Sponsored Visa Assurance of Support

Visa Bureau is not affiliated with the Australian Government but is a website.

An Assurance of Support is a legal commitment by a person (not necessarily the sponsor) to repay to the Australian Government certain welfare payments paid to sponsored visa migrants during their respective Assurance of Support period.

Respective Assurance of Support periods are:

10 years for Contributory Parent Visa holders; or
2 years for all other visa types where an Assurance of Support is needed.

The Assurance of Support period commences on the date of arrival or grant of the relevant visa, whichever happens later.

The Assurance of Support scheme enables welfare costs for these migrants to be met by an Australian permanent resident or citizen, rather than the Australian community.

Required Assurance of Support

The Assurance of Support applies to the following visa categories:

For these visas:

An Assurance of Support must be provided before the visa can be granted; and
The Assurance of Support requirement cannot be waived.

In some other visa subclasses, a discretionary Assurance of Support may be requested if an applicant is assessed as being at risk of becoming a charge on the Australian welfare system. This request is based upon close consideration of the education, skills, employment history, English language capacity and age of the visa applicant and their sponsor.

Centrelink has responsibility for assessment of sponsored visa Assurance of Support applications.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will continue to determine:

Which visas should include an Assurance of Support requirement; and
In discretionary Assurance of Support cases, when an Assurance of Support is necessary.

To find out your eligibility for a sponsored visa, undertake the online assessment.

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