The balance-of-family Test
Meet the balance of family test for your parents’ visas.
What is the balance-of-family test
All Australian PARENT VISAS need to meet the balance of family test.
This test will not be waived this test, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.
You need to pass the test if you are applying for one of these visas:
HOW TO meet the balance-of-family test
- at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, or
- there are more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country
What is the ‘eligible child’ and ‘ineligible child’?
A child is an eligible child if they are:
- an Australian citizen, or
- an Australian permanent resident usually resident in Australia, or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia
Besides, your child has been living in Australia for at least 2 years before you lodge your visa application
Any other child of the parent is an ineligible child. An ineligible child is taken to be a resident overseas.
Note: it doesn’t consider children who are in Australia on a temporary visa however usually resident in Australia.
What are the Eligible New Zealand citizens
You are an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrived in Australia on a New Zealand passport and were:
- in Australia on 26 February 2001 and were a special category visa (SCV) holder on that day, or
- in Australia for a period or periods totaling 12 months in the 2 years immediately before 26 February 2001, and returned to Australia after that day
- assessed as protected SCV holders before 26 February 2001
Check out this table see is you would pass the balance of family test
| Table 1: Examples of calculating when a parent would pass the balance-of-family test | ||||||
| Total number of children | Children living permanently in Australia | Children in country A | Children in country B | Children in country C | Children in country D | Passes test? |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | No |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | No |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | No |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | No |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Yes |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yes |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | No |