Carer Visa Subclass 116 Eligibility Criteria

Do your relatives stay in Australia and have a lasting medical condition?

Are they unable to acquire access to reasonable medical care?

If all the answers to the above questions are positive, then you can apply and get a carer visa subclass 116 and stay indefinitely in the country with conditions.

The primary target of this visa is to allow the family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents to allow substantial care for their relatives who cannot have reasonable access to care options in Australia. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be a direct relative; the visa will apply to a family member who lives with them.

What is Carer Visa Subclass 116?

The carer visa subclass 116 falls under the designation of ‘other family visas’. It is designed for individuals wishing to care for a relative living in Australia with a permanent medical condition.

The applicant doesn’t have to be the immediate carer of the person suffering from this debilitating condition – they can also apply to assist a relative already providing help or care to an immediate family member. The visa holder can live in the country and enjoy all the rights of a permanent resident.

What benefits do Carer Visa Subclass 116 holders get?

The subclass 116 carer visa offers several benefits to the applicant wishing to offer time and care to an ailing relative living in Australia or to assist another person providing the care. The holder of these visas will get the following benefits:

• They can work and study in Australia without any time constraints.
• They can stay in Australia indefinitely as a permanent resident.
• They will have the eligibility to sponsor relatives for coming to Australia.
• They can enrol in the Australian common health care scheme called Medicare.
• They will be allowed to travel without any restriction to and from Australia for 5 years.
• They can apply for the Australian citizenship, if applicable.
• This visa allows overseas relatives to come and be caregivers to an Australian relative only when they don’t have practical access to care options in Australia.
• The relative could be directly linked with you or be a family member of the relative who needs care and lives with them.

Can The Visa Holder Only Have A 5-Year Travel Permission?

Yes, the holder of the carer visa subclass 116 can only travel for 5 years from the grant date. However, the travel mode will be bi-directional, meaning the visa holders can come and go from Australia as often as they please. However, this advantage will cease to function once the travel facility on this visa becomes invalid.

So, What Is The Procedure To Travel After The Initial 5-Year Facility?

After the 5–year mark has been exhausted, the candidate can apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) so that they come again into Australia as a permanent resident.

However, you can consider applying for Australian citizenship during the validity period of carer visa subclass 116.

It will be more beneficial because, as an Australian citizen, you don’t have to take the stress of applying and qualifying for the visa every time. As a citizen, your Australian passport will be enough to leave and enter Australia. However, it would help if you qualified in the required conditions for Australian citizenship.

What Are The Eligibility Criteria?

The assorted eligibility criteria for the subclass 116 carer visa are as follows:

1. Sponsorship

The applicant will need to be sponsored by an appropriate person, and the immigration department will need to approve the sponsorship application.

2. Mandatory caregiving options

The candidate must be willing and able to offer continuous and extensive care and support for the relative sponsoring your application or the ailing family member who lives with them.

The immigration department will ask about their medical conditions and needs, so the candidate must know enough about the sickness and the current care and support they can offer. It is best to consult the most proficient immigration visa lawyer before submitting an application.

3. Meeting Health Requirements

The applicant for this permit must qualify for the health requirements of the Australian immigration rules. It means that they may have to provide evidence about their well-being and the absence of any disease or conditions that can endanger the community health of Australia.

Australian citizens enjoy one of the best health standards in the world, and the applicant’s health practices shouldn’t disturb that standard.

They will also ensure that the candidate doesn’t limit the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to the essential and crucial health elements in short supply. They can even check the reports of candidates’ family members not coming to Australia in this matter.

4. Meeting Character Requirements

The candidate and their family member (both must be aged 16 years or older) must qualify in the character requirement of the carer visa subclass 116. It means refraining from criminal conduct while in the country and proving good behaviour during application.

This requirement includes the absence of any criminal record, a record of involvement in a crime of a sexual nature or involving a child, or any recorded instance of escaping immigration detention or other crime during the confinement period. Herein, the Australian immigration department can check the family member’s records.

Read More – Remaining Relative Visa 835 Processing Time

5. Repayment Of Debt

The applicant or their family members should repay their debt to the Australian government.

6. Signing the Australian Values Statement

All candidates over 18 must sign the Australian values statement to acknowledge their understanding and acceptance of the Australian society, values, and life practices.

7. No Records Of An Earlier Refusal

The candidate shouldn’t have any previous records of visa refusal or application rejection, as it creates a negative impression on subsequent applications.

The Department of Home Affairs doesn’t offer any specific carer visa 116 processing time but acts on them one after the other. They issue a limited number of carer visas in a single application year.

Final Words –

Submitting the correct, valid, and complete documents required by the Department of Home Affairs is extremely important for a successful visa application. Engaging the professional services of the most experienced immigration visa lawyer will prove beneficial in the long run.