Assurance of Support for Australia Parent Visas: The Complete Guide

The Assurance of Support is the financial guarantee that sits between your parent's approved application and the actual visa grant. Most families know it exists, but the details — how the income test is calculated, what the bond actually covers, and what happens if the parent uses any social services — are poorly understood until they're relevant.

Getting the AoS wrong at the end of a 12-to-15-year wait is not a risk anyone should take. This post covers how the system works in full.

What the Assurance of Support Is

The Assurance of Support (AoS) is a legal commitment, processed through Services Australia (Centrelink), in which the assurer — usually the sponsoring child — undertakes to financially support the parent for a defined period and to repay any "recoverable" social security payments made to the parent during that time.

It is managed by Services Australia, not the Department of Home Affairs. This matters because many families treat the AoS as an extension of the visa process. It is actually a separate welfare-system process with its own income test, its own documentation requirements, and its own timeline.

The AoS must be approved and the bond lodged before the Department will grant the permanent visa. It is one of the final steps in the process, triggered by a Departmental request when the application nears the front of the queue.

The Bond

The assurer is required to lodge a financial bond — a term deposit — at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The bond amounts are:

For a couple applying for a Subclass 143, the total bond is $14,000. This money is not lost — it is held in a term deposit and returned after the AoS period ends, provided no recoverable welfare payments were made during that time.

The AoS period is:

• 10 years for contributory parent visas (143, 864)
• 2 to 4 years for non-contributory parent visas (103, 804)

What "Recoverable Payments" Means

This is where families most often misunderstand the system. The bond is only at risk if the parent receives specific social security payments during the AoS period. The recoverable payments include:

• JobSeeker Payment
• Youth Allowance
• Special Benefit
• Some other income support payments

The following are not recoverable and do not affect the bond:

• Medicare — full access on grant, never at risk
• Aged Care subsidies — once the parent becomes eligible
• Age Pension — once the 10-year residency requirement is met

For most retired parents with no plans to seek employment-related payments, the bond is effectively free money that sits in a term deposit for a decade and then comes back. The risk is real but narrow: it applies primarily to parents who might need income support during a period of financial difficulty.

The Income Test

The assurer must meet a minimum income threshold to be eligible. Unlike the Subclass 870's simple income requirement, the AoS income test is calculated using a formula based on the social security system — specifically, on the JobSeeker Payment rates. The calculation accounts for the size of the assurer's family unit plus the parents being sponsored.

As a practical guide for 2026:

• A single assurer with no dependants sponsoring one parent: approximately $40,000–$45,000 annual taxable income required
• A single assurer with no dependants sponsoring two parents: approximately $58,000–$60,000 required
• A married assurer with two children sponsoring two parents: approximately $85,000–$90,000 required

These are approximate figures derived from the Services Australia formula. The exact threshold depends on the specific JobSeeker rates applicable in the year the AoS is processed, which are indexed annually.

Services Australia calculates the threshold based on:

• The assurer's own living costs (as a single or partnered person)
• Any dependant children in the household
• The cost of supporting each additional adult sponsored parent

The Two-Year Documentation Requirement

The assurer must provide three years of Notices of Assessment from the Australian Taxation Office when applying for the AoS. This is the primary way Services Australia verifies the assurer's income.

This creates a timing problem for sponsors who:

• Are self-employed and have not yet completed their most recent tax return
• Have recently taken a career break or reduced their working hours
• Have fluctuating income due to the nature of their work (contracting, commission-based roles)

If the most recent Notice of Assessment reflects a year with below-threshold income, the AoS application may be declined even if the assurer's current income is well above the threshold. Services Australia does have discretion to accept alternative evidence of current income (payslips, bank statements), but this is at the officer's discretion and should not be relied upon without guidance.

The practical implication: sponsors should ensure their tax returns are filed promptly and that they have at least two to three consecutive years of above-threshold income in their ATO records before the AoS request arrives. For sponsors approaching a career transition or expecting reduced income, timing matters.

Joint Assurers

If a single sponsor cannot meet the income threshold on their own, up to three people can form a joint AoS arrangement. The most common scenario is two siblings who jointly assure their parent. Their combined incomes are assessed against the threshold.

Joint assurers take on joint legal liability for the recoverable payments. If the parent claims a recoverable welfare payment, both assurers are pursued for repayment. This arrangement is permissible but should be entered into with full understanding of the shared obligation.

The co-assurer does not need to be related to the parent — it could be a de facto partner of the sponsor, another family member, or a friend. However, they must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, be over 18, and not have any outstanding debts to the Commonwealth.

When the AoS Is Triggered

The AoS process is not initiated at the time of visa application. It is triggered by a request from the Department of Home Affairs when the application nears the front of the queue — which means it happens 12 to 15 years after lodgment for a Subclass 143.

The timing is important because the income test is based on recent financial evidence, not evidence from the time of application. A sponsor who was earning well above the threshold at the time of lodgment but has since changed careers or reduced hours needs to ensure their income position is adequate when the AoS request actually arrives.

Processing the AoS

Once the Department requests the AoS, the assurer contacts Services Australia to lodge the application. The process involves:

1. Completing the AoS application form with Services Australia
2. Providing three years of Notices of Assessment and identity documents
3. Having the bond amount available to lodge at the Commonwealth Bank
4. Waiting for Services Australia to issue an "AoS reference number," which is then provided to the Department

Services Australia processing typically takes several weeks. The Department will not grant the visa until the AoS is approved and the reference number is provided.

What Happens at the End of the AoS Period

After 10 years (for contributory visas), the AoS period expires. Services Australia releases the bond and returns it to the assurer. The parent is no longer subject to the AoS, meaning any future social security claims — including the Age Pension, which may now be accessible after 10 years of residence — are not recoverable.

If the parent claimed recoverable payments during the period, Services Australia will deduct the amount from the bond. If the claims exceeded the bond amount, the assurer remains liable for the balance.

For detailed scenario modeling of the AoS income test for specific family situations, the Australia Parent Visa Guide includes a worked calculation tool and guidance on how to document your income position effectively.

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