What is the Carer visa?
The Carer visa — subclass 836 (applying in Australia) and 116 (applying from outside) — is a permanent visa for a person who is needed in Australia to provide substantial, continuing care to a relative with a long-term medical condition. It is one of Australia's most misunderstood family visas: the medical assessment is done by Bupa Medical Visa Services on the Australian relative, not chosen by the family, and the whole category is capped and queued — the Department is currently releasing applications with a queue date up to 31 December 2023 (as at 31 May 2026).
At a glance (updated 20 August 2026)
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Visa charge | From $2,720 (both 836 and 116, 1 July 2026 pricing). |
| Type | Permanent — but capped and queued. |
| Queue position | As at 31 May 2026, releasing applications with queue dates to 31 Dec 2023 — a multi-year wait after the core criteria are met. |
| The medical test | The Australian relative's need for care is assessed by Bupa Medical Visa Services — a certificate the family cannot substitute. |
| The care test | The applicant must be willing and able to give substantial and continuing care that cannot reasonably be obtained from other relatives in Australia or from Australian services. |
Confirm current figures on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodgement.
How the Carer visa actually works
The relative's condition is assessed first. A medical certificate from Bupa Medical Visa Services must rate the Australian relative's need for assistance — this is the gateway, and it is independent
Then the "no reasonable alternative" test. The care must not be reasonably obtainable from other relatives in Australia or from local welfare, hospital, nursing or community services — the Department tests what alternatives exist, not just what the family prefers
Core criteria met → queue date assigned. Health, character and the carer criteria are assessed; applications that pass wait in the queue in lodgement order
Queue release → final processing. Places are limited each program year; the current release point is queue dates to 31 December 2023
836 vs 116 — onshore vs offshore
836: lodged in Australia; the applicant generally holds a substantive visa (or meets Schedule 3-type criteria) and receives a bridging visa for the wait onshore
116: lodged from outside Australia; the applicant waits offshore
The onshore/offshore choice shapes the whole waiting experience — work rights, Medicare access and family life during a multi-year queue — and is usually the first strategic decision.
Where Carer visa applications go wrong
Assuming the family can choose the doctor — the certificate comes from Bupa Medical Visa Services, on their assessment scale, or the application fails at the gate
Ignoring the alternatives test — a sibling in the same city or an available community care package can sink the case; evidence about why alternatives are not reasonable is the core of the submission
Queue shock — families expecting months discover the capped queue; the wait needs planning (visa status, work, travel)
Care evidence going stale — conditions, household arrangements and alternatives change over a multi-year queue; the file must be maintained, not filed and forgotten
Carer visa advice — Australia-wide
Migration Vision advises carer-visa families across Australia and applicants overseas — the Bupa assessment pathway, the no-reasonable-alternative evidence, onshore-vs-offshore strategy and the queue-years plan. Online consultations in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Carer visa cost in 2026?
From $2,720 for the main applicant, for both the onshore 836 and offshore 116, on 1 July 2026 pricing.
How long does the Carer visa take?
It is capped and queued. As at 31 May 2026 the Department is releasing applications with queue dates up to 31 December 2023 for final processing — so applicants should plan for a multi-year wait after the core criteria are assessed.
Who assesses the medical need for care?
Bupa Medical Visa Services assesses the Australian relative's need for assistance and issues the certificate the Department relies on. The family cannot substitute its own doctor's opinion.
Can the care be provided by someone else?
That is the central test: the visa requires that the care cannot reasonably be obtained from other relatives in Australia or from Australian welfare, hospital, nursing or community services. The application stands or falls on this evidence.
Can I work while waiting onshore on an 836?
Applicants who lodge onshore generally hold a bridging visa while the application (and queue) runs; conditions depend on the bridging visa granted. Get advice on your specific status before relying on work rights.
Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Updated 20 August 2026 — charges verified against the Department of Home Affairs 836/116 visa pages and queue release dates against the Home Affairs Other Family visas queue page (as at 31 May 2026) on that date. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.
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