The Carer Visa (116 and 836): Move to Australia to Care for a Relative in Need
When an Australian relative has a long-term medical condition and needs real, ongoing care, the carer visa lets you come and provide it. The 116 is for applicants overseas and the 836 for those already here. Both are permanent on grant, but be ready for two hard parts: an independent medical assessment that decides everything, and a long wait because places are capped.
What the 116 and 836 Are
The carer visa is for someone who will give substantial and continuing care to an Australian relative, or to a member of that relative's family unit, who has a long-term medical condition that genuinely limits their ability to manage everyday tasks. The 116 is the offshore version, for applicants outside Australia, and the 836 is the onshore version, for applicants already here on an eligible visa. Both lead to permanent residence the moment they're granted.
The Australian relative is the sponsor. They need to be a citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and usually settled here. The care you provide has to be real and ongoing, not occasional help, and it has to be care that the family cannot reasonably arrange any other way. That last point is where most of the assessment lives.
The medical assessment is the real gate, not a formality. The need for care must be verified by an independent assessment, currently carried out by a government-appointed provider, not by your relative's own doctor. That assessment decides whether the condition is serious enough, whether the impairment is long-term, and whether the care you'd give is genuinely needed. If it doesn't support the claim, the visa won't proceed, so we treat this step as the centre of the whole case.
What You'll Need
- An Australian relative who sponsors you, settled here as a citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen
- That relative, or a member of their family unit, to have a long-term medical condition impairing everyday tasks
- An independent medical assessment, currently by a government-appointed provider, verifying the need for care
- Proof the care cannot reasonably be provided by other relatives in Australia
- Proof the care cannot reasonably be obtained from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services
- The usual health and character requirements
The difference between the two subclasses is simply where you are. If you're overseas you apply for the 116 and must generally be offshore when it's granted. If you're already in Australia on a substantive visa you may be able to apply for the 836 and stay while it's processed. We'll work out which one fits and what that means for your travel.
The Honest Part: a Long Queue
Carer visas are capped, so even a strong application waits in line, and that wait can run for years. We won't pretend otherwise. The processing time is set by the government and reviewed over time, and we'll confirm the current position for you, but you should plan around a long horizon. The thing that's in your control is the strength of the case, so getting the medical assessment and the evidence right from the start matters more here than almost anywhere else.
How We Help
We know these are families under real strain, and we treat them that way. We help you build the case around the medical assessment, gather the evidence that other care options genuinely aren't available, and show that your care is substantial and continuing. We get the sponsorship right, choose the correct subclass for where you are, and prepare you honestly for the wait. The aim is a complete, convincing application that gives your relative the care they need and gives you a permanent place here.
Where to From Here
Remaining Relative (115/835)
If you have no close family left outside Australia, this may be your path instead.
About 115/835Child Visa (101/802)
Bringing a dependent child to a parent in Australia? Start here.
About 101/802Parent Visas
If the relative you'd care for is a parent, a parent visa may suit better. Compare both.
Parent visa optionsAll Other Family Visas
Not sure the carer visa fits? See every other family option side by side.
Other family overviewYour 116/836 Questions
Can my relative's own doctor verify the need for care?
No, and this is the part people get wrong. The need for care has to be confirmed by an independent assessment, currently done by a government-appointed provider, not by the family's treating doctor. Your relative's medical records support the picture, but they don't decide it. We'll help you prepare for that assessment so it reflects the true situation.
What if other relatives in Australia could help instead?
Then the visa becomes harder, because the rules ask whether the care can reasonably be provided by other relatives already in Australia. It also asks whether the care could be obtained from welfare, hospital, nursing or community services. We work through both questions honestly with you and gather the evidence that shows why those options genuinely don't meet the need.
How long is the wait?
It is long, often years, because carer visa places are capped and applications queue. The exact processing time is set by the government and reviewed over time, so we'll confirm the current position for you. We won't sugar-coat it, but we will make sure your application is strong enough that the wait isn't wasted on a case with gaps.
Should I apply for the 116 or the 836?
It comes down to where you are. If you're overseas you apply for the 116 and generally need to be offshore when it's granted. If you're already in Australia on an eligible visa you may be able to apply for the 836 and stay here while it's processed. We'll confirm which subclass fits your situation and what it means for your travel.
Be There for the Family Who Needs You
The carer visa turns on the medical assessment and asks for patience through a long queue. Let's look at your relative's situation, get the assessment right, and build a case that gives you the best chance.