Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115)

The Remaining Relative Test Explained

The core requirement for the 115 is that every one of your near relatives, and every one of your partner’s near relatives, lives in Australia permanently. A single near relative living overseas, or living in Australia on a temporary visa, is enough to make you ineligible.

When working out whether you pass, keep these points in mind:

• Your partner’s family counts. If you have a spouse or de facto partner, their parents, siblings and adult children are checked as well as your own.
• Citizenship does not decide where someone lives. An Australian citizen who usually lives overseas is treated as living overseas.
• Temporary visas count as overseas. A sibling in Australia on a student, work or bridging visa does not help you pass.
• Contact does not matter. Relatives you are estranged from, or rarely speak to, still count.
• Relatives who have died are not counted. You will need death certificates to show this.
• Your own dependent children are not counted as near relatives, because they can be included in your application instead.

Remaining relative test: three examples

• Example 1 (passes): You are single with no children. Your parents have both died and your only two siblings are Australian citizens living in Melbourne. All of your near relatives live permanently in Australia, so you may be eligible.
• Example 2 (does not pass): Your situation is the same as Example 1, but you are married and your husband’s mother lives in Malaysia. Your partner has a near relative overseas, so you are not eligible.
• Example 3 (does not pass): Your parents and one brother are Australian permanent residents, but your other brother is in Australia on a temporary skill visa. He counts as living overseas, so you are not eligible unless he becomes a permanent resident.

Because the test is checked again when your application is decided, a change in your family during the queue can affect the result. A near relative moving overseas, a new partner with family overseas or an adult child leaving Australia could all lead to a refusal.

Costs of the 115 Visa

Applicant	1st instalment (at lodgement)	2nd instalment (before grant)
Main applicant	$6,600	$2,065
Additional applicant 18 and over	$3,300	$2,065
Additional applicant under 18	$1,655	$2,065

Fees are government visa application charges from 1 July 2026 and are usually indexed on 1 July each year. The second instalment is only requested when Home Affairs is ready to grant the visa.

For example, a couple with one child under 18 would pay $11,555 at lodgement ($6,600 + $3,300 + $1,655) and $6,195 as the second instalment ($2,065 for each of the three applicants), a total of $17,750 in government charges. The Assurance of Support bond ($5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for the partner) is paid on top of this but is refundable. Health examinations, police certificates, translations and professional fees are extra.

Processing Times and the Queue

The 115 is part of the “other family” visa group, which has a very small number of places each year and is subject to capping and queueing. Applications that meet the core criteria are given a queue date and are then released for final processing in queue date order as places become available.

As at 31 August 2026, Remaining Relative applications with queue dates up to 30 June 2013 had been released for final processing. See our family visa processing times page for the latest update.

While you wait:

• you must continue to meet the requirements, including the remaining relative test, until the visa is granted
• tell Home Affairs about new passports, changes of address and changes in your family, such as a marriage, birth or death
• a pending 115 application does not give you any right to travel to or stay in Australia, so you would need a separate visa, such as a Visitor visa (subclass 600), to visit your family
• you must be outside Australia when the 115 is granted

How to Apply for the 115 Visa: Step by Step

1. Map out your near relatives. List every parent, sibling, step-sibling and adult child for both you and your partner, with the country they live in and their visa or citizenship status.
2. Confirm your sponsor. Check that your sponsor is eligible and that neither they nor their partner has held or sponsored a remaining relative visa before.
3. Gather your documents. See the checklist below.
4. Lodge your application and pay the first instalment while you are outside Australia, together with the sponsorship.
5. Receive a queue date. If you meet the core criteria, you are told in writing that your application has been queued. If you do not, it is refused.
6. Wait in the queue. Keep your details up to date with Home Affairs.
7. Queue release. When your application is released, you complete health checks, provide police certificates and your sponsor or another assurer arranges the Assurance of Support.
8. Pay the second instalment and receive your visa while you are outside Australia.

Document Checklist

For you (and your partner):

• passports and birth certificates
• marriage or relationship documents, and any divorce papers
• birth certificates for your children and stepchildren, and adoption papers if relevant
• death certificates for any parent, sibling or child who has died
• evidence of where each near relative lives and their citizenship or visa status, for both you and your partner
• police certificates and health examinations, when requested

For your sponsor:

• proof of Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizenship
• evidence they are settled in Australia, such as a residential history
• documents showing how they are related to you, such as birth certificates that show a shared parent

Documents that are not in English must be translated by an accredited translator.

115 vs 835, 114, 116 and 117: Comparing Relative Visas

Visa	Who it is for	Where you apply	1st instalment (main applicant)
115 Remaining Relative	People whose near relatives all live permanently in Australia	Outside Australia	$6,600
835 Remaining Relative	Same test as the 115	In Australia	$6,600
114 Aged Dependent Relative (838 in Australia)	Single, widowed or divorced relatives of Age Pension age who are financially dependent on their Australian relative	Outside Australia (838: in Australia)	$6,600
116 Carer (836 in Australia)	People who will care for an Australian relative with a long term medical condition	Outside Australia (836: in Australia)	$2,720
117 Orphan Relative	Children under 18 who cannot be cared for by their parents	Outside Australia	$2,475

If your parent is the relative in Australia, a parent visa does not help you, as those visas are for parents joining their children. But if you are a parent yourself and one of your children is settled in Australia, check whether you pass the balance of family test, as a parent visa may be a better fit. Our relative visa options guide explains each pathway.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Only checking your own relatives and forgetting your partner’s parents, siblings and adult children.
• Counting a relative who is an Australian citizen but lives overseas as living in Australia.
• Counting a relative on a temporary or bridging visa as living in Australia.
• Using a sponsor who, or whose partner, has already held or sponsored a remaining relative visa.
• Lodging without evidence of where each near relative lives, or without death certificates for relatives who have died.
• Being in Australia when the visa is ready to be granted.

Remaining Relative Visa 115: Frequently Asked Questions

My parents are overseas but are applying for a parent visa. Do they count as living overseas?

Yes. Until your parents hold permanent visas and usually live in Australia, they are treated as living overseas, so you would not pass the remaining relative test while they remain outside Australia or on temporary visas.

Can my sibling’s spouse be my sponsor?

Yes. Your sponsor can be your parent, sibling or step-sibling, or the partner of one of those relatives, as long as they meet the age, residence and settlement requirements.

Can I include my partner and children?

Yes. You can include your partner and dependent children in your application. Each of them must meet health and character requirements, and your partner’s near relatives must also all live permanently in Australia.

Is the 115 worth applying for given the long queue?

It depends on your age, your family’s plans and whether another visa is available to you. For many people, a skilled, employer sponsored or partner visa will be much faster. We can review your options in a consultation.

Is the application fee refunded if I am not eligible?

Usually not. The first instalment is generally not refunded if your application is refused or withdrawn, so check the remaining relative test carefully before you lodge.