Your Ultimate Parent Visa Guide
Disclaimer: The information provided on our website or on any of our social media platforms is published for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information provided on our website or on any of our social media platforms about the migration regulations, policies and legislation is current as of the time it is published, and may be subject to change. Your use of the general information published on our website or our social media posts does not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and Inclusive Migration, and you should seek legal advice about your options from a legal practitioner or migration advice from a migration agent registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority before proceeding with any application.
The visa application charges and costs outlined in this guide have been updated to align with the increase in visa application charges which took effect on 1 July 2024.
Are you an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wants to sponsor your parent(s) for permanent residence to live with you (or live close to you, whatever your preference is) in Australia?
What are their options, what are the costs, and how long is it going to take?
Sponsoring a parent for a permanent visa in Australia is going to cost you anywhere from at least AUD7,190 to AUD102,700 in terms of visa application charges and can take anywhere from at least 14 years to 31 years to be finalised for new applications in the Parent Visa Program, so make sure you are familiar with the requirements and application process before proceeding with their visa application.
The last thing you want to do is to make a mistake in their visa application that could lengthen these processing times, or worse still, the refusal of their visa application.
P.S. Don’t be overly concerned about the lengthy processing times associated with the Parent Visa Program - keep reading until the end of this Parent Visa Guide for a “hack” that Parent Visa Applicants can utilise to spend as much time with their children in Australia as possible while awaiting the grant of their offshore Parent Visa application.
What are the visa subclasses available in the Parent Visa Program?
There are actually six (6) different types of visas that parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents can apply for which lead to permanent residence, subject to a number of requirements that vary amongst these visa subclasses:
Contributory Parent (Subclass 173) visa
This is a temporary visa which parents may apply for which comes with a pathway to permanent residence via the Subclass 143 Visa.
Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) visa
Parents may apply directly for this permanent visa or first apply for a Subclass 173 Visa before applying for a Subclass 143 Visa to break up the costs payable to the Department for the grant of the visas.
Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 884) visa
This is a temporary visa which aged parents may apply for which comes with a pathway to permanent residence via the Subclass 864 Visa.
Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 864) visa
Aged parents may apply directly for this permanent visa or first apply for a Subclass 864 Visa before applying for a Subclass 884 Visa to break up the costs payable to the Department for the grant of the visas.
Parent (Subclass 103) visa
This is a permanent visa that parents may apply directly for.
Aged Parent (Subclass 804) visa
This is a permanent visa that aged parents may apply directly for.
While it is generally more cost-efficient to apply directly for the Subclass 143 Visa and the Subclass 864 Visa (as opposed to first applying for the Subclass 173 Visa then the Subclass 143 Visa, or the Subclass 884 Visa followed by the Subclass 864 Visa), applying for the temporary and permanent Parent Visas in two (2) separate stages provides applicants and/or their sponsor with an opportunity to break down the costs and pay them in smaller sums over 4 relevant junctures across a number of years, as opposed to paying them in larger sums at 2 junctures within a shorter period of time.
A breakdown of the costs which are currently payable for the above Parent Visa subclasses is outlined below in this Parent Visa Guide for your general information, to assist you and your parents with deciding which Parent Visa subclass they should apply for.
Can I apply for a Parent Visa in Australia or do I have to apply offshore?
Broadly, the following parents can lodge an onshore Parent Visa application in Australia and be granted a Bridging Visa to remain in Australia until a decision is made on their visa application:
Parents who are appropriately categorised as an “aged parent”
“aged parent” is defined as a parent who is old enough to to be granted an aged pension in Australia, which has been gradually increased from 65 years to 67 years between 2017 and 2023*
Parents of any age who have been granted a Substituted Visitor (Subclass 600) Visa in Australia (e.g. cases where the Minister has intervened to allow them to lodge an onshore Parent Visa application in Australia)
Parents of any age who already hold a Contributory Parent (Subclass 173) Visa and are proceeding with a Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) Visa application in Australia
*Parents of these ages who are born in the corresponding years can appropriately be categorised as an “aged parent”.
An “aged parent” can accordingly apply for either an Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 884) Visa, Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 864) Visa or an Aged Parent (Subclass 804) Visa in Australia.
How long does it take for a Parent Visa to be granted?
It is important to note that new Parent Visa applications can currently take anywhere from 14 years to 31 years to be finalised by the Department, due to the capping and queuing arrangements which Parent Visa applications are subject to.
New Contributory Parent Visa applications such as the Subclass 173 Visa, Subclass 143 Visa, Subclass 884 Visa and Subclass 864 Visa are presently estimated to take at least 14 years to be finalised by the Department, whereas new applications for the Parent (Subclass 103) Visa and Aged Parent (Subclass 804) visa may take at least 31 years to be finalised by the Department.
‘Capping’ refers to the maximum cap on the number of visas that can be granted in each migration program year, such that Parent Visa applications are generally assessed twice during the processing of the application, generally a few years after lodgement for ‘queuing’, and then again when the application is being released from the ‘queue’ for final processing (i.e. in a year where there may places remaining in the migration program year for the grant of the visa).
A Parent Visa application will only be ‘queued’ where it is assessed as meeting the requirements at that time for the grant of a Parent Visa, and it will again be subject to re-assessment at a later date prior to the grant of the application.
For instance, the timeline of a Parent Visa application may be as follows:
These estimated processing times are subject to change and may ultimately be shorter or longer depending on the individual circumstances of each case.
Why is there such a big difference in the processing time of the Contributory Parent Visa applications and the Parent and Aged Parent Visa applications?
Contributory Parent (Subclass 173) Visa, Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) Visa, Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 884) Visa and Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 864) Visa applications are generally processed ahead of Parent (Subclass 103) Visa and Aged Parent (Subclass 804) Visa applications due to the significantly higher costs of the Contributory Parent Visa Program.
Note: These visa application charges are current as of 1 July 2024, may be subject to a credit card surcharge payable to the Department of Home Affairs and are subject to change.
While the visa application fees payable for the Parent (Subclass 103) Visa and Aged Parent (Subclass 804) Visa are essentially a fraction of the costs payable for the Contributory Parent (Subclass 173) Visa, Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) Visa, Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 884) Visa and the Aged Contributory Parent (Subclass 864) Visas, given that it takes at least 31 years for new Subclass 103 Visa applications and Subclass 804 Visa applications to be finalised, as opposed to at least 14 years for new Subclass 173 Visa applications, Subclass 143 Visa applications, Subclass 884 Visa applications and Subclass 864 Visa applications to be finalised, the Contributory Parent Visa subclasses are generally the best option for parents who actually want to have a chance of being granted permanent residence in Australia.
What are the requirements for the grant of a Parent Visa?
Broadly, the requirements for the grant of a Parent Visa include the following points depending on the actual visa subclass that is being applied for -
Sponsorship by an eligible child
Meeting the balance-of-family test
Meeting the health requirement
Meeting the character requirement
Not owing the Australian Government any money or having an approved arrangement in place to pay back any debt to the Australian Government
Be sponsored by an eligible child
All parents applying for the Subclass 173, Subclass 143, Subclass 884, Subclass 864, Subclass 103 and Subclass 804 Visas must be sponsored by an eligible child (i.e. a child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident usually resident in Australia or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia) who is at least 18 years of age.
Where the eligible child is under 18 years of age, an eligible relative or community organisation may also sponsor a parent for a visa on behalf of the child.
Balance-of-family test
All parents applying for the Subclass 173, Subclass 143, Subclass 884, Subclass 864, Subclass 103 and Subclass 804 Visas must satisfy the balance-of-family test, which is essentially met where -
at least half of your children and step-children are ‘eligible children’; or
there are more ‘eligible children’ living in Australia tan in any other single country.
A child is an ‘eligible child’ if they are -
an Australian citizen;
an Australian permanent resident usually resident in Australia; or
an eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia.
All other children (i.e. children who are not Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens and/or are residing in other countries) are generally considered ‘ineligible children’. In particular, children residing in Australia on a temporary visa are not considered an ‘eligible child’, and if a child’s whereabouts are unknown, the Department considers them to be resident in their last known usual country of residence.
On the other hand, children are not counted for the balance-of-family test (i.e. they will not be counted as eligible or ineligible children) if they:
are deceased
have been removed from their parents' exclusive legal custody by adoption, court order or operation of law
are registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees and live in a camp operated by the UNHCR
live in a country where they suffer persecution or human rights abuse and can't be reunited with their parents in another country
are stepchildren born from polygamous or concurrent relationships
are stepchildren under 18 years of age in relation to whom a parent does not have guardianship, custody or a parenting order in force under the Family Law Act 1975
Health and character requirements
All parents applying for the Subclass 173, Subclass 143, Subclass 884, Subclass 864, Subclass 103 and Subclass 804 Visas must meet health and character requirements. In particular, there are no health waiver provisions available except for Parent Visa applications lodged by Substituted Visitor (Subclass 600) Visa holders.
In light of the prolonged processing period for Parent Visa applications, it is important to note that Parent Visa applicants who may meet health requirements at the time of application and at the time the application is assessed for queueing, may potentially become ineligible for the grant of a Parent Visa in the future if they develop any health condition(s) in the intervening time.
What other options do I have if I don’t meet the balance-of-family test?
Parents who do not meet the balance-of-family test for the above Parent Visa subclasses but still want to apply for permanent residence may also be eligible for the Aged Dependent Relative (Subclass 838) Visa or Aged Dependent Relative (Subclass 114) Visa.
A temporary visa option, namely the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) Visa also exists for parents who do not meet the balance-of-family test.
What if I want to live with my children in Australia while my offshore Parent Visa application is being processed?
A temporary visa option, namely the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) Visa also exists for parents who:
do not meet the balance-of-family test;
do not wish to migrate to Australia permanently; and/or
wish to obtain a temporary visa to stay in Australia with their children while their offshore Parent visa application is being processed.
On the other hand, while parents who have already applied for a Subclass 173 Visa, Subclass 143 Visa or Subclass 103 Visa (i.e. an offshore Parent Visa) may apply for a Subclass 870 Visa to stay in Australia pending the finalisation of their offshore Parent Visa application, parents who already hold Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) Visas are generally not eligible to apply for the Subclass 173, Subclass 143, Subclass 884, Subclass 864, Subclass 103 and Subclass 804 visas.
On this basis, parents who wish to apply for permanent residence in Australia must first apply for the relevant Parent Visa which provides a pathway to permanent residence, prior to apply for the Subclass 870 Visa.
They can then apply for the Subclass 870 Visa, which is a nifty “hack” that will allow them to live with their children in Australia for up to 10 years while awaiting the grant of their offshore Parent Visa application.
What are the requirements for the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) Visa?
The Subclass 870 Visa is a temporary visa that can be granted for a period of up to 10 years, during which sponsored parents will be able to live in Australia with their children and travel in and out of Australia on multiple occasions.
They can either apply for up to three (3) 3-year Subclass 870 Visas, or up to two (2) 5-year Subclass 870 Visas, and this will hopefully help minimise the time they may need to wait offshore for the grant of their Subclass 173, Subclass 143 or Subclass 103 Visa.
Subclass 870 Visa Applicants must be sponsored by an approved Parent Sponsor, who must meet the following requirements:
be at least 18 years of age;
be the child (or the child’s spouse/ de facto partner) of the prospective Subclass 870 Visa applicant
be an Australian citizen, permanent resident usually resident in Australia for 4 years or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia for 4 years)
If you are sponsoring your Partner’s parents, your Partner must also be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
have not been unlawful or held a bridging visa other than a Bridging visa A, Bridging visa B or Bridging visa C during the last 4 years
pass the income test of AUD83,454.80
your taxable income for the most recent completed taxable income year prior to the date of lodgement of the sponsorship application must be at least equal to, or greater than AUD83,454.80. Alternatively, you can combine your taxable income with your partner or another child of the prospective Subclass 870 Visa Applicant who is also an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, as long as your taxable income is at least 50% of AUD83,454.80.
meet the character requirement
comply with sponsorship obligations, i.e.:
provide financial support and accommodation for the sponsored parent while they are in Australia. This obligation ends if the sponsored parent is granted a permanent visa
tell us if things change and if certain events occur. You need to let us know, for example, if you are charged with a crime or the sponsored parent dies. This obligation ends the day after you cease to be a sponsor
pay back all outstanding public health debts incurred by the sponsored parent in Australia. This obligation ends when you have paid the debt back or have an approved arrangement in place to pay it back. You must pay the debt back even if the sponsored parent leaves Australia.
Are Parent Visa applicants eligible for Medicare?
Only Parent Visa applicants from a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement Country who have applied for a Subclass 143 Visa, a Subclass 864 Visa, a Subclass 103 Visa or a Subclass 864 Visa may enrol in Medicare while their Parent Visa application is being processed.
Countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia include -
Belgium
Finland
Italy
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Republic of Ireland
Slovenia
Sweden
United Kingdom
All other Parent Visa applicants must generally wait until the grant of their permanent Parent Visa to enrol in Medicare in Australia.
How do I know which Parent Visa to go for?
The Parent Visa Programme can be quite confusing for laypersons due to the sheer number of visa subclasses that are available and the differences between each visa subclass. We recommend that all prospective Parent Visa applicants and their sponsoring children make an appointment to speak to us about their individual circumstances, so that we may assess your eligibility and provide you with advice on which Parent Visa you may apply for.
Noting how expensive and lengthy a Parent Visa application can get, we urge all prospective applicants to obtain professional advice about their migration options to ensure that they are on the right track and can make a fully informed decision before proceeding.
To discuss your eligibility for a Parent Visa, please email info@inclusivemigration.com.au or submit an enquiry using the contact form on our website.
As a final note, we wish you the best with your Parent Visa application. While we strive to provide our clients with affordable fixed rates for our services, we recognise that not everyone has the means to obtain professional assistance with their immigration matters, and we hope that this free Parent Visa Guide provides you with some clarity on the Parent Visa programme in Australia.
