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Pathway

Australia Remaining Relative Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The Remaining Relative visa is for people whose only near relatives, including their partner’s near relatives, are settled in Australia with qualifying status. One relative elsewhere, or in Australia without the required status, can make you ineligible. New applications have a published wait of about 22 years.

Family location
All defined close relatives of you and your partner must normally live in Australia as citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens
Sponsor
An eligible adult parent, sibling, specified step-relative, or their eligible partner, settled in Australia
Financial guarantee
A formal Assurance of Support is required when requested

Summary

The Remaining Relative visa is a permanent route for a person whose only near relatives are settled in Australia with qualifying status. Subclass 115 is for an applicant outside Australia; Subclass 835 is for an applicant in Australia.

This is one of Australia's narrowest family categories. It looks at the near relatives of both the applicant and the applicant's spouse or qualifying unmarried partner. A single near relative living outside Australia—or living in Australia only temporarily or unlawfully—can prevent eligibility.

These visas have annual limits and waiting lists. Home Affairs' information current to 31 May 2026 estimates about 22 years for a new Remaining Relative application. That figure can change and is not a guaranteed decision time.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The applicant must be the remaining relative of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is usually resident in Australia. The sponsor must be an eligible parent, step-parent, sibling, step-sibling, or the eligible partner of that relative; the sponsor must be at least 18 and settled in Australia.

Home Affairs will not grant the visa if the applicant or their partner has a near relative who:

"Near relative" is a defined migration term and is broader than the person someone thinks of as close family. It can include parents, siblings, adult children and certain minor children, and the partner's family also matters. Build a full family tree before assuming the test is met.

The applicant must obtain an Assurance of Support when requested and meet health, character, identity, government-debt and immigration-history requirements. Subclass 115 generally requires the applicant to be outside Australia at application and decision. Subclass 835 requires you to be in Australia and eligible to apply from inside the country.

Checking the Remaining Relative rules
  1. Map your family and your partner’s family Include everyone covered by the legal definition of near relative.
  2. Verify each relative’s residence and status Check the sponsor separately and prepare supporting records.
  3. Choose the correct visa and plan for the long wait Follow the application-location and financial-support instructions.

Having most relatives in Australia is not enough; one disqualifying near relative can prevent approval.

What This Route Allows

If granted, the visa provides permanent residence, with indefinite permission to live, work and study in Australia. Medicare enrollment, sponsorship of eligible relatives and later citizenship may be possible under their own rules.

The visa normally lets you leave and return as a permanent resident for 5 years. After it expires, a permanent resident generally needs a Resident Return visa to re-enter after travel unless they have become a citizen.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a general sibling visa, a route for someone with "most" family in Australia, or a test based on emotional closeness. The presence of one disqualifying near relative can make the applicant ineligible even if every other relative is Australian.

It is not quick. A valid application from inside Australia and a bridging visa also do not create unrestricted travel rights or guarantee the applicant can remain on the same conditions throughout a multi-decade queue.

An Assurance of Support is not simply a family promise. It is a formal commitment to repay certain government benefits if the applicant receives them, assessed separately from sponsorship.

Next Steps

  1. Build a complete family tree for both the applicant and any spouse or qualifying unmarried partner.
  2. For every near relative, document country of usual residence and exact Australian immigration status.
  3. Confirm the proposed sponsor's qualifying relationship, age, settled residence and status.
  4. Check the location and current-visa rules for Subclass 115 versus 835.
  5. Review the 22-year published estimate and plan where you can lawfully live, how to arrange healthcare, and whether you can travel during the wait.
  6. Follow Home Affairs' instructions on the Assurance of Support and final health or police checks when requested.

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Other routes in Australia.

Sources