Support person visas: grant order and separate applications on Subclass 602 (2026)
How the 602 grant order works: the patient is granted first, and each support person needs their own application unless they share a passport.
Yes — on the Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602), the patient's visa must be granted before a support person's visa can be, and each support person normally has to lodge their own separate application. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602) page (as at the August 2026 version of that page), a support person may apply if you are applying for medical treatment or to donate an organ, and "we must grant your visa first before granting a support person a visa." The Department can process the applications together, and the one exception to the separate-application rule is a support person who is included in the patient's passport.
Who counts as a support person on a 602?
A support person is someone who comes to Australia to support a patient or an organ donor who holds this visa. The Department's page states that a support person "can be a member of your family or another person such as a friend," so the relationship does not have to be a family one, and there is no requirement that the support person be a medical professional.
The corresponding eligibility criterion on the same page is that the applicant intends "to support a patient or organ donor who holds this visa." That wording matters: the support person's own reason for travel is the support role, not the treatment itself.
Under the Migration Regulations 1994, the support person case is clause 602.212(4) — the applicant provides emotional and other support to a person who meets the medical treatment or organ donation requirements, the person being supported holds the relevant visa, and the support person meets public interest criterion 4005. The Department's PAM3 procedures guidance also notes that the health standard for support persons is the full criterion 4005 rather than the narrower tuberculosis screening that applies to many treatment applicants.
Does the patient really have to be granted first?
Yes, and this is a sequencing rule rather than a queueing rule. The Department's official page says the patient's visa must be granted before a support person's visa is granted, but also that "we can process your applications together." In practice that means both files can be lodged and assessed at the same time, with the grant of the support person's visa held until the patient's visa is decided and granted.
The same sequencing appears in guidance drawn from the Department's PAM3 procedures, which states that a support person's application is decided after the principal treatment applicant's is granted, while still allowing the two to be assessed at the same time. Because the support person's eligibility depends on supporting someone who holds this visa, a patient application that is refused leaves the support person's application without the person they were applying to support.
Does each support person need a separate application?
Each support person must make a separate application unless they are included in the patient's passport. The Department repeats this twice on the 602 material — once in the support person section and once in the application steps, which state that "each applicant must submit a separate application, unless they share a passport."
| Situation | Separate application? | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| The patient applying for treatment or organ donation | Yes | The patient lodges their own 602 application |
| A support person with their own passport | Yes | Must make a separate application |
| A support person included in the patient's passport | No | Covered by the patient's application |
| A second support person | Yes | Each support person applies separately |
So a patient travelling with two adult children, a spouse and a friend on separate passports is looking at five separate applications in total, all of which the Department can process together.
Can a support person be added to the patient's application as a secondary applicant?
Not in the ordinary case. Under clause 602.311 of the Migration Regulations 1994, secondary applicants on this visa are limited to family members of a person who holds a 602 granted in the "unfit to depart" case (clause 602.212(6)), or of certain 685 visa holders — not family members of an ordinary medical treatment applicant. That is why the separate support person application is the usual route, and why relatives cannot be added as secondary applicants outside those narrow categories.
What else does a support person have to satisfy?
They apply against the same visa criteria as anyone else on a 602, adapted to their role. From the official page, that means meeting the health requirement and the character requirement, being a genuine visitor who intends only to stay temporarily and do what the visa allows, having access to adequate means of support, repaying any debts owed to the Australian Government, and not having a medical condition that could threaten public health or endanger the Australian community.
This article is general information about how the rules fit together, not advice about your circumstances or your application, so the Department's current page and a registered migration agent or legal practitioner are the places to confirm how it applies to you.
What documents and costs are involved?
For the patient, the Department asks for a letter from the treating doctor in Australia covering the medical condition, the treatment required, an estimated timeframe and an estimated cost, plus proof of payment arrangements; if the treatment is in a public hospital, the payment letter must come from the hospital's financial officer or administration department and confirm that no Australian will be disadvantaged. Form 1507 (Evidence of intended medical treatment) is also required where the applicant is in Australia and does not hold a substantive visa.
Funds evidence has a shared element: the official eligibility page says the patient must be able to cover "the expenses of anyone who comes with you to Australia (including an organ donor's expenses)." A support person applying separately still needs their own proof of adequate means of support.
On cost, the Department states the visa is free if you apply outside Australia, and that a charge applies if you apply in Australia, with concessions in limited circumstances and a free visa for applicants representing a foreign government. The amount is set out through the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator, and health checks, police certificates and biometrics may cost extra. From 1 July 2026 a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised by the passport used.
Where do you need to be when the visa is granted?
The rule follows where you applied. The Department states that at the time of grant you must be in Australia if you applied in Australia, and outside Australia if you applied outside Australia — which is worth planning around if a patient and a support person apply from different locations.
The visa itself can be granted with single or multiple entry, and the length of stay is decided case by case, with the treatment plan one of the things considered. A 602 cannot be extended; if more time is needed, a further visa application is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can two support people travel with the one patient?
Yes, the official page places no numerical limit on support people, but each one must make a separate application unless they are included in the patient's passport. The Department can process all of the applications together.
If we lodge together, will we be granted together?
The applications can be processed together, but the patient's visa must be granted before any support person's visa can be granted. Expect the patient's grant to come first even when the files move in parallel.
Our child is in the patient's passport — do they need their own application?
No. The separate application rule has one exception: a person included in the patient's passport does not need to lodge separately. A family member with their own passport does need to lodge their own 602 as a support person.
Does the patient have to pay for the support person's costs?
The official eligibility page says the patient must have access to adequate means to cover the expenses of anyone who comes with them to Australia, including an organ donor's expenses. A support person applying separately also needs to show they can support themselves.
Can a support person work in Australia on this visa?
The Department's page states you cannot work on this visa except under limited circumstances. Guidance drawn from the Migration Regulations 1994 links work rights to the financial hardship case in clause 602.212(7), which is a different stream from the support person case, so treat work as unavailable unless the Department's current information says otherwise.
How long does a support person's 602 take to process?
The Department does not publish a fixed timeframe; it directs applicants to the visa processing time guide tool, which shows times for recently decided applications and is a guide only. Applications can take longer if they are incomplete, if further information is needed, or if information takes time to verify.