Permanent Parent Visas

Parent Visas lets parents live in Australia if their child is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia. Some Parent Visas involve two stages in order to gain permanent residency. A temporary visa is first granted, and provided that a further visa application charge is paid within 2, the applicant may then apply for a permanent visa. Parent Visa applications must be lodged on the relevant paper application form, and cannot be lodged online.

What are the requirements for the Permanent Parent Visas?

Eligibility

The applicant might be eligible to apply for a parent visa if:

The applicant has been sponsored by their child who is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
The child has been living in Australia lawfully before the applicant lodges the visa application.
The applicant meets the balance of family test criteria.
If applying for an onshore parent visa, the applicant must be old enough to receive the Age Pension in Australia. Currently, the Age Pension age is at least 67 years of age or older.
The applicant can arrange for an eligible Australian to lodge a refundable bond, called the Assurance of Support bond.
The applicant meets health and character requirements.

Balance of Family Test

All applicants for a Parent Visa must meet the balance of family test. The balance of family test is designed to determine the extent of the applicant’s links to Australia. An applicant will meet the balance of family test if:

at least half of the applicant’s children and stepchildren are eligible children, or
there are more eligible children than children living in any other single country.

A child is eligible if they are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident usually living in Australia or an eligible New Zealand citizen living in Australia.

What are the Parent Visa options?

The following visas allow a parent to live in Australia as a temporary or permanent resident. An applicant can only process one parent visa at a time; so if the applicant has an application being processed for any type of parent visa and wants to switch to another type of parent visa, the applicant must withdraw the existing visa application at the same time or before applying for a new parent visa.

Offshore Parent Visas

If the application is made outside Australia, the applicant can apply for one of the visas below:

Parent Visa (Subclass 103): This is a permanent visa with an approximate processing time of 31 years. This visa allows a parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to move to Australia as a permanent resident. After the visa is granted, the parent may sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia and apply for Australian citizenship (if eligible). Family members can be included in the application.

Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173): This is a temporary visa with a higher visa application charge but significantly faster processing times. It lets a parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to stay in Australia temporarily for up to 2 years.

Onshore/Offshore Parent Visas

If the application is made either in or outside Australia, the applicant can apply for the below visa:

Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143): The Subclass 143 Visa allows a parent of an eligible Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia as a permanent resident. This option is best if the applicant is prepared to pay a higher visa application charge for faster processing times and has an assurance of support. As per current Migration Program planning levels, new Contributory Parent Visa applications have a processing time of at least 14 years.
If the applicant holds a Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173), they can apply for the Subclass 143 Visa before their temporary visa expires, with a reduced first instalment of the visa application charge, as some amount would have been paid during the earlier visa application.

Onshore Parent Visas

If the application is made in Australia, the applicant can apply for one of the visas below. However, for these visas, the main applicant must meet the age requirements (currently 65 years or older).

Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804): This is a permanent visa which is only applicable if the applicant meets the age requirements (currently the age requirement is at least 67 years of age). This visa has an estimated processing time of up to 31 years. However, the visa application charge is cheaper compared to other Permanent Parent Visas.

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884): This is a temporary visa which allows an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to stay in Australia temporarily. It is suitable if the applicant is prepared to pay a higher visa application charge for faster processing times and meets the age requirement of 67 years or older.

Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864): This permanent visa is only applicable if the applicant is prepared to pay higher visa application charge for faster processing times, meets the age requirement of being 67 years of age or older and has an assurance of support.
If the applicant holds a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884), they can apply for the Subclass 864 Visa before their temporary visa expired, with a reduced first instalment of the visa application charge, as some amount would have been paid during the earlier visa application.

Assurance of support

Applications for Permanent Parent Visas require an assurance of support. This is a legal commitment from an individual or organization to provide the applicant with financial support so you do not have to rely on social security payments. The assurance covers the applicant and any family member included in the application. The person or organization required to give the applicant an assurance of support can be the applicant’s sponsor or another person.

What are the costs associated with applying for the Parent Visas?

Below are the visa application fees required by the Department of Home Affairs and other costs involved in submitting a visa application. Fees can increase without notice, so the actual fees can vary at the time of application. We have outlined the applicable fees that are likely to be incurred for the various Parent Visas in Australian Dollars. Contact us to learn more about our professional fees.

Parent Visa (Subclass 103): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5280 (primary applicant), $2,640 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $1,325 (secondary applicant under 18). There is no DHA fee to sponsor an applicant. DHA second instalment charge – $2,065 (per applicant).
Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5,280 (primary applicant), $2,640 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $1,325 (secondary applicant under 18). There is no DHA fee to sponsor an applicant. DHA second instalment charge – $2,065 (per applicant).
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5040 (primary applicant), $2,515 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $1,260 (secondary applicant under 18). There is no DHA fee to sponsor an applicant. DHA second instalment charge – $29,130 (per applicant), or lower under certain circumstances.
Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5040 (primary applicant), $2,515 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $1,260 (secondary applicant under 18). There is no DHA fee to sponsor an applicant. DHA second instalment charge – $43,600 (per applicant) if the applicant did not hold a Subclass 884, or $19,420 (per applicant) if applicant was a holder of a Subclass 884 at the time of application. The second instalment charge may be lower under certain circumstances.
Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5,040 (primary applicant), $1,700 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $855 (secondary applicant under 18). DHA second instalment charge – $29,130 (per applicant).
Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143): Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Visa Application fees – $5040 (primary applicant), $1,700 (secondary applicant 18 and over), $855 (secondary applicant under 18). DHA second instalment charge – $43,600 (per applicant) if the applicant did not hold a Subclass 173, or $19,420 (per applicant) if applicant was a holder of a Subclass 173 at the time of application. The second instalment charge and visa application fees may be lower under certain circumstances.

Other Department of Home Affairs Parent Visa application fees:

Assurance of Support bond (as applicable)
Credit card surcharge (as applicable).

Other fees that may be applicable:

Medical Examination fees (as applicable)
Police Clearance Certificate (as applicable)
Our professional fees (as applicable).

How long does the application process take?

Once a Permanent Parent Visa is lodged, it can take years to process the application. A limited number of Permanent Parent Visa places are available each Migration Program year. Once this quota is reached, no more visas are granted that program year. Demand for these visas is greater than the number of places available, so processing times for Permanent Parent Visas can be lengthy. Therefore, there is no exact processing timeframe for these visas. For more information on the processing times, visit the Parent visa queue page on the Department of Home Affairs website.

What are the benefits of these visas?

Stay, work and study in Australia for the duration of the visa.
Get health coverage through Medicare (Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses), unless you fall under the exceptions.
Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible.

How we can help you?

Parent Visa applications often involve substantial fees and lengthy processing times, making it crucial to get everything right from the start. With a near 100% success rate, we ensure your application is thoroughly prepared and supported by strong evidence for the best possible outcome. Our expert team offers a range of services to guide you through every step of your Parent Visa application, providing clarity, confidence, and peace of mind. Contact us on (+61) 415 419 414 and let us help you navigate the process seamlessly.

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