Assurance of Support

Some categories of Australia's migration program require an Assurance of Support (AoS) to be lodged with the Australian Government before an application to migrate can be granted. This Fact Sheet gives an overview of the AoS scheme.
The scheme is a legal commitment by a person (not necessarily the sponsor) to repay to the Government certain welfare payments paid to migrants during their first ten years after arriving in Australia, (or after the grant of the relevant visa, whichever happens later).
The scheme enables welfare costs for these migrants to be met by an Australian permanent resident or citizen, rather than the Australian community.

Who can give an Assurance of Support?
Generally, an assurer who provides an AoS should be:
• an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident over the age of 18
• usually resident in Australia, and
• financially able to support the sponsored/nominated person/s and repay certain welfare payments should they be made to the people covered by the AoS.
An assurance can be provided by a third party who is not the sponsor/nominator.
Individual assurers are limited to providing an AoS for no more than two adults.

Children
As children under 18 years can receive welfare payments in their own right, an AoS lodged for adult applicants also covers an applicant's children.

Joint Assurers
It is possible for up to three persons to provide a joint AoS. Each assurer will be jointly and severally liable for any debt incurred by the assuree and recovered by Centrelink. If unsure about the obligations this may impose, it is recommended that independent legal advice be sought.

Financial assessment of assurers
Potential assurers are assessed to ensure that they are in a financial position to meet the undertaking made in signing the assurance.
They are assessed to ensure that they will be able to repay to the Australian Government any recoverable payments paid to the migrant during the first two years in Australia.
The intention is to protect potential assurers from financial hardship in the event that an AoS debt is recovered.

Recoverable payments
The following welfare payments are recoverable under the AoS scheme:
• Newstart Allowance
• Partner Allowance
• Youth Allowance
• Austudy payment
• Mature Age Allowance
• Widow Allowance
• Parenting Payment (Partnered)
• Special Benefit and
• Crisis Payment.
These payments are subject to change. Potential assurers should check with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for a current list.

Required Assurance of Support
A required AoS applies to certain visa classes which require the applicant to be sponsored (or nominated) by an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Assurances of support are required (or mandatory) for applicants in the following visa categories:

• Parent
• Aged Parent
• Contributory Parent
• Contributory Aged Parent
• Aged Dependent Relative and
• Remaining Relative.

Bond
For these visas, assurers must lodge a refundable bond of $10000 for the principal applicant and $4000 for additional adults on the same application with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
The bond is both a disincentive to welfare benefit claims and makes funds available for debt recovery purposes if payments are made.
The bond is held by the Commonwealth Bank for the ten year AoS period and is released by Centrelink at the end of that time, less any amount needed to repay recoverable welfare payments.

Required AoS income test
The assurer must demonstrate:
• sustained minimum taxable income over the two financial years immediately prior to giving the assurance, as evidenced by Income Tax Assessment Notices issued by the Australian Commissioner of Taxation, and
• evidence of continuing taxable income at or above the minimum income level set by Centerlink.

Discretionary AoS
In most other visa subclasses, a discretionary AoS may be requested if an applicant is assessed as being at risk of becoming a charge on Australia's welfare system.