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Does the 116 Carer Visa Let Me Work and Use Medicare in Australia in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Yes. As of the July 2026 version of the Australian Department of Home Affairs Carer visa (Subclass 116) page, this visa lets you stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Australia's public healthcare scheme Medicare, sponsor relatives, travel in and out of Australia for five years, and apply for citizenship if eligible. Because it is a permanent visa rather than a temporary work or visit visa, those rights come with permanent residence rather than with your caring arrangement. This article is general information drawn from the official pages listed at the end — it is not advice on your own circumstances, so confirm anything that turns on your situation against the current official pages or a registered migration professional.

What does the 116 Carer visa actually grant you?

The Carer visa (subclass 116) is granted so you can come to, or stay in, Australia to provide care to someone with a long-term medical condition who does not have reasonable access to care options in Australia. The person you care for must be your Australian relative who needs care, or your relative's family member who needs care and lives with them.

What matters for your first weeks in Australia is the status the visa carries: it is a permanent visa. You can stay indefinitely, and the rights below attach to you as a permanent resident.

Can I work in Australia on a 116 visa?

You can work and study in Australia, and you are protected by Australian workplace law. The Department's page points to the Fair Work Ombudsman's guidance on the workplace rights and entitlements of visa holders and migrant workers, which covers things like minimum pay, leave and protection from exploitation.

The same page directs holders to VEVO to see the conditions attached to their own grant, along with work and study entitlements. If you want to confirm your entitlement on paper before you accept a job — for an employer, a bank or a rental application — VEVO is where your visa details and conditions are shown.

Does studying count too, and are the free English classes open to me?

Study is listed alongside work on the same basis. Separately, you can attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program if you are eligible. The program is not automatic for everyone, so eligibility is worth checking before you plan your first term around it.

Do I get Medicare straight away?

You can enrol in Medicare, Australia's public healthcare scheme. That is the key difference between this visa and most temporary visas, where public health cover is not available and private cover is required instead.

One distinction matters for people who have just landed: Medicare and Centrelink-style payments are not the same thing. As a newly arrived resident you may have to wait before you can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits. Services Australia sets out the newly arrived residents' waiting period, and it applies to government payments rather than to Medicare enrolment itself.

Can I sponsor relatives once I hold the visa?

As an Australian permanent resident, you might be able to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia. The Department's visa finder is the official starting point for working out which visa suits the relative you have in mind.

Two things follow from this. First, sponsoring is a separate application: use the Department's visa finder to see which visa suits your relative and what that visa requires and costs. Second, the queue is a real constraint: subclass 116 sits in the Other Family visa stream, where demand exceeds the places available each year, so applications are subject to capping and queueing and processing can be lengthy.

What happens to travel, and when does permanent residence start?

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for five years from the date the visa is granted. After that travel facility expires you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter as a permanent resident, or Australian citizenship, which removes the need for a visa to enter.

Two dates on this visa are easy to confuse. You must enter Australia before the first entry date in your grant letter, generally set at 12 months from the date of grant. For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day you enter Australia on the visa — not on the grant date. VEVO shows when your travel facility ends.

If you travel on a New Zealand passport, tell the immigration officer at the border that you hold a Carer visa (subclass 116) and do not want a Special Category visa (subclass 444). Being granted a 444 instead may affect your eligibility for Australian citizenship.

What should I check before I start work or enrol in Medicare?

Three checks cover most first-week problems:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 116 Carer visa allow me to work full-time?

The Department lists work and study among the things you can do on this visa, with no separate employer or occupation requirement attached to the work right itself. You are also covered by Australian workplace law. Confirm the conditions on your own grant in VEVO before you start.

Do I have to wait before I can use Medicare?

You can enrol in Medicare as a holder of this visa. The waiting period that applies to newly arrived residents concerns certain Australian Government payments and benefits, not Medicare enrolment, and Services Australia publishes the details.

Can my partner and children work and study as well?

Members of the family unit can be included in your application, and family members who apply must meet health and character requirements. Once granted, they hold the visa in their own right, so check each person's conditions separately in VEVO.

Do I lose my work rights if my caring situation changes?

Work rights on this visa flow from permanent residence, not from a sponsoring employer. The Department asks holders to notify it when their situation changes, and VEVO shows the conditions currently attached to your visa.

How long can I leave Australia and still come back as a permanent resident?

The travel facility runs for five years from the date of grant, and you can travel as many times as you like within it. After that you need a Resident Return visa (subclass 155 or 157), or Australian citizenship, to re-enter as a permanent resident.

Can I apply for Australian citizenship straight away?

Not straight away — you become eligible after a certain time. For citizenship purposes your permanent residence starts on the day you entered Australia on the visa, so that entry date is the one to record.

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