Migrating to a different country can be a very stressful event in your life. There is a lot of uncertainty involved, lot of paperwork and bureaucracy, confusion, isolation but most of all, the pain of separating from your loved ones.

Usually, there are a few tips to dealing with the stress associated with international relocation:

1. Do not doubt yourself.
2. Stay organized. The process of migrating from beginning to end can be very confusing and there are countless details to remember. It helps tremendously to have a plan and a checklist of sorts to help you streamline this process and reduce much of the stress inherent in migration.
3. Get to know your new country. This removes the anxiety associated with migration.
4. Share your experiences. It is preferable to talk with other expats and learn what their experiences were like. Chances are that they felt the same way the first time they arrived in the new country.

However, these tips do not really manage the heartbreak of leaving loved ones. The process of bringing your partner or family to Australia should not be a one where the emotions mentioned earlier are present.

To that end, this article aims to shed some light on the process of bringing your family to Australia, if that is the cas. Family migration to Australia is where you can find more details that highlight a lot of the things from the rest of the article.

The Process of bringing your partner or family to Australia Permanently depends on if you are a visa holder, and the kind of visa you hold.

If you are an Australian Citizen or a permanent resident with the below visa…

• Training visa (subclass 407)
• Student visa (subclass 500)
• Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
• Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
• Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
• Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)

A subsequent entrant application can be made by the family member using Immi (immigration)Account if they were included as a partner on the original application. The subsequent entrant application can be found after logging into the Immi account.

If you are a visa holder…

The process changes if your spouse or family is visiting temporarily or permanently. Therefore, first identify if it is going to be temporary or permanent.

Then, check if your visa allows subsequent entrant (you can find this information on the immigration website) and check that you have also previously declared the members of your family. This means that some visas allow your eligible family members to apply to join you in Australia as subsequent entrants after you have been granted your visa.

If your visa does not allow subsequent entrants, your spouse or family will need to apply for a visa based on their intention in the normal way.

If you are a returning Australian bringing overseas-born family

For your children to get an Australian passport you will want to apply for Australian citizenship through descent on their behalf. You can observe for an Australian passport on their behalf after their citizenship utility is approved. Otherwise, they will want a visa to return back to Australia. Your partner or other family, however, will need a visa in the normal way.