Assurance of Support for Subclass 115: What It Is and When It's Needed in 2026
What the assurance of support for the Subclass 115 Remaining Relative visa covers, who it must include, and when the Department asks for it.
An assurance of support for the Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115) is a formal undertaking, arranged through Services Australia, that you will not need to rely on government assistance after you enter Australia on this visa. It covers you and any family members who come to Australia with you on the visa, and you provide it when the Department of Home Affairs tells you to — not at the moment you lodge. This follows the Department of Home Affairs' Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115) page, read with clause 115.225 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
What is the assurance of support actually for?
Its purpose is narrow and specific: it assures the Department that you will not have to rely on government assistance after you arrive. It is not a character test, a health test, or a substitute for the sponsorship your Australian relative gives you — it sits alongside those requirements as a separate condition of grant.
That separation matters in practice. Your sponsor completes Form 40 Sponsorship for migration to Australia and must be aged 18 or over and a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. The assurance of support is dealt with under the Services Australia arrangements instead, and the Department's page directs readers to Services Australia for how an assurance is put in place.
Under clause 115.225, the Minister must be satisfied that an assurance of support relating to the applicant has been accepted by Services Australia. In other words, it is a criterion that has to be met before the visa can be granted, rather than a formality that can be tidied up after arrival.
Who does the assurance have to cover?
It has to cover the migrating household, not just the person whose name is on the application. The Department's wording is that the assurance is "for you and any family members who come to Australia with you on this visa."
| Person | Position on the assurance |
|---|---|
| Main applicant | Must be covered |
| Partner applying with you | Covered by the same assurance |
| Dependent children applying with you | Covered by the same assurance |
| Secondary applicants generally | Included in the main applicant's assurance, or covered by their own assurance |
For the secondary applicants, clause 115.325 of the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out that a family member must be covered by the main applicant's assurance of support or have one of their own. This is general information about how the requirement operates rather than advice on any individual case; the current official pages, and professional advice where your circumstances are unusual, are the reference to rely on.
"Family members who come with you" is not an open-ended category. On the Department's document checklist, a child can be included as a dependent child if they are under 18, or aged 18 to 22 and dependent on you or your partner, or over 23 and unable to earn a living due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner. A partner is included on the basis of a current marriage certificate or evidence of a de facto relationship of at least 12 months before you apply.
When will you be asked to provide it?
You will be told. The Department states on the eligibility criteria that "we will let you know when you need to provide the assurance of support," and it repeats the point in the after-you-apply steps: you need to provide an assurance of support when asked.
That has three practical consequences:
- It is not a lodgement document. The application is made on paper using Form 47OF, with the sponsor's Form 40 and payment of the first instalment, while you are outside Australia. The assurance request comes later, during processing.
- It is resolved late. Because it is a criterion to be satisfied at the time of decision, the assurance is settled toward the end of the assessment, once the Department is working through the remaining grant criteria.
- It is a separate notice from the second instalment. The Department sends an invoice for the second instalment after you have met all other requirements for the visa. The request for the assurance of support is its own instruction, so one does not substitute for the other.
The Department also advises that it cannot provide progress updates within normal processing times, and that you should not arrange travel to Australia until it has told you in writing that the visa is granted. Neither of those is affected by when the assurance is requested.
What if the assurance isn't in place?
Because the requirement is a criterion for grant, the visa cannot be granted until an assurance accepted by Services Australia exists for the people covered. The same page notes that the second instalment must be paid or the visa cannot be granted; the assurance operates the same way as a gate on the decision, not as a post-grant condition.
The bond arrangements and assurer eligibility under the Services Australia scheme are set outside the visa criteria and do change over time, so the current amounts and qualifying rules should be confirmed against the latest official Services Australia publication rather than assumed from an older summary.
Does the assurance replace the sponsor's role?
No. Sponsorship and the assurance of support are two different things, and both are required. Sponsorship is the eligible relative's commitment, given on Form 40 and subject to the Department's approval. The assurance is the separate financial undertaking described above. A family member who is a secondary applicant is covered by the main applicant's assurance or their own, while the sponsorship requirement for secondary applicants runs through the main applicant's approved sponsor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lodge the assurance of support with my 115 application?
No. The Department says it will let you know when you need to provide it, and repeats in the post-lodgement steps that you provide it when asked. Your paper application goes in with Form 47OF, the sponsor's Form 40 and the first instalment.
Does the assurance cover my partner and children?
Yes. The Department states the assurance is for you and any family members who come to Australia with you on this visa, so accompanying partners and dependent children are within its scope rather than needing separate arrangements.
Can a family member have their own assurance instead?
Clause 115.325 of the Migration Regulations 1994 provides that a secondary applicant is covered by the main applicant's assurance of support or has an assurance of support of their own, so both paths appear in the criteria.
Who has to obtain it?
The eligibility criterion is written against you as the applicant: you must be able to obtain an assurance of support. The Department's page refers readers to Services Australia for the assurance itself, and the bond and assurer requirements are set under that scheme.
Is the assurance of support the same as the visa application charge?
No. The charge is paid in instalments — the first when you apply, the second on invoice after all other requirements are met. The assurance of support is a separate undertaking about not relying on government assistance, and the request for it is a separate notice.
What if my family changes while the application is pending?
The Department asks you to notify changes after you apply, including the birth of a child and changes to marital or de facto status. Since the assurance covers the family members who come to Australia with you, any change in household composition falls within the changes the Department asks you to notify.