Visit Australia
Sponsored Family Visitor (600)
A family-backed visit. An Australian relative sponsors your stay and stands behind your compliance.
Requirements
What the Sponsored Family stream asks of you.
Travel under the Approved Destination Status arrangement is separate again, run through approved travel organisers rather than family sponsorship.
A settled close relative
Your sponsor must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over, usually settled in Australia for at least two years, and a close relative such as a parent, child, sibling or grandparent, including step and adoptive relationships. In some cases a member of the Australian Parliament or an authorised government officer can sponsor instead.
One sponsorship at a time
A sponsor cannot take on a new sponsored visitor while an earlier sponsored visitor's visa is still valid, unless they are family members travelling for the same reason, and a sponsorship breach within the last five years bars a new sponsorship.
Security bond
The Department can ask your sponsor to lodge a security bond before the visa is granted, returned after the visit provided the visa conditions are met.
A single entry, no onshore switching
The visa allows a stay of up to 12 months, though grants are often shorter and usually a single entry, and you apply and receive the decision outside Australia. Holders are generally unable to apply for another visa while in Australia, so plans to stay longer need advice before you travel.
The pathway
How we run your sponsored visit.
Sponsor check
We confirm your relative qualifies as sponsor and that no earlier sponsorship stands in the way.
Evidence
Relationship, funds and genuine-visit evidence assembled on both sides of the application.
Lodgement
Lodged outside Australia, with the sponsorship and any requested bond in place.
Decision and visit
You must be outside Australia when the visa is granted. We brief you and your sponsor on the conditions the bond rides on.
General information only, not immigration advice. Your circumstances matter. Visa requirements, fees and processing times change regularly. Facts on this page last reviewed 15 July 2026. Check current details with the Department of Home Affairs , or speak with us for advice on your situation. Website terms.
Begin with a conversation.
Speak with a MARA-registered migration agent in Melbourne about your pathway. Book a time that suits you.