Form 1149 is the official document that is basically used as an application for the sponsorship for a Sponsored family visitor. This form is a cornerstone of the Sponsored Family Stream for the visitor visa or the subclass 600 in Australia. Form 1149 is an essential document used by Australian citizens and Permanent Residency (PR) holders of Australia. Unlike other standard tourist visa programs provided by the government of Australia, the subclass 600 requires the sponsor to guarantee financial support and accommodation to the visitor they are staying for the entirety of their stay in the turf of Australia.
With more than 13 years of experience in helping numerous clients, BJay Education & Visa Services have drafted this comprehensive guide on Form 1149 to help you with the current migration scenes of Australia. This guide has been drafted with the latest data from Department of Home Affairs (DHA) so that you get all the information you require for successful application of Form 1149.
Form 1149 Australia
Form 1149 which officially known as the “Application for sponsorship for Sponsored Family Visitors” is an official document that is used by an eligible sponsor who is trying to sponsor a family member in Australia for a visit. This form is basically required specifically for the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) under the Sponsored Family stream. As compared to other tourist visa programs, the Sponsored Family stream requires you as a sponsor to carry all the primary financial and compliance burden for your visitor and hence the Form 1149 is used. By signing this sponsorship 1149 form you are assuring the government of Australia that you are responsible for the visitor’s financial and accommodation needs.
Key Features of Form 1149
Financial Guarantee
The primary reason that the form 1149 is used to make sure that the visitor is free from all the financial obligations while in the turf of Australia. By signing the form 1149, the sponsor agrees to be liable for all financial obligations for the visitor that include the following:
- Provide for all costs associated with the visitor which may include unexpected healthcare expenses.
- Liable for all the debts associated with the visitor to the commonwealth.
- Required to be liable for the security bond (Condition 8531) which is at AUD $5000 – $15000 as of March 2026.
Accommodation Guarantee
As a sponsor who is sponsoring a visitor in Australia and signing the form 1149, you are liable for the accommodation part of the visitor. You as a sponsor need to make sure that the visitor has an appropriate place to stay during their stay in Australia. While you are filling the form 1149, the DHA may cross-reference the address that has been provided in the form so make sure to have address verification documents like utility bills or lease agreements.
Compliance and Enforcement Guarantee
Form 1149 is an official tool used by DHA to make sure that the enforcement rules are strictly adhered to the visa conditions for the visitor. After signing the form, you as a sponsor are liable to be the guarantor of all enforcement rules being followed by the visitor. As a sponsor, you need to make sure that the following conditions are met by the visitor during their stay in the turf of Australia.
- Condition 8101: This condition basically states that the visitor is strictly prohibited from working and you as a sponsor are required to ensure that the visitor isn’t engaged in any form of work.
- Condition 8201: This condition states that the visitor under the sponsored visa is not eligible for more than 3 months of study with the visitor visa 600.
- Condition 8503: The No further stay condition on the visa basically means that the visitor is not eligible to apply for any another visa programs like partner or work visa while they are present on the turf of Australia.
If you want to know more about the Conditions more clarified, make sure to check the conditions webpage provided by the DHA.
Lawful Departure Commitment
Another significant role that you as a sponsor hold after signing a sponsorship form 1149 is making sure that the visitor departs the turf of Australia before the expiry time of their Visitor Visa. In case the visitor fails to depart within the specified time, you as a sponsor are barred from sponsoring any other family members for the duration of 5 years.
Requirements for the Sponsor Under Form 1149
If you want to be eligible sponsor who is trying to sponsor a visitor to Australia, then you are required to satisfy the following 4 pillars of sponsorship. With major changes in Australian migration scenes of Australia, the DHA can flag your form so make sure these criteria are fulfilled before you try to sponsor a visitor.
Legal Status and Age Requirement
- If you are signing the form 1149 then the DHA mandates you to be an Australian citizen, PR holder in Australia or an eligible New Zealand citizen (must hold a permanent visa).
- To be an eligible sponsor, you need to be 18 years or older at the time that the application for sponsorship is lodged.
Settled Status Requirement
To be a sponsor in Australia, you are required to have the status of “settled” in Australia in addition to being an eligible citizen. For the “settled” status, you need to be an individual who has been a lawful resident in the country for at least 2 years. In order to provide your settled status, you are required to provide evidence like driving license, utility bills for the last 6 months.
Eligible Relationship Status
The sponsorship for the visitor visa 600 under the family sponsored stream is strictly reserved for “Close Family” only. Hence, you can only sponsor direct sponsors under the form 1149 which includes direct relatives like Parent, child, spouse, de facto partner, brother, sister, grandparent, or grandchild and extended relatives like aunt, uncle, niece, nephew.
Clean Sponsorship History
As a sponsor, you are obliged by the actions performed by the visitor. In case you have previously sponsored someone then your past behavior as a sponsor affects the ability to sponsor someone. If your previous sponsorship was breached with various visa conditions (like worked illegally) then you are generally barred to sponsor again for 5 years. Another rule under the program is that you are not eligible to have concurrent sponsorships which basically means that you are not able to sponsor a new visitor unless your previous sponsorship has ended.
Form 1149 vs. Form 1419
In order to have your Visitor visa (subclass 600) successful, you need to make sure that you understand both the form 1149 as well as the form 1419. The primary difference between the 2 forms is that one is used by the sponsor whereas another is used by the applicant for sponsorship under the visitor visa.
The differences between the two forms are given in the table below:
| Feature | Form 1149 (Sponsorship Form) | Form 1419 (Visitor Application) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose of the form | Used to officially sponsor a close relative for a visit in Australia. | Used by the visitor to apply for entry as a tourist or visitor in Australia. |
| Who Completes It? | The Sponsor (Australian Citizen/PR). | Visa Applicant (Visitor). |
| Visa Stream | Only required for the Sponsored Family Stream. | Standard form for any Tourist or Visitor Stream. |
| Financial Liability | Sponsor is liable for the financial and accommodation of the visitor. | Focuses on the Applicant’s personal funds and the financial ability of the visitor. |
| Security Bond | May trigger a bond request ($5k–$15k). | No security bond is required. |
| Legal Undertaking | Required to make sure that the visitor satisfies all the enforcement and compliance according to the law. | Standard visa condition compliance only. |
Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Form 1149
With changes in the Australian migration scenes, the DHA now requires applications to be “decision ready” and avoid the lengthy delays that are seen in the recent trends of 2026. In order to complete a Form 1149 correctly, you need to make sure that your application form matches the goals that the visitor (applicant) has.
Step 1: Download Official Form
The first step in the process is to make sure that you have downloaded the correct and latest version of the form 1149 Australia which is given by the DHA. To make sure that the document is correct, download the form directly from the official site of DHA or your ImmiAccount portal. If you want to check whether your form is correct or not, check the bottom section of the form. If the design date on the form is 10/22 or later as of March 2026 then you are good to go.
Step 2: Preliminary Sponsorship Screening
In the first part of the form, you need to disclose the information asked in question 1-2 of the form where you need to disclose your previous sponsorship history to the DHA. In this phase, you need to indicate whether you are currently sponsoring someone and whether your previous sponsorship was abided by the laws of Australia.
Step 3: Details of the Visa Applicant(s)
After you have completed the screening section of the application, the next step requires you to fill out the details of the applicant(s). In this section (Question 3), you need to provide all personal details of the applicant like family name, given names, sex, and date of birth which are on the applicant’s passport. Additionally, you are required to provide the passport details, relationship details. In case you are sponsoring multiple people, you must provide their details then it is required that you provide it in separate documents and upload it in your ImmiAccount portal alongside this form.
Step 4: Your Personal Details
After you have filled out the information for the applicant in the previous section of the application, the next step in the application is to fill out your personal details correctly according to the question ranging from 4-15. In this section, you are required to provide your identity information, contact information, and proof of status.
Step 5: Provide Employment status
In this section, you are required to fill out the questions from 16-20 and are required to provide information relating to your employment status. In this stage, you need to provide information whether you are currently employed, retired, a student or unemployed. In case you are someone who is self-employed then you need to provide your ABN/ACN and business registration.
Step 6: Assistance and communication
After you have completed all the previous parts of the form, you will be required to fill out the questions from 17 to 20 in which you need to state whether you got assistance from anyone to fill out the form and whether it was paid or unpaid.
In the communication part, you are required to choose where you would like your messages to be sent. In case you have an Authorized recipient (unpaid) then you need to complete the form 956A and if you are hiring a migration agent like BJay Education & Visa services, a legal practitioner, or an exempt person then you need to fill out the Form 956.
Step 7: Declaration and Undertaking
This is the final stage in the application process and the most legally significant step as well. In this stage, you will be required to provide your declaration for your visitor and be obliged for your visitor’s financial obligations, visa compliance for the entirety of their stay in Australia.
Documents Checklist for Form 1149
As the DHA now requires you to have “decision ready” documents for your application process, you need to make sure that you provide each document listed below in colored high-quality scans. In case your document is not in English, you are required to provide a professional translation from an authorized body like NAATI.
The documents checklist for the form 1149 are as follows:
Personal & Status document of Sponsor
As the DHA requires you to provide evidence to prove you are an eligible candidate to be a sponsor for form 1149, you need to provide evidence about your identity, employment evidence and evidence of being settled.
- You need to provide color scan copies of your current valid Australian Passport or Citizenship Certificate or your Permanent Resident Visa Grant Notice.
- You need to provide evidence that you are settled in Australia by providing documents like driver’s license, utility bills showing that you have resided in Australia for more than 2 years.
- You need to provide your most recent paycheck or an Employment letter. Incase you are self-employed, you need to provide your Business Registration Certificate and evidence of your ABN/CAN.
Relationship Evidence
In this part, you need to provide documents for the 1149 form, you are required to provide evidence proving your relationship with the applicant. You can provide the evidence by providing the following information:
- You need to provide a birth certificate in order to prove your relationship with the applicant as a sibling, parental, or child relationships.
- You need to provide marriage certificate if you are sponsoring your spouse or stepfamily members.
- You need to provide family books in order to sponsor extended family relatives like aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews.
Applicant Documents
As the applicant to simultaneously submits the form 1419, you are required to have copies of the forms for your sponsorship records. You are required to have the following documents related to the applicant:
- You need to have a clear scan of the visitor’s passport
- You need to have a clear scan of the visitor’s national identity card from their home country.
- You need to have copies of the sponsors’ previous travel history and visa grants of the applicant in order to prove evidence of compliance travel.
Supporting Declarations
You are required to provide documents that support the declarations you have made.
- You need to provide a signed letter describing the applicant’s purpose to visit you in Australia with evidence like planned itinerary, accommodation details.
- In case you choose to appoint a migration agent or an authorized recipient, you need to fill out the form 956 or form 956A
FAQs
The 1149 form is the official application that is required to be filled out by the sponsor under the Sponsored Family Visitors visa program. By signing this form, the sponsor accepts the obligations of the visitor, which are financial obligations, accommodations, visa compliances.
No. If you are trying to sponsor your friend or cousin using form 1149 application for sponsorship then according to the official guidelines you are not eligible to sponsor fiancé, in-law, cousin, or friend under the family-sponsored visa programs.
In case that an officer from an authorized body requests you for a security bond, the amount is generally determined in accordance with the case. The cost is generally between AUD $5,000 to AUD $15,000.
To be eligible to sponsor an applicant under the family-sponsored visa program, you are required to satisfy the given criteria:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must have the settled status
- Must be an Australian citizen, a PR holder, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Must not have a barred sponsor condition.
Navigating the form 1149 in 2026 in the current migration scene of Australia can feel like a hassle. As it is more than just filling out a form, it requires a strategic partner who has a deeper understanding of the DHA’s requirements.
Why BJay?
Proven Expertise: With 13 years of experience in Visa services in Australia, we here at BJay Education & Visa Services have been providing tailored services to help you navigate through the complex migration scenes of Australia.
Expertise Team: Led by Mr. Jay Oli (MARN: 1570827), we have an exceptional team that is there to solve any queries and help you with your application. The team is well trained to provide the services that you may require assistance with.
Global Presence & Local Support: With offices present in multiple locations throughout Nepal (Putalisadak and Birtamode) and a head office in Sydney, BJay provides you with seamless support you may require whether you are in your home country or already in the turf of Australia.
End-to-End Career Support: We here at BJay provide you with the service that ranges from the starting of your career as a Chef in Australia to your final Permanent Residency (PR) Grant making sure no obstacles cause your application to be rejected.
Integrity Audit Protocol: At BJay, we perform a throughout check on every 1149 form cross-referencing your sponsor data to make sure that your application has a smooth sail.
Having troubles with Form 1149? Book a free Consultation with BJay!
