Remaining Relative Visa Subclass 115 Australia

Because Remaining Relative visas are part of Australia's Other Family visa category, applications are subject to capping and queueing and demand significantly exceeds the number of available places each year.

What Is the Remaining Relative Visa?

The Remaining Relative visa subclass 115 provides a permanent pathway for an eligible person whose only close family members are in Australia.

If granted, the visa generally allows the applicant to:

• Live permanently in Australia
• Work in Australia
• Study in Australia
• Enrol in Medicare, subject to eligibility
• Travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of visa grant while the travel facility remains valid
• Potentially become eligible for Australian citizenship when the relevant citizenship requirements are met
• Sponsor eligible family members for Australian visas in the future, where permitted

The visa is intended for a specific family situation and has strict eligibility requirements.

Who Can Apply for Subclass 115?

To qualify for a Remaining Relative visa, the applicant must satisfy the relevant requirements concerning their family circumstances and Australian relative.

Generally, the applicant must:

• Be outside Australia when applying and when the visa is decided
• Have an eligible sponsor in Australia
• Be the brother, sister, child or stepchild of the sponsor, depending on the applicable circumstances
• Have no other eligible close family members outside Australia
• Meet the relevant health requirements
• Meet character requirements
• Meet sponsorship requirements
• Meet any applicable Assurance of Support requirements
• Satisfy all other visa criteria

The exact definition of a "remaining relative" is important and should be assessed carefully before an application is lodged.

Who Can Sponsor a Remaining Relative?

The sponsor generally needs to be a:

• Australian citizen
• Australian permanent resident
• Eligible New Zealand citizen

The sponsor must also be settled in Australia and meet the applicable sponsorship requirements.

A sponsor may need to provide evidence of:

• Australian citizenship or permanent residence
• Residence in Australia
• Relationship with the applicant
• Family circumstances
• Ability to meet sponsorship obligations

The Department's sponsorship form defines "settled" in relation to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen as being lawfully resident in Australia for a reasonable period.

What Does "Remaining Relative" Mean?

This is one of the most important parts of the subclass 115 application.

The applicant must generally demonstrate that their only close family members are in Australia and that they do not have an eligible close family member living outside Australia who would prevent them from meeting the Remaining Relative criteria.

Family circumstances are assessed according to the definitions and requirements in Australian migration legislation.

For this reason, applicants should not assume that having one brother or sister in Australia automatically makes them eligible.

The Department may examine the applicant's:

• Parents
• Brothers and sisters
• Step-relations
• Children
• Other relevant close family relationships
• Family members living in Australia
• Family members living outside Australia

A complete family tree and supporting documentary evidence can therefore be very important.

Family Members Who May Affect Eligibility

The presence of certain relatives outside Australia may affect whether an applicant qualifies as a Remaining Relative.

For example, an applicant may not qualify if they have another eligible close family member living outside Australia.

The exact rules depend on the family relationship and the circumstances of the applicant.

Because the Remaining Relative provisions are highly specific, professional assessment is recommended where the applicant has:

• Half-siblings
• Step-siblings
• Adoptive family members
• Children
• Deceased parents
• Relatives whose whereabouts are unknown
• Family members who are Australian citizens or permanent residents
• Family members living in different countries

Sponsorship Restrictions

There are restrictions on who can sponsor a Remaining Relative applicant.

The Department's current sponsorship documentation states that a person, or their partner on their behalf, who has previously been granted certain Remaining Relative or predecessor family visas may be prevented from sponsoring another Remaining Relative applicant.

There are also restrictions where a person has previously sponsored or nominated a successful applicant for certain Remaining Relative or predecessor family visas.

This should be checked before relying on a particular Australian relative as the sponsor.

Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support (AoS) may be required for the Remaining Relative visa.

An Assurance of Support is designed to help ensure that a visa holder will not need to rely on certain Australian social security payments during the relevant period.

Services Australia assesses Assurance of Support applications and manages the associated bond arrangements where a refundable bond is required.

The AoS requirements should be considered separately from the visa application requirements.

Health Requirements

Applicants must meet Australia's applicable health requirements.

Health examinations may be required depending on the applicant's circumstances.

Australia's health requirement is designed to protect the Australian community and manage potential impacts on Australian healthcare and community services.

Family members may also be required to meet health requirements even if they are not applying for the visa themselves, depending on the circumstances.

Character Requirements

Applicants must satisfy Australia's character requirements.

The Department may require:

• Police certificates
• Character declarations
• Military records
• Additional character information
• Other documents depending on the applicant's circumstances

Applicants must truthfully declare relevant criminal conduct and provide requested information.

Documents Required for Subclass 115

A Remaining Relative visa application may require substantial documentary evidence.

Applicant identity documents

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• National identity documents, where applicable
• Evidence of name changes
• Marriage or relationship documents, where applicable
• Passport photographs, where required

Family relationship evidence

Depending on the circumstances:

• Birth certificates
• Parents' birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Adoption documents
• Step-family evidence
• Official family records
• Death certificates

Evidence of family circumstances

The applicant may need to provide evidence concerning:

• Parents
• Brothers and sisters
• Children
• Step-relations
• Family members living outside Australia
• Family members living in Australia

Sponsor documents

The sponsor may need to provide:

• Australian citizenship evidence
• Permanent residence evidence
• Eligible New Zealand citizenship evidence, where applicable
• Evidence of residence in Australia
• Evidence of relationship to the applicant
• Sponsorship documents

Other documents

Depending on the application:

• Police certificates
• Health examination evidence
• Assurance of Support documentation
• Financial documents
• Other documents requested by the Department

Documents that are not in English should be translated according to the Department's requirements.

Remaining Relative Visa Application Process

Step 1 – Assess your family circumstances

The first step is to determine whether the applicant genuinely meets the Remaining Relative criteria.

A complete family tree should be prepared.

Step 2 – Confirm the Australian sponsor

Confirm that the proposed sponsor is an eligible Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and meets the settlement and sponsorship requirements.

Step 3 – Gather relationship evidence

Collect official documents proving the relationship between the applicant and sponsor and establishing the applicant's wider family circumstances.

Step 4 – Check health and character requirements

Determine which health examinations and character documents are required.

Step 5 – Prepare the application

Complete the relevant visa application and sponsorship documentation carefully.

Step 6 – Lodge the application

Subclass 115 is an offshore Remaining Relative visa. The applicant must satisfy the relevant location requirements at the time of application and visa decision.

Step 7 – Core assessment and queue date

The Department assesses a valid application against the core visa criteria.

Applications that meet the core requirements can be assigned a queue date and placed into the Other Family visa queue.

If the application does not meet the core criteria required for queue placement, it may be refused.

Step 8 – Final processing

When a place becomes available and the application reaches the relevant queue release point, the Department can undertake final processing and make a visa decision.

Remaining Relative Visa Processing Time

This is one of the most important considerations for subclass 115 applicants.

The Remaining Relative visa is subject to capping and queueing. The number of applications exceeds the number of places available each year.

As at 31 May 2026, the Department reported that Remaining Relative visa applications with a queue date up to 30 June 2013 had been released for final processing.

For new Remaining Relative applications, the Department currently provides an estimated processing timeframe of approximately 22 years.

This is only an estimate and does not guarantee that an individual application will be decided within that period. Processing can change because of migration program planning levels, application numbers, withdrawals, refusals, processing directions and other factors.

Applicants should therefore consider alternative family or migration pathways where they may be eligible.

Remaining Relative Visa Cost

Visa application charges can change, so applicants should check the current Department of Home Affairs pricing information before lodging.

Additional costs may include:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Document translation
• Biometrics, where applicable
• Assurance of Support-related costs
• Professional migration assistance, if engaged

Government charges and professional service fees are separate.

Subclass 115 vs Subclass 835

Australia has two Remaining Relative visa pathways:

Subclass 115 is the offshore pathway, while subclass 835 is the onshore Remaining Relative pathway. Both are subject to the Other Family visa capping and queueing arrangements.

Remaining Relative Visa vs Other Family Visas

Depending on your circumstances, other family pathways may be more appropriate.

These can include:

• Aged Dependent Relative visa
• Carer visa
• Parent visas
• Child visas
• Partner visas
• Sponsored Parent Temporary visa

The correct visa depends on the relationship, age, location, dependency and individual circumstances.

Why Professional Advice Is Important

Remaining Relative applications can be particularly complex because eligibility depends heavily on the applicant's entire family structure, not simply their relationship with the Australian sponsor.

Professional assessment can help with:

• Family relationship assessment
• Remaining Relative eligibility
• Sponsor eligibility
• Family tree preparation
• Documentary evidence
• Health and character requirements
• Assurance of Support considerations
• Alternative visa options
• Application preparation
• Department correspondence

Get Help With a Remaining Relative Visa

If your only close family members are in Australia and you are considering the Remaining Relative visa subclass 115, it is important to assess your complete family circumstances before lodging an application.

The Visa and Education Services Pty Ltd provides personalised Australian family migration assistance through Registered Migration Agent Navneet Kaur (MARN 2318181).

We can help you understand whether subclass 115 may be suitable and whether another Australian family or migration pathway may be available.

Contact us for a personalised assessment of your family visa options.

Important Disclaimer

Australian migration legislation, visa requirements, application charges, processing arrangements and migration program settings can change. This page provides general information only and does not constitute migration or legal advice. Eligibility must be assessed according to the applicant's individual circumstances and the requirements applicable at the time of application.