Who can propose someone for a Subclass 202 visa in 2026?
A proposer for a Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) must be one of four things, and only one of four: an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation in Australia. That list comes from the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Global Special Humanitarian visa (Subclass 202) official page, as of the August 2026 version of that page, which states that an applicant "must be proposed for this visa by a person or organisation in Australia."
Two qualifications sit alongside that list. If someone is applying as an immediate family member of a person who was granted this visa, the proposer must be that person — no one else can stand in. And a person who arrived in Australia as an unauthorised maritime arrival on or after 13 August 2012 cannot propose family members under the Humanitarian Program, in line with the Migration Regulations 1994.
Does the proposer have to be a relative?
No. The eligibility rule asks who the proposer is (citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, organisation), not how they are related to the applicant. A distant relative, a friend or a community organisation can all be a proposer in principle, as long as they fall inside one of the four categories and are in Australia.
Relationship still matters enormously, just at a different stage. The same official page says visa applications for family reunion are more likely to be successful if the proposer is an immediate or close family member, because those applications receive a higher priority.
How does the proposer's relationship affect priority?
The department ranks Special Humanitarian Program applications into five priority groups based on who the proposer is. The applicant's own circumstances are not enough to jump the queue: "As all humanitarian applicants are in similarly compelling circumstances, the department is unable to expedite applications outside of these priorities."
| Priority group | Who the proposer is | Extra conditions on the same page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Immediate family member (partner or dependent child; or the proposer's parent if the proposer is under 18) who was granted a Class XB visa, or is an Australian citizen who held a Protection or Resolution of Status visa | Split-family criteria: the proposer was a member of the applicant's immediate family when the department granted the proposer's visa, the proposer told the department about the relationship before that grant, and the proposal is made within 5 years of that grant |
| 2 | Close family member (partner, child, parent or sibling), not holding a Protection or Resolution of Status visa | Applies where the split-family criteria are not met |
| 3 | Extended family member (grandparent, grandchild, cousin, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew), not holding a Protection or Resolution of Status visa | — |
| 4 | Distant relative, friend or community organisation, not holding a Protection or Resolution of Status visa | — |
| 5 | A person who holds a Protection or Resolution of Status visa | — |
So the practical reading is: almost anyone in the four eligible categories can propose, but a proposal from a partner, parent, child or sibling carries the applicant into a higher priority group than a proposal from a cousin, a friend or an organisation.
What if I already hold a 202 visa and want to propose my family?
Then you are the proposer, and the relationship has to be close enough. The official eligibility page offers a second pathway: the applicant is living outside Australia and is a member of the immediate family of a person who was granted this visa in the last five years. For the top priority group, "immediate family member" means a partner or dependent child (or the proposer's parent, if the proposer is under 18), and the split-family criteria must also be met.
A sibling is treated differently. Under the priority list, a brother or sister is a close family member, which places the application in priority group 2 rather than group 1 — still a relatively strong position, but not the split-family stream.
Who cannot propose, or may stop being able to propose?
Beyond the unauthorised maritime arrival rule, the regulations attach conditions that can fail over time. Under the Migration Regulations 1994, an applicant proposed by an approved proposing organisation must still be proposed by that organisation at the time of decision, and the organisation must not be a person described in regulation 2.07AM(5). Where the family-relationship pathway is used, the application must be made within five years of the proposer's visa being granted, and the relationship must have been declared to the department before that grant.
The regulations also describe the proposal itself being made on Form 681; because form numbers and lodgement mechanics change, the current version should be confirmed on the department's official page before anything is filed.
What does a proposer actually have to do?
The commitments are practical rather than financial-guarantee shaped:
- Travel costs. "The cost of the travel is your or your proposer's responsibility," and elsewhere the page repeats that you and your proposer are responsible for paying for travel to Australia.
- Assisted Passage. Toll Remote Logistics Pty Ltd (Toll) is the department's Assisted Passage service provider, a role that transitioned from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Toll can help with booking flights, obtaining exit permits and issuing the Australian Migration Status (AMS) ImmiCard, which is an ICAO-compliant travel document and an identity document usable in Australia. IOM also provides help, including travel assistance under its own program.
- Telling the department about travel. The applicant or proposer should inform the department of travel bookings so that an invitation to the Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) program can be sent before travel and settlement assistance arranged on arrival.
- Ongoing settlement help. The official page states plainly that "your proposer also has other responsibilities to help you settle in Australia."
An assurance of support is not presented as a standard requirement on the visa page. Under clause 202.227A of the Migration Regulations 1994 it only becomes relevant if the Minister requires one, in which case it must have been accepted. This article is general information only and is not personalised advice; because a proposal carries real obligations and humanitarian criteria are applied case by case, the official page and a registered migration professional remain the authoritative check for any individual situation.
Does the choice of proposer change the odds?
Indirectly, yes — and expectations should be set low either way. The department states that each year it receives more applications for resettlement than there are visas available, that the decision process may take many years, and that most applications will be unsuccessful. It also says it does not give processing updates. Choosing a proposer in priority group 1 or 2 is therefore better than group 3 or 4, but it does not convert a long, uncertain process into a fast one.
On cost: there is no visa application charge for this visa unless the applicant is proposed under the Community Support Program by an Approved Proposing Organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone on a temporary visa propose a Subclass 202 applicant?
No. The official eligibility page limits proposers to Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, eligible New Zealand citizens and organisations in Australia. A temporary visa holder who is not also an eligible New Zealand citizen does not fall into any of those four categories.
Can an organisation propose someone?
Yes, an organisation in Australia is one of the four listed proposer types, and the department's priority list refers to community organisations at priority group 4. Where an approved proposing organisation proposes under the Community Support Program, the official page notes that a visa application charge may apply — unlike the usual position of no charge.
Does the proposer have to be a family member?
Not for eligibility. A friend, distant relative or community organisation can propose, provided the proposer is in Australia and is a citizen, permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen or organisation. Family relationship affects the priority group and, in the department's words, makes family reunion applications more likely to succeed.
Who pays for the flight to Australia?
The applicant and the proposer do. The official page says travel costs are the applicant's or the proposer's responsibility, and repeats that both are responsible for arranging and paying for travel. Toll, as the Assisted Passage provider, can help organise flights and exit permits, and IOM may also assist, but neither removes the cost obligation.
Can a person who arrived in Australia by boat propose their family?
Not if they arrived as an unauthorised maritime arrival on or after 13 August 2012. The official page states such a person cannot propose family members under the Humanitarian Program, in line with the Migration Regulations 1994.
I hold a 202 visa — can I propose my brother?
You can propose him as a close family member, which puts the application in priority group 2. He would not meet the immediate family member definition used for the split-family stream, which covers a partner or dependent child (or your parent, if you are under 18), and the proposal must also be made within five years of your visa grant for that stream.
How long does a proposal take to become a visa?
The department warns that the process may take many years and that most applications are unsuccessful, with no processing updates provided. Priority group, application completeness and verification time all affect the timeline.