Planning to bring your family to Australia? From now on, visa application to allow limited family members

The change will apply to permanent visa sub classes and some provisional and temporary visa sub classes.

visa application

visa application form and passport, apply and permission for foreigner country Source: Getty Images

Some Australian 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.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection says this change will apply to permanent visa sub classes and some provisional and temporary visa sub classes. 

The change won’t apply to refugee, humanitarian or protection visas. 

From 19 November 2016, 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:

a) have not turned 18
or
b) have turned 18, but have not turned 23, and are financially dependent on you or your partner
or
c) 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.

Why is the change being made?

The 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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2 min read

Published

By Mosiqi Acharya
Source: Department of Immigration and Border Protection

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Planning to bring your family to Australia? From now on, visa application to allow limited family members | SBS Hindi