Australia’s 600 Sponsored Family stream: sponsor eligibility, bond and conditions
The Sponsored Family stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) requires an eligible sponsor and a temporary visit to Australia. Formal sponsorship brings obligations that continue while the visa is valid, and Home Affairs may ask the sponsor to pay a security bond. If a relative only wants to invite the traveller or help with costs, the applicant may not need formal sponsorship; the subclass 600 Tourist stream may be worth comparing. Check the sponsor’s eligibility, the applicant’s visitor case and the family’s willingness to accept the obligations before choosing a stream.
Who can sponsor a family visitor
In general, a sponsor must be at least 18 and a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident. Home Affairs usually expects the sponsor to have lived in Australia for the last two years. It may reduce that period in compelling compassionate circumstances. Meeting the age, status and residence requirements is only the starting point: the sponsor must also have an eligible relationship with the applicant and must not be barred by a previous sponsorship issue.
Eligible relationships generally include a spouse or de facto partner, parent or child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild, aunt or uncle, and niece or nephew, including step equivalents. A fiancé or fiancée, in-law, cousin, friend or New Zealand citizen is generally not eligible to sponsor in this capacity. Some family-unit situations have specific exceptions. Do not rely only on a translated kinship label: prepare documents that connect each link in the relationship, such as birth or marriage certificates, family-register records and relevant passport pages.
The sponsor’s obligations continue during the visa
Sponsorship lasts for as long as the Visitor visa is valid. The sponsor undertakes responsibility for the visitor’s compliance with visa conditions and Australian employment laws and awards, and for repaying money the visitor owes the Australian Government. Home Affairs may cancel a visa if a sponsor does not comply with the sponsorship obligations. Before signing, consider how long the obligation lasts, the visitor’s previous immigration history and whether the sponsor can keep in contact throughout the visit. A family relationship does not remove the responsibility.
A security bond is not a fixed fee on every application
Home Affairs may ask for a security bond, but it does not require one in every case. Its current guidance says bonds are usually between AUD 5,000 and AUD 15,000 per person, although it may request any amount. If requested, the bond must be paid in full before the final visa decision. It is separate from the visa application charge and should not be treated as a guaranteed or standard cost for every family.
The Department says the bond will be refunded if the visitor complies with visa conditions and leaves Australia before the visa expires. Keep the payment record and confirm how the refund will be processed. A breach, overstay or change in circumstances may affect the sponsor’s obligations and the bond outcome. The bond is not a payment that allows a visitor to ignore visa conditions.
Stay period, travel and visa conditions
This is a temporary visa. Home Affairs lists a standard stay of three months, with a stay of up to 12 months possible in limited circumstances. The Department decides the period case by case and may grant less time than requested. It also says the visa is generally granted for single entry and commonly has a six-month validity period for the traveller to enter. Check the individual grant notice for the last entry date, permitted stay and number of entries.
The applicant must be outside Australia both when the application is lodged and when Home Affairs makes its decision. If the visitor expects to change visas or leave and return during a stay, check the actual visa conditions first; do not assume this stream can be applied for from inside Australia.
Each family member needs a separate application, including children listed in a parent’s passport. Applicants may identify that they are travelling together, but each application is assessed on that person’s circumstances. Applicants must satisfy the genuine-visitor, financial, health and character requirements. The visa does not allow work and permits study or training for up to three months. A grant will usually include condition 8503, No Further Stay, and the holder must comply with condition 8531 by leaving before the permitted stay ends. Do not assume the visa can be extended to keep the visitor in Australia.
When the Tourist stream may be a better fit
If an Australian relative is willing to invite or financially support the visitor but does not want to become a formal sponsor, consider the subclass 600 Tourist stream. Home Affairs says that stream also allows tourism and family visits and does not require a sponsor. The applicant can provide an invitation and supporting information. The Department also points applicants who cannot document an eligible sponsor relationship to the Tourist stream. The eligibility rules, evidence and conditions differ, so an invitation letter alone does not decide which stream applies.
A pre-lodgement checklist
Confirm the sponsor is at least 18, a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident, and meets the usual residence period.
Use official documents to show the relationship between the sponsor and each applicant.
Make sure the sponsor understands the obligations and can pay a bond if Home Affairs requests one.
Prepare a separate application for each family member; a shared itinerary does not create a shared visa.
Match the requested stay to a credible itinerary and allow for a single-entry grant.
Read the grant notice and VEVO for conditions such as 8503 and 8531, then comply with the departure date.
If the relative only needs to invite or support the traveller, compare the Tourist stream before accepting formal sponsorship.
Verification date: This article was checked against the Department of Home Affairs information for the subclass 600 Sponsored Family stream on 20 October 2026. Bond amounts, sponsor eligibility, relationship exceptions and visa conditions can change. Recheck the official page and the individual grant notice before paying or lodging. Sponsorship does not guarantee a visa grant, and a bond does not replace the visitor’s obligation to comply with visa conditions.
To compare Australian Visitor visa streams, prepare the sponsor’s status, relationship evidence, proposed itinerary, financial arrangements and details for each family member. Review Premiervisa Group’s Australian Visitor visa service information to confirm the appropriate advice scope.
Official sources and verification date
20 October 2026
Comments