Parent Visas are for parents who have a child that is either an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wishes to sponsor them.

Who can apply for the Parent Visa?

There are two different categories and options of Parent Visa subclasses: contributory and non-contributory.

Non-contributory Parent Visas

These visas are both high in demand and have a low processing priority with the Australian Government, and so there is a limitation on how many of these Parent Visas that are granted each year.

Based on current planning levels, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website advises wait times of up to 30 years for anyone applying for a non-contributory parent visa.

Another option available is for prospective parent visa applications are the more expensive contributory parent visas.

Contributory Parent Visas

There are two different subclasses of contributory parent visas:

• Subclass 173 Temporary Visa or Subclass 143 Permanent Visa, both of which are available for parents of any age
• Subclass 884 Temporary Visa or Subclass 864 Permanent Visa, applicable for parents of pension age

Applicants can apply for the temporary visa first, then following on from the two year period since grant, they can then apply for the permanent visa and then pay the higher application fee. The benefit of this option is to stagger the costs.

Before the visa can be granted, applicants will also need to organise an assurance of support bond.

How do I qualify for a Parent Visa?

To be able to apply for a Parent visa, applicants must have a child who is settled in Australia and an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand Citizen, and who wishes to sponsor them.

To be considered as “settled”, the sponsoring child must have been living in Australia for at least 2 years, however shorter periods of residency may be considering based on compassionate and compelling circumstances.

Balance of Family Test

Applicants must also pass the Balance of Family test, to demonstrate that half or more of their children live in Australia, or that more of their children reside in Australian than any other country.

Health and Character

All Australian Visa applicants must meet health and character requirments by providing evidence such a medical clearances, Australian and International Police checks.

Age Requirements

Some parent visas have an age requirement. Men are required to be 65 years or older to apply for certain Parent Visas.

What this visa allows you to do:

As a permanent residency visa, this allows the holder to:

• Live and work in Australia, with no restrictions
• Study in Australia
• Apply for Medicare
• Apply for Australian citizenship
• Sponsor other family members for certain visas
• Travel in and out of Australia for 5 years

This visa can be applied for inside or outside of Australia, however the applicant(s) must be in the same place at the time of both the application and the visa decision.

Visa Charges

The government charges for visa applications can be found here.