Parent Visa Australia

This depends on your age, whether you meet the Balance of Family Test, whether you are in Australia or overseas, how long you want to stay and whether permanent residence is your goal.

• Subclass 870 may suit parents wanting to spend extended time with family in Australia temporarily.
• Subclass 173/143 may suit parents seeking a contributory pathway to permanent residence.
• Subclass 884/864 may suit parents who meet the aged-parent requirement and are considering an onshore contributory pathway.
• Subclass 103/804 may suit families seeking a lower-cost permanent Parent visa pathway and who are prepared for significantly longer processing times.

Your individual circumstances should be assessed before deciding which pathway to pursue.

You meet the Balance of Family Test if either:

• at least half of your children and stepchildren are eligible children in Australia; or
• you have more eligible children living in Australia than in any other single country.

An eligible child is generally an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is usually resident in Australia.

Certain children may be excluded from the calculation in limited circumstances.

The Balance of Family Test generally applies to the 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884 visas. It does not apply to the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent visa.

Contributory parent visas generally involve higher government charges but may have shorter processing times than non-contributory parent visas. Non-contributory pathways usually have lower application charges but can involve significantly longer processing periods.

Most parent visa pathways require sponsorship by an eligible child, or in some circumstances another eligible sponsor. Sponsorship requirements vary depending on the visa subclass.

What is an Assurance of Support and which Parent visas require one?

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is a financial commitment made by an eligible individual or organisation to support a Parent visa applicant after they become a permanent resident. If the visa holder receives certain recoverable Centrelink payments during the AoS period, the assurer may be required to repay those amounts.

An Assurance of Support is generally required for the permanent Parent visas:

• Subclass 103 – Parent
• Subclass 143 – Contributory Parent
• Subclass 804 – Aged Parent
• Subclass 864 – Contributory Aged Parent

It is generally not required for the temporary Subclass 173, 884 or 870 visas. However, an AoS will generally be required when progressing from a 173 to a permanent 143, or from an 884 to a permanent 864.

For permanent Contributory Parent visas, the AoS period is generally 10 years. For other permanent Parent visas, it is generally 4 years.

The person providing the Assurance of Support does not have to be the visa sponsor. They must meet Services Australia requirements, which can include an income test and providing a financial bond.

Not all Parent visas have an age requirement.

The 103, 143, 173 and 870 pathways do not have an aged-parent requirement.

For the 804, 864 and 884 pathways, the primary applicant generally needs to meet the Australian aged-parent requirement, which is linked to eligibility age for the Australian Age Pension.

It depends on the visa and your current circumstances.

The 804, 864 and 884 are onshore aged-parent pathways.

The 103, 143 and 173 may be lodged while an applicant is in or outside Australia in certain circumstances, although location requirements can apply when the visa is decided.

Your current visa, immigration status and any conditions such as a No Further Stay condition can affect whether you can make a valid application in Australia.

Not every Parent visa application results in a Bridging Visa.

Applicants who make a valid application for an eligible onshore Parent visa, such as the 804, 864 or 884, may generally be granted a Bridging Visa that comes into effect when their current substantive visa ends.

Applicants for offshore Parent visa pathways generally should not assume they will receive a Bridging Visa.

Bridging Visa eligibility depends on the applicant’s individual circumstances and visa status.

Medicare eligibility depends on the visa held and the applicant’s circumstances.

Holders of certain temporary Contributory Parent visas, including the Subclass 173 and 884, may be eligible to enrol in Medicare.

Permanent Parent visa holders can generally access Medicare once permanent residence is granted.

Some applicants waiting for a Parent visa may also qualify through previous visa status or a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.

Holding a Bridging Visa does not automatically mean you are eligible for Medicare.

No. The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent visa is a temporary visa and does not provide a direct pathway to permanent residence.

It can allow an eligible parent to stay in Australia for 3 or 5 years at a time, up to a maximum cumulative stay of 10 years, subject to meeting the visa requirements.