How Many People Can One Sponsor Bring Under Subclass 115 in 2026?
There is no headcount in the rules. Subclass 115 (Remaining Relative) does not say "one sponsor may bring two relatives" or "three relatives" — the number that actually binds you is the number of sponsorships, which is one. Under regulation 1.20K of the Migration Regulations 1994, a sponsor is counted together with their spouse or de facto partner, and once either of them has successfully sponsored someone in the 104, 115, 806 or 835 family categories, neither can sponsor again. The Department of Home Affairs' official Remaining Relative visa (Subclass 115) page, as of July 2026, sets out the rest of the framework: an approved sponsorship, no near relatives living outside Australia, an assurance of support, and health and character requirements. This article is general information about how those rules fit together, not advice on any individual case.
What exactly does one sponsorship cover?
One sponsorship attaches to one application, and one application has one main applicant. Everyone else arrives as a secondary applicant on that same application, and the sponsorship has to cover them.
| Element | What the rules require |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship count | One successful sponsorship per sponsor, shared with their spouse or de facto partner (regulation 1.20K) |
| Main applicant | One person, who must be the "remaining relative" of the Australian relative and must be outside Australia at grant |
| Secondary applicants | Members of the family unit who apply together with the main applicant, and who are covered by the approved sponsorship |
| Assurance of support | Must cover the main applicant and any family members coming on the visa |
| Outcome | If the main applicant fails, the people on the application fail with them |
The practical consequence is simple: there is no second round. If a relative is not included in the one application, there is no later sponsorship available from the same person to bring them.
So can one Australian sibling sponsor three brothers and sisters in batches?
No — and the batching plan breaks for two independent reasons.
The first is the sponsorship limit itself. Bringing three siblings over in sequence would require three sponsorships, but the sponsor has one, and their spouse or partner shares it. The second reason is usually fatal earlier than that: the remaining relative test. To be granted a 115 visa you must not have a near relative who usually lives outside Australia, and that test looks at you or your partner. Near relatives include parents, siblings, step-parents and step-siblings. So while two siblings are still living overseas, the third one is not a remaining relative — the siblings disqualify each other. The visa is designed for the last person left outside, not for a queue.
Note also that a near relative who is physically in Australia but on a temporary visa (including a bridging visa), or who is unlawful, still counts as being outside Australia for this test, unless they are an eligible New Zealand citizen. Relatives parked in Australia on temporary status do not fix the problem.
Could different relatives each act as sponsor?
In principle the sponsorship rule is per sponsor, not per family. Regulation 115.212 allows the sponsor to be an eligible parent, step-parent, sibling or step-sibling of the applicant, or the eligible partner of one of those relatives — and each such person has their own single sponsorship to spend, counted with their own spouse or partner. A change of sponsor is also possible before a decision is made, under criterion 115.222, provided the replacement sponsor meets the same requirements.
But switching sponsors does not solve the underlying eligibility problem. Whoever sponsors, the applicant still has to be the remaining relative at both application and decision, and the family still has to satisfy the health, character and assurance of support requirements. A different sponsor changes who signs the sponsorship, not who qualifies.
Who can be included in the single application?
Secondary applicants must be members of the family unit who apply together with the main applicant. The sponsorship must cover them (115.312 and 115.322), and the assurance of support must cover them as well, unless they hold their own.
This is where families underestimate the risk. The criteria do not stop at the people who want to migrate. Under 115.226A, family members who are not applying for the visa may still have to meet public interest criteria 4001 to 4005, and the casework guidance describes a "one fails, all fail" position: the main applicant cannot be granted the visa unless the migrating family members meet the public interest and special return criteria, and non-migrating family members also clear the public interest criteria unless it would be unreasonable to require it. A relative who is not part of the migration plan can still affect it.
Adding people later is narrow. The casework guidance refers to regulations 2.08 and 2.08A, which allow a newborn to join automatically and allow a spouse or dependent child to be added on written request. That is a safety valve for a genuinely new family member, not a way to run a group through in stages.
What else has to hold true for the whole group?
Everyone on the application must meet the health and character requirements, must have repaid any debt to the Australian Government or have an approved arrangement, and must sign the Australian values statement if aged 18 or over. Where the applicant has been to Australia before, the special return criteria also apply. The visa will not be granted if doing so would not be in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Two further points shape how many people realistically come. The applicant's status as a remaining relative must continue from application through to decision, so a marriage, a birth or a death in the family during processing can change the outcome. And the applicant must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one sponsor lodge two separate Subclass 115 applications for two different relatives?
No. Regulation 1.20K gives a sponsor one successful sponsorship across the 104, 115, 806 and 835 categories, and the sponsor's spouse or de facto partner shares that single allowance. Once it is used, neither of them can sponsor anyone else in these categories.
Does my spouse's earlier sponsorship really count against me?
Yes. The restriction is applied to the sponsor and their spouse or de facto partner together, not separately. A sponsorship your partner completed before you met, or at any earlier point, is still counted against you.
My partner and I are both eligible relatives — can we each sponsor one person?
No. The limit is combined, so a couple gets one sponsorship between them, not one each. The rule is designed to stop the same household being used twice for this category.
Can family members be added after the application is lodged?
Only in the narrow circumstances the regulations allow. A newborn can be added automatically, and a spouse or dependent child can be added on written request. Adult relatives such as siblings cannot be appended to an existing application.
What if the original sponsor can no longer continue?
Criterion 115.222 allows the applicant to change sponsors before a decision is made, but the replacement sponsor must satisfy the same requirements as the original. The replacement must be an eligible parent, step-parent, sibling, step-sibling, or the partner of one of those relatives.
Do relatives already living in Australia on a temporary visa help or hurt?
They hurt. The Home Affairs page states that near relatives who live in Australia on a temporary visa, including bridging visas, are treated as living outside Australia unless they are eligible New Zealand citizens. Siblings or parents on temporary status do not make an applicant a remaining relative.
Is there a minimum income the sponsor must show?
Subclass 115 has no fixed income threshold in the criteria; the binding financial requirement is the assurance of support, which must be accepted by Services Australia and must cover everyone coming on the visa. The amount depends on the people covered, so it should be confirmed against current official guidance.