How to Complete an Assurance of Support (AOS)

What is an Assurance of Support?

An Assurance of Support (AOS) is a legal commitment made by a person or organisation in Australia (the assurer) to repay the Australian Government for certain welfare payments made to a visa holder (the assuree) during a set period. It also commits the assurer to support the assuree financially so they don't need to rely on government payments.

An AOS is required for several visa subclasses, most commonly:

Parent visas (subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804, 864, 884) — 10-year AOS period
Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent Relative visas (subclasses 114, 115, 835, 838) — 10-year AOS period
Carer visa (subclass 116, 836) — 2-year AOS period
Certain other family visas — 2-year AOS period

The Department of Home Affairs will notify you if an AOS is required for your visa application and will send an AOS invitation letter to the nominated assurer.

Who Can Be an Assurer?

The assurer can be an individual, two people jointly, or a company. They must be based in Australia and meet eligibility requirements.

Individual assurer requirements

Australian citizen or permanent resident
At least 18 years old
Able to permanently reside in Australia
Pass the income test (assessed against the current financial year and the previous two financial years)
Currently assuring no more than one other person (maximum of two people at any one time)
Able to provide a bank guarantee (bond) of the required amount

Company assurer requirements

Proof of registration (active ABN)
Evidence of a current Australian address
Recent steady trading history (tax returns or a letter from a registered accountant)
Proof the authorised signatory can sign on behalf of the company
Listed on the Australian Business Register

Not meeting the income test?

If the intended assurer doesn't pass the income test, options include:

Adding a joint assurer — two people can apply together and their combined income is assessed
Finding a different assurer (no relationship requirement — the assurer does not need to be related to the visa applicant)

Do not attempt to manipulate tax assessments to inflate income figures — this constitutes fraud.

Bank Guarantee (Bond) Amounts

When your AOS is approved, Services Australia will require a bank guarantee lodged at Commonwealth Bank. The bond amounts (as of 2025) are:

Assurer type	AOS period	1 assuree	2 assurees
Individual / Joint individual	2 years	$5,000	$7,000
Individual / Joint individual	10 years	$10,000	$14,000
Company	2 years	$10,000	—
Company	10 years	$20,000	—

The bank guarantee works similarly to a term deposit — the funds are held by Commonwealth Bank and accrue interest, which is paid to the assurer periodically. For a 10-year AOS, the term deposit is set for 60 months and automatically rolls over for another 60 months.

There is also a $150 cash fee payable to Commonwealth Bank when the guarantee is set up.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1 — Receive the AOS invitation letter

The Department of Home Affairs will send an email to the visa applicant with a list of outstanding documents. The AOS invitation letter is typically found in the last few pages of the PDF attachment.

This letter is mandatory. You cannot submit an AOS application without it. Save it carefully.

Step 2 — Check your eligibility

Before preparing documents, use the Services Australia AOS eligibility calculator to confirm you pass the income test. The test considers taxable income over the relevant financial years.

If you don't yet have a Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN), you'll need to visit a Services Australia service centre to get one before you can proceed.

Step 3 — Gather your documents

For an individual assurer

Identity documents — refer to Services Australia's identity confirmation requirements
Centrelink CRN (if you have one)
Proof of residency status — citizenship certificate, or VEVO confirmation for permanent residents
Previous financial year income — Notice of Assessment from the ATO (available via myGov)
Current ongoing income evidence — any one of:
- Two recent consecutive payslips
- A letter from your employer
- A letter from your accountant
- A profit and loss statement (if self-employed)
The AOS invitation letter from the Department of Home Affairs

For a company assurer

Identity documents for the authorised representative
Proof of Australian address (active ABN)
Recent trading history — tax return or registered accountant's letter
Evidence the authorised person can sign on behalf of the company
ASIC registration or Australian Business Register listing

Step 4 — Submit your application

You can submit either online or in person.

Online via myGov

Log in to myGov and access your linked Centrelink account
Navigate to the AOS section and upload your documents
If you don't have a Centrelink online account, visit a service centre first to get your CRN, then link Centrelink to your myGov account

In person at a service centre

Download and complete form SU594 before attending
Do not sign the form beforehand — you must sign it in front of a Services Australia staff member
Bring all supporting documents

After submitting

Call Services Australia on 132 850 (Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm) one or two business days after submission to confirm all documents have been received and meet requirements. Do not wait — errors found early save significant delays later.

Step 5 — Respond to any requests for additional information

Services Australia may contact you by phone to request additional documents. If you miss a call with no caller ID showing, they will post a letter asking you to call back. Check your mail and call back promptly.

Step 6 — Complete the phone interview

The phone interview is typically the longest step in the process. It is conducted by the Services Australia AOS team to confirm you understand your obligations as an assurer.

What to expect: A staff member will run through your responsibilities. Answer yes to confirm you understand each obligation. The interview is straightforward — if you've reached this point, your documents have been approved and the AOS is effectively ready to proceed.

Tips to avoid delays:

Call 132 850 periodically if you've been waiting a long time, to check whether you missed a call
Consider lodging a formal complaint if the wait is unreasonably long — this adds pressure for the team to prioritise your case
The interview call can happen on a Saturday morning — do not ignore calls on weekends

Step 7 — Receive the bank guarantee invitation letter

After the phone interview, Services Australia will send you a bank guarantee invitation letter by post or email. This letter specifies the exact bond amount and the period. It will also confirm that the bond must be lodged at Commonwealth Bank.

If the letter is delayed, you can visit a service centre and ask staff to print it. If they are unhelpful, be firm — this is a standard service they can provide. Ask them to look in the Process Direct system under the customer summary tab.

Step 8 — Lodge the bank guarantee at Commonwealth Bank

Take the following to your Commonwealth Bank branch:

The bank guarantee invitation letter
Your identity documents (passport, driver's licence)
$150 cash for the establishment fee (card payment is not accepted)
Sufficient funds in your Commonwealth Bank account, or a bank cheque (not a personal cheque) made out to yourself if you don't hold a CBA account
Your bank account details for receiving interest payments

Smaller branches may require an appointment — call ahead to confirm. Morning visits tend to have shorter wait times.

For a 10-year AOS, the term deposit will be recorded as 60 months and will automatically roll over.

Step 9 — Submit the bank guarantee documents to Services Australia

Commonwealth Bank will give you two documents on the spot. Submit these together with the bank guarantee invitation letter to Services Australia — either by uploading via myGov (select "Financial" as the document type) or in person at a service centre.

Call 132 850 the next business day to confirm receipt.

Step 10 — Receive the approval letter (AL)

Services Australia will review your bank guarantee documents, finalise your application, and issue an approval letter. This will arrive via your myGov inbox or by post.

If the wait is excessive, visit a service centre and ask staff to contact the AOS team on your behalf — in some cases applications can be finalised on the spot. You can also email aos.processing@humanservices.gov.au with a summary of your situation.

Once you receive the approval letter, forward it to the Department of Home Affairs together with any other outstanding visa documents.

During the AOS Period

Once the assuree's visa is granted and they arrive in Australia, the AOS period begins. During this time:

The assuree is expected to be financially supported by the assurer and should generally not access means-tested Centrelink payments (e.g. JobSeeker, Age Pension during the AOS period)
The assurer is legally responsible to repay the government if the assuree does receive covered payments
Services Australia monitors welfare claims made by people under an AOS

The specific payments covered depend on the visa type. Parent visa holders under a 10-year AOS are typically restricted from Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, and JobSeeker for the duration of the AOS period.

If the Bond is Called Upon

If the assuree claims a welfare payment that is covered by the AOS, Services Australia will seek to recover that amount from the assurer. The bank guarantee can be drawn upon to recover the debt. The assurer is responsible for any amount up to the value of the bank guarantee. Amounts in excess of the bank guarantee remain a personal debt.

Releasing the Bank Guarantee at the End

When the AOS period ends, the bank guarantee is not automatically returned. To have it released:

Contact Services Australia (132 850) to confirm the AOS period has ended
Services Australia will notify Commonwealth Bank to release the guarantee
Commonwealth Bank will return the principal amount to you

If you don't actively follow up, the funds may sit in the term deposit indefinitely. It is worth calling Services Australia as the AOS end date approaches to initiate the release process.

Useful Contacts

Services Australia AOS team: 132 850 (Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm)
AOS email: aos.processing@humanservices.gov.au
myGov: https://my.gov.au
Find a service centre: https://findus.servicesaustralia.gov.au

*[AOS]: Assurance of Support *[BG]: Bank Guarantee *[AL]: Approval Letter *[CRN]: Customer Reference Number *[PR]: Permanent Resident *[ABN]: Australian Business Number *[ASIC]: Australian Securities and Investments Commission *[ATO]: Australian Taxation Office