Debts to the Australian Government and Your 116 Carer Visa in 2026
Whether debts owed to the Australian Government, by you or family members not applying with you, must be cleared before a Subclass 116 Carer visa can be granted.
Yes — and the rule reaches further than most applicants expect. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Carer visa (Subclass 116) page, if you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back. The phrase "including those who don't apply for the visa with you" is in the Department's own wording, so a relative who stays behind can still affect your application. This is a standalone eligibility criterion, not a sub-clause of the health or character tests.
What exactly does the 116 Carer visa say about government debts?
The Department's eligibility list sets the requirement out in one short paragraph: an applicant must have paid back their debt to the Australian Government. The condition is satisfied in either of two ways — the money has been repaid in full, or a repayment arrangement has been made. The official page does not say the debt must have been cleared before you lodge, and it does not set out a minimum balance or a deadline.
Because this sits in the eligibility list alongside being a carer, having an approved sponsor, meeting health and character requirements and signing the Australian values statement, it is treated as a separate box that has to be ticked, not as something that can be offset by strength elsewhere in the application.
Who has to be debt-free — and why relatives who aren't migrating still count
This is the part that catches families out. Compare the three criteria that extend to other people:
| Criterion | Family members applying with you | Family members not applying |
|---|---|---|
| Health requirement | Must meet it | Might also have to meet it |
| Character requirement | Must meet it if aged 16 or over; others may be asked | Might be asked |
| Debt to the Australian Government | Must be repaid or an arrangement made | Must be repaid or an arrangement made |
For health and character, the Department uses "might" for family members who are not coming to Australia. For debt, there is no such qualification: the obligation applies to any family member, whether or not they are on your application.
Assume, for example, that you apply with your partner and two children, while another family member covered by the criterion remains overseas and is not included in your application. If that family member owes money to the Australian Government, the requirement still has to be resolved for them before your visa can be granted.
What counts as owing money to the Australian Government?
The official page describes it broadly, simply as owing the Australian Government money. It does not publish a list of qualifying debts, so it is safer to read the wording at face value rather than assume only certain categories — such as a health-related bill — are covered.
The Migration Regulations 1994 also frame the issue through the public interest criteria. Public Interest Criterion 4019 is commonly understood as the criterion directed at outstanding government medical debts, and it is applied to applicants who were 18 or over at the time of application. Regulations are amended from time to time, so the wording and any current exceptions should be confirmed against the official legislative record and the Department's current guidance before you rely on them.
Is a repayment arrangement enough, or must the debt be cleared?
Both satisfy the criterion on the face of the official page: paid it back or arranged to pay it back. An arrangement is therefore an alternative to full repayment, not a fallback that the Department may or may not accept at its discretion.
What the page does not do is describe how an arrangement is evidenced. That gap is worth noting when you plan your paperwork: whatever your situation, you should be able to show the current state of the debt at the time the Department looks at your case, rather than only what it looked like when you lodged.
When is the debt test applied?
The Department's step-by-step guidance makes clear that a 116 application is made on paper, using Form 47OF, and that you must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. The eligibility criteria, including the debt requirement, are assessed against your circumstances as they stand when the application is decided.
That timing has a practical consequence. Clearing a debt, or formalising a repayment arrangement, is something you can still progress while the application is with the Child and Other Family Processing Centre in Perth. If you did not send everything at lodgement, the Department's guidance is to provide outstanding material as soon as you can, and it will contact you if something further is needed.
One related payment is worth separating out: the second instalment of the visa application charge. The Department invoices this after you have met the other requirements for the visa, and the visa will not be granted unless it is paid. The Department may consider reducing your second instalment to nil if you can show it would cause severe financial hardship to you or to the person you are caring for — but it will not reduce the second instalment for anyone applying with you. That is a charge arising from the application itself, not a pre-existing debt owed to the Government.
How does this fit with the rest of the 116 criteria?
The debt requirement operates independently of health and character. Clearing a debt does not cure a health or character problem, and passing health and character does not excuse an unpaid debt. The same eligibility list also covers whether you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused, the Australian values statement for applicants aged 18 and over, and the best interests of any applicant under 18.
This article summarises publicly available criteria for general reference only; it is not personalised advice about your circumstances, and you should confirm your own position against the Department's current official material or with a registered migration agent or legal practitioner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a debt affect my application if I have never lived in Australia? The requirement is written as owing the Australian Government money, without any condition about where you have lived. Anyone who has had dealings that left an amount owing to the Commonwealth — including family members who have spent time in Australia — should check their position rather than assume the criterion does not reach them.
My sister is not applying with me. Does her debt still matter? Yes. The official wording expressly includes family members who do not apply for the visa with you, so the debt has to be repaid or covered by a repayment arrangement for her as well.
I cannot pay the full amount now. Can I still meet the criterion? Yes, on the face of the official page, which accepts either repayment or having arranged to pay it back. You should be able to show that the arrangement exists and is current when the Department assesses your application.
Does paying my visa application charge settle the debt requirement? No. The application charge and the second instalment are payments arising from the application itself. The eligibility criterion is about money already owed to the Australian Government, and both obligations can exist at the same time.
Do my children need to be debt-free too? The official page applies the criterion to you and to any family members, without an age threshold. In the Regulations, Public Interest Criterion 4019 is generally described as applying to applicants who were 18 or over at the time of application — confirm the current wording, since Regulations change.
What happens if a debt is still outstanding when the decision is made? The requirement is expressed as something you must meet, so an unresolved amount sits directly against your eligibility. The Department's guidance is to supply outstanding material as soon as possible, and it will tell you if it needs anything further.