Australia is a country with a highly multicultural society and one of the reasons why it has been able to achieve this is its adherence to family reunification. The Family Sponsorship program enables an Australian citizen and permanent resident, as well as eligible New Zealand citizens to sponsor close family members in their right to inhabit Australia. This blog will give everyone a clear overview of procedures and how one can go through the family sponsorship process in an effective way.
Family Sponsorship
Family sponsorship is one of the streams of visas provided by the Australian government as a part of the migration program under which residents who fit the criteria have the opportunity of bringing family to Australia on a temporary or permanent basis. The primary ones are the following:
Partners visas (subclass 820/801, 309/100)
Parent visas (subclass 103, 804, 143, 173)
Child visas (subclass 101, 802)
Other family visas (aged dependent, carers, remaining relatives)
All of the visa categories have their own requirements, although most of the process of sponsorship is similar across them.
Step 1: Ensure that they are Eligible to be Sponsored
The initial thing is making sure that the individual intended to support a family member is eligible. A sponsor needs to qualify as follows:
Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen who is eligible.
Be 18 or above.
Present a clean character record (no record that shows serious crimes).
Having never sponsored an individual to the same category under the time limit (particularly in case of partner visas)
Exceptions or waivers are possible in other instances, and one should seek the services of a migration expert in case of doubt.
Step 2: Selection of the Right Visa
The selection of the right visa subclass will be determined by the relation of the person making the sponsorship:
Partner visa: Spouse, or de facto partners.
Parent visa: To parents of Australian settled residents or citizens.
Child visa: Applying for child dependants' biological or adopted children.
Other family visas: This is a family visa available to aged, dependent relatives, or relatives who do not have the rest of their family in the UK.
Tip: There are also permanent and temporary visas, e.g. in contributory parent or partner visas, you have a temporary visa and a permanent visa.
Step 3: Documents to Be Provided
Based on the sponsor and applicant, they both must have the necessary documents in place and ready, such as:
Documents identification (passports, birth certificates).
Evidence of association (e.g. marriage certificates, history of communication between people and financial interrelations).
Evidence of status of sponsor in Australia.
Health checks and police checks of the applicant.
Financial records in case they were needed (parent and other family visas in particular).
Wrong or absent documentation may lead to loss of time or rejection. Precision is of the essence.
Step 4: Application Submission
Applications must be usually filled on the internet by accessing the Australian Government site - Immigration Account but the process being overwhelming, one can contact reputed and genuine immigration consultants such as Fasttrack Immigration in Australia. Usually at the same time, the application form and the flow of the visa and applicant sponsorship is itself offered in no time.
Step 5: Health and Character Evaluation
The Australian Government approval of health examination does require all the applicants to be able to comply with health examinations with panel doctors. Besides this, submitting character check must be done by:
Police clearance certificates of all the countries that an individual has stayed over a period of 12 months of the past 10 years.
This is essential in order to guarantee that an applicant is an eligible person who is likely to pass the immigration health and character guidelines in Australia.
Step 6: Wait for Visa Process
The visa processing times are quite different given different sub-classes:
Partner visas: 12 – 24 months.
Child visas: 6–12 months.
Parent visas: 4 to 30 years (parent and type and cap limit).
Other family visas: Their wait times can end up being extremely long as there are limited quotas.
It is at this period that the Department of Home Affairs can demand additional information/clarification. One should act fast so that there is no addition of time.
Step 7: Visa Status
Once the assessment has been done, the Department will either:
Grant the visa – The applicant is eligible to enter in or stay in Australia on the basis of visa conditions.
Deny the visa – You can make an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) in case you are eligible.
In the case of temporary-to-permanent avenues (such as subclass 820/801), the permanent placement is typically conferred two years later once the temporary visa grants the relationship between the two parties is still present and still genuine.
Difficulties to be Cautious About
Delays in processing time particularly in case of parent visas.
Premium prices of contributory visas.
Immunity needs and substantiation of the partner and dependent relationships are strict.
Maximum quotas and restrictions of places in certain types of visas.
The legal issues that might emerge on sponsorship or criminal backgrounds in the past.
How an Immigration Consultant can be of Assistance
Processing family sponsorship can be confusing since rules change, the paperwork is complicated, and the process leads to delays. A competent immigration consultant can guide you on the same.
Having everything done properly and in full set of documents.
Counselling on the appropriate subclass of the visa.
Writing answers to request the departments.
Representing you in the cases of appeal (in case of necessity).
Staying in touch with the changes in the policies and schedules.
Conclusion
Family is at the core of immigration in Australia and the Family Sponsorship program is one of the very essentials to the reunification of loved ones. The process may also be lengthy and arduous, but with this step-by-step guide, it becomes easy to navigate through. Whatever the case may be whether it is spouse or family you are bringing to Australia, proper planning, document preparation, and professional advice when required will go a long way in assisting you to achieve your desired outcome.
