is a permit that allows you to work and study, but it does not grant you access to public funds for education. You can also access the public health system or Medicare.
The “permanent partner visa” (class 801) will give you the right to work and study, you will also be able to access public health or Medicare benefits and in the future you may have the possibility of applying for Australian citizenship.
The “temporary visa for partners” (class 820) is only valid during the waiting period until a permanent residence visa is granted.
Types of Family Visas for Australia for Overseas Couples (Classes 309 and 100)
Partner Visa Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100)
If the person applying for the Australian family visa is located outside Australia, they must apply for the “Partner Visa Offshore Temporary and Permanent” (Subclasses 309 and 100).
It should be clarified that to obtain either of these two visas, the Australian permanent resident or citizen must sponsor their spouse. The same requirements mentioned previously apply to this application: a minimum of one year of demonstrable continuous relationship and at least 18 years of age.
Benefits of the family visa for Australia according to its class
The “temporary partner visa” (class 309) will allow you to live in Australia temporarily, work, and study; however, you will not have access to public education funds. You will also be eligible for the benefits of the health system or Medicare.
Read Also: Working in Australia – Complete Guide to Visas, Jobs & Salary
The “permanent partner visa” (class 100) grants you the right to live permanently in Australia, work, and study. You will also be eligible for the benefits of the healthcare system, including Medicare, and other services such as social assistance. Remember that you can apply for Australian citizenship in the future.
The “temporary partner visa” (class 309) is simply an option that is valid until the applicant can obtain a permanent visa.
