Proof of Funds for an Australian Visa: Exact Amounts by Visa Type
How much money each major Australian visa actually requires you to show, and how — student, skilled, employer-sponsored, partner, parent and business visas. Covers the Assurance of Support bond, the cash declaration rule, and when a migration agent helps. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 How much do you need?
- 0:13 Student visa:
- 0:27 Skilled visas: no fixed figure —
- 0:40 482 / 494:
- 0:50 Partner visas:
- 1:03 Parent visa bond:
- 1:14 188 visa: closed since 31 July 2024
- 1:36 No direct replacement:
- 1:50 What counts
- 2:01 Common mistake: snapshot balance.
- 2:13 Carrying $10,000+ in cash?
- 2:24 Complex funds?
- 2:38 Where to read more
Transcript
How much money do you need to show for an Australian visa? It depends entirely on which visa you're applying for — some have a fixed number, some don't.
A student visa needs $29,710 a year in living costs for the applicant alone — plus $10,394 for a partner and $4,449 for each dependent child.
Skilled visas set no fixed dollar figure at all. Agents commonly suggest $20,000 to $30,000 in accessible savings for a single applicant — a practical benchmark, not an official rule.
On an employer-sponsored subclass 482 or 494 visa, the department's financial scrutiny falls mainly on the sponsoring business, not on you personally.
A partner visa has no fixed financial figure either. What matters is whether the couple can support themselves — joint accounts, shared leases, and stable income all count as evidence.
A parent visa needs a formal Assurance of Support: a bond of $10,000 for the primary applicant, plus $4,000 for each extra adult, held for 10 years.
The Business Innovation and Investment visa, subclass 188, closed to new applications on 31 July 2024. Its historical thresholds ran from $1.25 million in turnover or net assets, to $2.5 million invested, up to $5 million for Significant Investor — none of that applies to a new application today.
There's no like-for-like replacement. The National Innovation Visa, subclass 858, is invitation-only and assesses exceptional achievement or a high-income job offer — not net assets or business turnover.
Across every visa type, the department wants three things: bank statements with transaction history, evidence of where the money came from, and everything in a formal banking system.
A common mistake is a bank statement showing only a snapshot balance, with no transaction history. Migration agents often recommend a currency buffer of 10 to 15% above the minimum.
Separate from your visa: carry $10,000 or more in physical cash into Australia, and it has to be declared to Border Force — there's no limit, just a declaration.
For complex situations — funds across several countries, business assets, multiple sources — a registered migration agent can help structure the evidence. Any agent used should be registered with OMARA.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- One visa has an exact figure. Another has none. (0:33)
- The parent visa bond most people don't know about (0:28)
- Carrying $10,000 in cash? Declare it (0:32)
Talk it through with a registered agent
Every agent on Migratio is on the official OMARA register. Compare agents and their consultation fees.