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Do you have a brother? If you do, you already know how amazing they are. Brothers stand up to bullies and can be the shoulder you cry on. The bond that you have with your sibling is truly one of a kind.
So imagine living across oceans from them; it’s heartbreaking. If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you might be wondering if you can bring your sibling to where you are permanently.
While Australia does not have an open or automatic “sibling visa”, there are specific permanent and provisional visa pathways that allow eligible family members to migrate to Australia. You only need the right legal guidance to identify if your brother meets the criteria.
Let’s explore the different visa pathways to have your brother here in the Land Down Under. From the requirements and costs to processing times, we’ll get into the details to help your brother’s visa journey.
There are tons of reasons why you want your brother to come over to Australia and live here indefinitely.
Being able to live near your brother allows you to truly be there for each other during the highs and lows of life. Therefore, if you have the sponsorship means to have him apply for a visa, it can be very rewarding.
Talk to one of our Visa Experts Now.

When it comes to bringing your brother to Australia, your pathways depend heavily on his qualifications, your location in Australia, and your family structure. Here are the primary options:
The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa 491 is a dedicated points-tested pathway to permanent residency in Australia. This visa gives your brother permission to live, study, and work in designated regional areas of Australia for up to 5 years. After living and working in regional Australia for at least 3 years while meeting statutory requirements, he can then apply for permanent residency via the Subclass 191 visa.
To qualify as the main visa applicant under the Family-Sponsored stream, your brother needs to:
Be under 45 years of age.
Nominate an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
Garner a suitable skills assessment for that nominated occupation.
Score at least 65 points on the points test (the family sponsorship contributes 15 valuable points toward his score).
Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect and be invited to apply by the Department of Home Affairs.
Meet English language ability, health, and character requirements.
As the sponsoring sibling residing in Australia, you must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in a designated regional area of Australia. (Note: Sponsors living in major metropolitan cities like Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane are not eligible to sponsor under the 491 Family stream).
The Skilled Work Regional Visa provides a structured route to permanent residency. Just keep in mind it does require living and working in regional Australia first.
Another option to gain permanent residency in Australia is the Remaining Relative Visa (Subclass 115 for offshore applicants or Subclass 835 for onshore applicants).
This visa allows an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to sponsor their sibling, step-sibling, or child. However, it is designed strictly for families where the applicant’s entire immediate family already resides permanently in Australia.
Here are the strict statutory requirements under Regulation 1.15 that your brother needs to meet:
Because the Australian Government caps the number of visas granted annually under the “Other Family” category, demand heavily exceeds available places. The Department of Home Affairs currently estimates processing wait times of approximately 26 years for newly lodged Remaining Relative applications. Therefore, this option requires careful long-term legal consideration.
Another option is for your brother to initially visit Australia on a Subclass 600 Visitor Visa under the Sponsored Family stream. This allows him to enter Australia as a temporary visitor for up to 12 months.
It allows you and your brother to spend time together to see Australia and catch up with family.
Here are the important requirements for a Visitor Visa 600:

Navigating Australia’s visa system can be complex, especially when assessing family visa eligibility, occupation lists, or regional sponsorship requirements.
At Parish Patience Immigration Lawyers, our team of experienced legal practitioners and registered migration agents has assisted thousands of clients through every stage of the Australian immigration process. If you need professional advice regarding your brother’s eligibility and realistic migration options, we are here to assist.
Our team stays across the latest Australian immigration legislation, regulations, and departmental policy directions. We will review your family’s circumstances, help ensure documentation is comprehensive, and guide you through each legal step.
Contact our friendly Sydney team today, and let’s discuss the lawful pathways available for your brother.
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If you need to apply for a visa and want every aspect of your application process as smooth as possible, speak to the best migration lawyers in Sydney has to offer from Parish Patience. With the law firm’s long history of fulfilling dreams of permanent residency for our clients, rest assured that you and your visa application are in the hands of top immigration lawyers permanent residents and citizens trust, who will make it their sworn duty to fight for your case right from the start. Contact us today!


