Subclass 836 — Carer Visa — Australia — immi.wiki

The Subclass 836 Carer visa is a permanent visa for persons who are already in Australia and who are providing or intend to provide ongoing care to an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative with a long-term or permanent medical condition. The visa recognises the irreplaceable care provided by family members and provides a pathway to permanent residence in Australia for carers who cannot reasonably be replaced by professional or community care services.

The Subclass 836 is the onshore counterpart to the Subclass 116 Carer visa (offshore). The eligibility criteria for both subclasses are substantively the same — the key difference is that the Subclass 836 applicant is already in Australia, while the Subclass 116 applicant applies from outside Australia.

Carer visas are subject to capping and queueing. As at 31 March 2026, applications with a queue date of up to 31 December 2023 had been released for final processing. The carer visa queue is currently shorter than the remaining relative and aged dependent relative queues. For current processing information, refer to the DHA other family visa queue release page.

Core eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be in Australia at the time of application and at the time of grant
• The applicant must be providing or intending to provide substantial and ongoing care to an Australian relative (citizen or permanent resident)
• The Australian relative must have a long-term or permanent medical condition — assessed by the Department's medical officer on the basis of medical evidence. The condition must be such that it results in the relative requiring substantial physical care on an ongoing basis
• There must be no reasonable access to care available to the Australian relative other than from the applicant — no adequate professional or community care services that could reasonably meet the relative's needs in Australia
• The sponsor (the Australian relative being cared for, or another eligible family member of the carer) must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
• Health and character requirements must be met by the applicant and all secondary applicants

Medical assessment of the Australian relative: The medical officer's assessment examines whether the Australian relative has a genuine long-term or permanent medical condition resulting in a need for substantial ongoing physical care, and whether there is a lack of reasonable access to alternative care options. This assessment considers the availability of community care services, professional carers, and institutional care appropriate to the condition.

Applications for the Subclass 836 are lodged using Form 40 (Sponsorship for Migration to Australia) together with the applicant's own visa application. Applications are allocated a queue date on receipt.

The application must include detailed medical evidence about the Australian relative's condition, evidence of the care currently being or to be provided, and evidence that no reasonable alternative care exists. For current forms, fees, and guidance, refer to the DHA Subclass 836 page.

The Subclass 836 is a permanent visa. Holders become permanent residents of Australia on grant, with unlimited work and study rights. Holders may apply for Australian citizenship after meeting the residence requirements under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.

Holders of the Subclass 836 may include a partner and dependent children as secondary applicants. There is no condition requiring the holder to continue providing care to the Australian relative after the visa is granted — however, the application is assessed on the basis that ongoing care will be provided.