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We prefer you to contact by Email: [email protected]
Call us 24/7 in Australia: 1800 847 243
Australia: +61-7-3186 1467
India: +91-7598 338 336
Aged Dependent Relative visa Subclass 838 : What this visa lets you do:
Aged Dependent Relative visa is a permanent visa. It allows you and your family to:
More information on Australian permanent residence, including eligibility for government services and benefits, is available.
The Australian Government limits the number of Aged Dependent Relative (subclass 838) visas it grants each year.
Aged Dependent Relative visa applications are given a lower priority than other family visas, such as partner and child visas. You can find information on processing times at Family Members, Capping and Queuing.
Usually, you and your family need to have valid passports to be granted this Aged Dependent Relative visa. If you plan to get a new passport, you should do so before applying for your visa. If you get a new passport after you have lodged your application, give the details of your new passport to one of the department of immigration and border protection offices.
The Aged Dependent Relative visa application charges are listed in Fees and charges.
You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.
Do not arrange for any checks until the department of immigration and border protection tell you to.
You might be able to get this Aged Dependent Relative visa if you:
You should not apply for this Aged Dependent Relative visa unless you believe you are likely to be successful, as the visa application charge you pay will not usually be refunded if you withdraw your application or it is refused.
You must be sponsored by the relative on whom you are financially dependent, and who has provided this support for a reasonable period (usually three years) before you lodge your application. Their partner can also be your sponsor.
Your sponsoring relative or their partner must be:
To be considered an aged dependent relative you must not be married or in a de facto relationship.
You must be able to demonstrate that you have been wholly or substantially dependent on your relative in Australia for financial support for your basic needs of food, shelter and clothing, or because you have a disability which prevents you from working. This support must have been continuing for at least three (3) years before your application is lodged.
You must be old enough to be granted an aged pension under the Social Security Act 1991. See Department of Human Services website for more information.
You must meet certain health requirements. The results are usually valid for 12 months. Do not arrange a health examination until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.
This also applies to all members of your family unit included in your application, whether they are migrating or not.
You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more, during the past 10 years, since you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.
This also applies to all family members listed in the application, who are 16 years of age or older, whether they are migrating or not.
You must sign an Australian Values Statement to confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. The statement is included in the visa application form. You must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia book before you sign the statement.
This applies to all members of your family unit listed in the application who are 18 years of age or older.
You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this Aged Dependent Relative visa can be granted.
This also applies to all dependent family members listed in the application, when they are migrating or not.
You might be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.
You can include the following people in your visa application at the time of lodgement:
For detailed information regarding who you can include in your application see including family members in your application.
The application must include documentary evidence of their relationship to you.​​
Members of your family unit must be able to show that they meet health and character requirements.
After you applied for this Aged Dependent Relative visa but before a decision is made, members of your family unit can be added to your application.
This information explains what you need to do to apply for an Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 838). You must be in Australia when you lodge your application.
You need to provide documents to prove the claims you make in the application. The documents are listed in the Document checklist.
Some documents could take some time to obtain. You should have them ready when you lodge the application to reduce any delays in processing.
Complete the following forms in English to apply for this visa:
If you have any members of your family unit who are 18 years of age or older, you must complete:
If you have any members of your family unit who are 18 years of age or older, complete:
Your sponsor must complete:
Lodge all the forms together. Pay the first instalment of the visa application charge when you apply.
Lodge your application in person, via courier or by post at an office of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia – attention Child and Other Family Processing centre.
Email enquiry form: Child and Other Family Processing Centre Enquiry Form
You can pay by credit card, bank cheque or money order made payable to the Department of Home Affairs (www.homeaffairs.gov.au).
Please refer to preparing your application, for information on:
After you have lodged your application and documents, the department of immigration and border protection will acknowledge that they have received your information.
We assess applications for this Aged Dependent Relative visa in the order in which they are lodged, see Other Family Visa Queue and in accordance with any relevant Ministerial Directions.
There is high demand for family migration visas and only a limited number of places are available. Applications for this Aged Dependent Relative visa are subject to capping and queuing arrangements. This means your application is considered in two stages:
When you apply for this Aged Dependent Relative visa in Australia, you could be eligible for a Bridging visa that allows you to stay in the country lawfully while your application is processed. If you are given a Bridging visa A, you can apply for Bridging visa B to travel outside Australia while you wait for a decision.
If your visa is granted, you must be in Australia when it is granted.
You can provide more information to us, at any time until a decision is made on the application. If you want to correct information you provided, use:
We could also ask you for more information. You will have to respond by a set date. After that date, the department of immigration and border protection can make a decision about your application using the information that the department of immigration and border protection have.
If another person gives the department of immigration and border protection information that could result in you being refused a visa, the department of immigration and border protection will usually give you the opportunity to comment on the information.
You might also be interviewed. If you are asked to attend an interview in person, bring your passport or other identification and any requested documents to the interview.
You must tell the department of immigration and border protection if your circumstances change. This includes a new residential address, a new passport, or a pregnancy, birth, divorce, separation, marriage, de facto relationship or death in your family.
Please report changes in your circumstances via ImmiAccount. If you are not able to use ImmiAccount, you can use the following forms:
If you do not provide the department of immigration and border protection with the details of any new passport issued to you, you could experience significant delays at the airport and may be denied permission to board your plane.​​
A person or organisation must give you an assurance of support. They can be your sponsor or another person. Up to three people can provide an assurance of support for you.
An assurance of support is a legal commitment to provide you with financial support so you do not have to rely on social security payments.
The assurance covers you and members of your family unit included in your application.
An assurer must:
If the assurer is an organisation, a larger bond is required for each application.
The bond is refunded at two years after your visa has been granted. Any debts to the government are deducted from the bond and only the balance is refunded.
We will tell you how and when to lodge an assurance of support after your application has been assessed and is released from the queue for final processing.
More information about the assurance of support and how much you should pay is at the Department of Human Services.
​You can withdraw the application at any time before the department of immigration and border protection make a decision about it. To do this, send them a letter or email to ask for the withdrawal. Your request must include your full name and date of birth. You should also include your file reference number, client ID, or a Transaction Reference Number.
​​​All applicants 18 years of age or older, wishing to withdraw, must sign the request for withdrawal.​​​​​​
You can remove one or more applicants and still continue with your visa application. Let the department of immigration and border protectionknow in writing if you wish to do this. Include the signature of the person you are removing from your application if they are 18 or older.
You must be in Australia on the date your visa is granted.
If the visa is granted, the department of immigration and border protectionwill send you a letter or email to tell you:
You will not have a visa label placed in your passport.
If the visa is not granted, the department of immigration and border protection will send you a letter or email advising:
You need to provide documents to support your application for this visa. The department of immigration and border protection can make a decision using the information you provide when you lodge your application. It is in your interest to provide as much information as possible with your application.
Provide certified copies of original documents. Do not include original documents unless the department of immigration and border protection specifically ask for them. Police certificates should be original documents. Documents not in English must be accompanied by accredited English translations.
Use this checklist to make sure your application is complete.
The checklist provides the details of the documents you are expected to include with your application. Your application could be delayed if you do not lodge complete forms and relevant documents to prove your claims.
Complete this form if it applies:
The second instalment of the visa application charge will be requested before the visa is granted. If you do not pay this charge, your visa application will be refused.
A certified copy of your birth certificate showing both parents’ names. (This is required for each person included in the application.) If you do not have a birth certificate and are unable to get one, you must provide a certified copy of the identification pages of at least one of the following documents:
If you are unable to provide one of these documents, you must provide other acceptable evidence that you are who you claim to be.
A copy of the birth certificates is required for each person included in the application.
You must also include photographs of non-migrating members of your family unit.
If relevant, provide the same documents for anyone included as a dependent child of your child in the application.
Provide the original certificates and keep a copy for yourself
This is a permanent visa. It allows you and any family members who have also been granted the visa to:
More information on Australian permanent residence, including eligibility for government services and benefits, is available.
You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.
You can sponsor a family member for this Aged Dependent Relative visa if you are their relative and they are dependent on you financially.
They must be able to demonstrate that they have been dependent on you for financial support for a reasonable period (usually three years) before lodging the application. Your partner can be the sponsor, provided you live together.
To be a sponsor, you must be:
You can use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) for free to check your visa details and entitlements.
You must also:
Eligible New Zealand citizens will also need to meet health and character requirements.
For two years after your relative is granted this Aged Dependent Relative visa and arrives in Australia, you must continue to help them and their accompanying family members settle in Australia by providing (if necessary):
If you have also provided an assurance of support, you must support your relative and their family for two years after their visa is granted:
Source: The Australian Department of Home Affairs (www.homeaffairs.gov.au). Please visit www.border.gov.au to get updated information.
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