Visa Enquiries: Telephone: +49 (0)30 223 89 181, Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm // Fax: +49(0)30 22 48 92 92
Counter Hours Visa Section: Mon, Wed, Fri 9am to 11am
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Migrating as a Relative / Carer
Important Information relating to these visa subclasses
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has determined that, as of 25 January 2011, the maximum number of visas which will be granted in the Other Family (Class BO/BU) category for the 2010 -2011 program year is 750. This means that once this limit has been reached, no further Other Family visas can be granted in the 2010-2011 program year.
In order to manage the Other Family visa places in an orderly and equitable manner, a capping and queuing system has been introduced. All Other Family category visas will be assessed in date order of lodgement. If an applicant is found to satisfy the initial core criteria for the grant of the visa, they are then allocated a ‘queue date’ and placed in a queue.
Applications are then considered for grant in order of their queue date as visa places become available. The waiting period can be affected by withdrawals, refusals and changes to planning levels.
According to Ministerial Directions, priority is given to Carer visa applications, however, it is expected that all Other Family category visa applicants will be subjected to increased processing times.
The nature of family migration, in particular within the Carer visa category, is such that most cases are of a compelling and compassionate nature. In the interests of fairness, queue dates will not be allocated or adjusted to prioritise requests for compelling and compassionate circumstances, as bringing forward the processing of any visa application outside of queue date may disadvantage clients whose circumstances are equally as compelling and compassionate.
Further information on the new capping and queuing arrangements will be made available on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s website at: www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/capping-and-queuing
If you wish to migrate as the carer, or aged dependent relative or the last remaining relative of your sponsor, you should read the information below.
Carer - your sponsor or a member of your sponsor's family needs help with
daily living because of a medical condition and cannot get that help from any
family, welfare, hospital, nursing or community services in Australia and you are
a relative who is able and willing to provide that help. Your sponsor or the
member of your sponsor's family who needs help will need to undergo a medical
assessment from Health Services Australia.
Aged dependent relative - you must be of Australian pension age and
have been dependent on your sponsor for at least the previous three years.
Remaining relative - you, together with your spouse, must have no near
relatives, other than near relatives who are usually resident in Australia
and are Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Near relatives are:
a parent, brother or sister; or
a minor child who is not in your daily care and control; or
an adult child over 18 who is not dependent on you; or
step equivalents of the above.
You also qualify as a remaining relative if you are a child under 18, who was adopted overseas by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and your adoptive parent had spent the required 12 months living overseas prior to adoption.
How to apply for a Migration Visa as a Relative or Carer
1. Obtain the forms and further information
The application forms for relative / carer migration visas are in Booklet 4.
Booklet 4 - DIAC Website (PDF)
When completing your form, please ensure that you quote your last name and first name exactly as stated in your PASSPORT and do not use a pencil. Please attach to your application one recent passport photograph of yourself. If you are under 18, please ask both your parents to sign. Single parents must provide evidence that they have sole custody.
2. Visa Application Charge
The Visa Application Charge is levied per application. The Visa Application Charge is a processing charge and cannot be refunded irrespective of the outcome of the application. Payment for visa applications may only be made in EUROs using a credit card (Visa or Master Card only).
See: Visa Application Charges
3. Documents to be included with your application
This information should be used in conjunction with Booklet 4 which is available for download from the Department's website. The booklet may ask you to supply even more information but you should first refer to the advice listed below. This has been specifically prepared for clients applying in Berlin so that we can process your application as quickly as possible
Booklet 4 - DIAC Website (PDF)
Please note, however, that our office may ask you to send additional documents or attend an interview during the course of processing your application.
Documents required for a Remaining Relative visa
Translations of birth/marriage/divorce certificates or of other standard documents are NOT required.
You should send in the following:
LIST ONE - These documents you should send as originals.
Form 47OF, completed and signed by you
See: Form 47OF - DIAC Website (PDF)
Form 40, completed and signed by your sponsor
See: Form 40 - DIAC Website (PDF)
Police clearance certificates from your country of usual residence, and any
other country where you have lived for more than a total of twelve months since
you have turned 16 during the last ten-year period for applicants over 16 years
of age.
See: Character Requirements Penal Clearance Certificates - DIAC Website (PDF)
a registration certificate from your local authority showing your marital status.
One passport photograph.
Evidence that your migration application fee has been paid.
Please do not undergo the required medical and radiological examination with one of our panel doctors on your own initiative. We will invite you to do so upon assessment of your application.
LIST TWO - These documents you should send as certified copies.
You can obtain certified copies from anyone in your country who is empowered to do so.
See: Certified Copies
The applicant's birth certificate;
If children are included in your application, their birth certificates;
If your children are from a previous relationship, you need to include a statutory
declaration signed by the other natural parent of the children in the presence of
a notary public consenting to the child(ren) migrating to and settling in Australia;
Evidence of your sponsor's Australian citizenship or resident status. (This could
be a citizenship certificate or a copy of their Australian passport or a copy of
their birth certificate or a copy of their Australian permanent residence visa.);
Evidence of your parents' and siblings' Australian citizenship or resident status.
(This could be a citizenship certificate or a copy of their Australian passport or a
copy of their birth certificate or a copy of their Australian permanent residence
visa.);
Your own divorce decree and evidence of custody arrangements;
If applicable; documentary evidence of your claimed family composition (e.g.
your parents' family booklet, your parents' registration certificates listing all their
children, your parents' last will listing all their children); if such documents are
not available, please submit a comprehensive statement on when exactly and
under which migration program each of your family members migrated to
Australia (if still available your relative's Australian migration file number).
You may be required to attend a telephone interview or a personal interview at this office. Please do not place your application in a folder, use plastic pockets for storage of your documents or staple documents together as this slows the processing of your application.
4. Health Clearance
Medical examinations with one of our panel doctors will be requested as the assessment of your application progresses.
See: Form 1071i - Health requirements for permanent entry to Australia
5. Passport copy
Your passport should not be enclosed with your visa application. A good copy of the biodata page of your valid passport should be enclosed with the visa application.
We shall ask for your original passport once we are ready to issue your migration visa. It must contain at least one blank page.
6. Embassy Address
Please mail your application or deliver personally to the following address:
(Visa Counter Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9.00 - 11.00 hrs):
Australian Embassy
Visa Office
Wallstrasse 76-79
D-10179 Berlin
Germany
7. Important Information
We recommend that you do not make travel commitments until after the visa has been approved. Visa applications are processed by the embassy as fast as possible and in the order of receipt. Processing times can vary according to the volume of applications on hand and you should allow for this when making your travel plans.
See: Target Processing Times
Following, is more information about the timing of your initial entry to Australia once a migration visa has been issued to you.
See: Initial Entry to Australia after a migration visa has been issued
We are not liable for any financial loss incurred by applicants whose applications are late or unsuccessful. You can do the following to help us process your case quickly:
ensure that your application is complete;
limit the contact with your case officer to urgent matters.
See: How to contact the department?
Under the terms of the Australian Privacy Act, we cannot provide information about applications in progress to third parties.