New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa (subclass 461)

You cannot be granted this visa if you are an Australian citizen.

You cannot be granted this visa if you are a New Zealand citizen.

If you become a New Zealand citizen during the processing of your application you can continue with the application, or instead withdraw it and apply for a Subclass 444 visa and be granted that visa if you meet the requirements.

Certain persons may not be eligible for New Zealand citizenship by descent.

For information about New Zealand citizenship, see the New Zealand government website.

You might be able to be granted this visa if you are in any of the below three categories.

You are a member of the family unit of a New Zealand citizen, who is not an eligible New Zealand citizen and who either:

• is in Australia as the holder of a Subclass 444 visa (they can check in VEVO)
• will be travelling with you to Australia and will be granted a Subclass 444 visa on entry (check Eligibility).

Note: Your New Zealand family member must have (or be eligible for) a Subclass 444 visa.

New Zealand citizens are not automatically granted a Subclass 444 visa.

To find out if your New Zealand family member already holds a visa, use VEVO.

You are in Australia and you meet all of the following:

• You hold a Subclass 461 visa or you do not hold a substantive visa and the last substantive visa you held was a Subclass 461 visa
• You are no longer a member of the family unit of the person in relation to whom you were previously granted a Subclass 461 visa
• You have not become a member of the family unit of any other person (whether or not you are still a member of the family unit of that other person).

You are outside Australia and you meet all of the following:

• You held a Subclass 461 visa when you last left Australia
• You are no longer a member of the family unit of the person in relation to whom you were previously granted a Subclass 461 visa
• You have not become a member of the family unit of another person (whether or not you are still a member of the family unit of that other person).

If you are outside Australia, you must also meet one of the following:

• You have been in Australia as the holder of a Subclass 461 visa for at least 2 years in the past 5 years immediately before you made your visa application
• You have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties with Australia that are of benefit to Australia. You must also have not been away from Australia for a continuous period of 5 years or more immediately before applying for this visa (unless you have compelling reasons for your absence).

For more information on family units see members of the family unit.

If you are outside Australia when you apply

You can apply for the subclass 461 visa without needing to hold another type of visa.

If you are in Australia when you apply

You must either:

• hold a substantive temporary visa, other than a subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream, or
• have last held a substantive temporary visa, other than a subclass 403 Temporary Work (International Relations) visa in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or Consular) stream, within the last 12 months prior to your application.

Otherwise, you will be required to meet additional criteria applicable to unlawful non-citizens and certain Bridging visa holders.

You and any members of your family unit who apply for the visa with you must meet certain health requirements.

We strongly encourage you to undertake any required health examinations before lodging your application. Lodging a complete application assists with quicker processing times. To complete your health examinations prior to submitting your visa application visit My Health Declarations(MHD).

.

You and any members of your family unit 16 years of age or over who apply for the visa with you must meet certain character requirements.

Other family members might also need to meet certain character requirements.

We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.

See what is considered as adequate health insurance.

See more about health insurance for overseas visitors.

Reciprocal healthcare agreements

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.

​If you are 18 years of age or older when you make your application, you must sign the Australian Values Statement unless we decide you are not required to sign it due to any compelling circumstances that you have demonstrated.

You should not have any outstanding debts to the Australian Government. If you owe the Australian Government any money, you must have made appropriate arrangements to pay it back.

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused, see Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia, see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

If you are under 18 years of age, we might not grant this visa if it is not in your best interest.

You might not be able to apply for this visa if you have a No Further Stay condition.

Check if this affects you.