Primary criteria
Statutory definition
Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out, for each visa subclass, the primary criteria (which the primary applicant must meet) and the secondary criteria (which secondary applicants — members of the family unit — must meet). In some subclasses, secondary applicants need only meet basic requirements (health, character, no debt to Commonwealth) rather than the substantive primary criteria.
Explanation
Primary criteria are the substantive requirements for the main visa applicant: skills, qualifications, work experience, English language, age, and so on. Only the primary applicant is required to meet these criteria. Members of the family unit who are included as secondary applicants are assessed against the simpler secondary criteria. In combined applications (such as partner visas), both applicants may be primary applicants against their respective criteria.