Want to get a family member to Australia? These changes may affect you

The changes will apply to permanent visa subclasses. Some temporary and provisional visa subclasses will also be affected.

closeup of australian visa in passport

Source: 72704086

Australia's has introduced changes to family visas, restricting the definition of a family member. 

Some visas allow applicants to include family members in their application under the ‘member of the family unit’ (MoFU) arrangements.

The definition of Member of the Family Unit (MoFU) is changing.  For applications made on and after 19 November 2016, MoFU will be limited to direct family members.

From 19 November a person might be a member of your family unit if they are your:

  1. spouse or de facto partner 
    or
  2. child or step child; and:
    1. have not turned 18
       or
    2. have turned 18, but have not turned 23, and are financially dependent on you or your partner 
      or
    3. have turned 23 and are dependent on you or on the partner as they have a mental or physical disability that stops them from earning a living to support themselves
  3. grandchild or step-grandchild who is a dependent of a child who meets one of the criteria under above under paragraph 2.
A child is not eligible if they are engaged to be married or have a spouse or de facto partner.

The change will apply to permanent visa subclasses and some provisional and temporary visa subclasses.  The change won’t apply to refugee, humanitarian or protection visas. 

According to the , these changes make the family members who can be included in a visa application, as a MoFU, more consistent with arrangements available to Australian citizens and permanent residents seeking to bring family members to Australia. 

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Published 29 December 2016 3:28pm
By Shamsher Kainth
Source: SBS Punjabi


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