Introduction
What is a parent visa, what can I do with it and how can parents obtain this visa?
A parent visa allows parents to live in Australia temporarily or permanently. To apply for this visa, the child of parents must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident (PR), or eligible New Zealand citizen. There is a Parent visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143 and 173), Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 884 and 864), and Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804).
In new year, a new Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa (Subclass 870) allows parents to stay in Australia from 5 to 10 years.
The cost of application and application processing time varies significantly under different subclasses.
The Contributory Aged Parent Temporary Visa (subclass 884) and Contributory Parent Temporary Visa (subclass 173) allow parents to stay in Australia for up to 2 years. The holder of a subclass 884 visa and subclass 173 visa can apply for Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864) and Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143) respectively to stay in Australia permanently.
The parents applying must have a sponsor. Many subclasses require the parents to pass the balance of family test and the health and character requirements. Some additional documents, such as assurance of support, may also be required.
Consider the different scenarios below and whether there is an option that is right for you.
Successfully applying a parent visa can be challenging and time-consuming. Our highly skilled team can take you through the process smoothly with minimal cost. Our decades of experience and reputation for achieving positive results for our clients makes Aussie Immigrant Services the best choice for your visa application. To find out how we can help, contact our team via the contact information at the bottom of the page now.
Applying outside Australia
Parent Visa Subclass 103
- You are applying outside Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia
- You want to become a permanent Australian resident
To apply for a Parent Visa (subclass 103), a parent must:
- Meet the balance of family test
- Meet health and character requirements
- Have a sponsor
Processing time
- Up to 30 years
Contributory Parent Temporary Visa 173
- You are applying outside Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia
- You want to live in Australia for up to 2 years as a temporary resident
- You are prepared to pay higher visa application charges for faster processing
To apply for a Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173), a parent must:
- have a sponsor
- meet the balance of family test
- meet health and character requirements.
Applying either in or outside Australia
Contributory Parent Visa 143
- You are applying either inside or outside Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia
- You want to become a permanent Australian resident
- You are prepared to pay higher visa application charges for faster processing
To apply for a Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), a parent must:
- meet the balance of family test
- have an assurance of support
- meet health and character requirements
- have a sponsor.
Processing time
As at 31 May 2025, DHA has released the following applications for final processing:
- Contributory Parent visa applications with a queue date up to April 2018
- Parent visa applications with a queue date up to December 2012
- Aged Parent visa applications with a queue date up to January 2013.
Sponsored Parent Temporary Visa Subclass 870
- You are applying either in or outside Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia, who is at least 18 years of age
- You want to stay in Australia from 3 to 5 years
- You want to apply a visa with relatively faster process time (approximately 70 days)
To apply for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 870), a parent must
- Have a sponsor
- Meet the health and character requirement
- Have sufficient funds
Applying in Australia
Aged Parent Visa 804
- You are applying inside Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia
- You want to become a permanent Australian resident
- You meet age requirements
To apply for an Aged Parent visa (subclass 804), a parent must:
- meet the age requirements
- meet the balance of family test
- meet health and character requirements
- have a sponsor.
Processing time
Up to 30 years
Contributory Aged Parent Temporary Visa 884
- You are applying in Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia and you want to live in Australia for up to 2 years as a temporary resident
- You meet age requirements
- You are prepared to pay higher visa application charges for faster processing
To apply for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 884), a parent must:
- meet age requirements
- meet the balance-of-family test
- have a sponsor.
Contributory Aged Parent Visa 864
- You are applying in Australia
- You have a child who lives in Australia and you want to become a permanent Australian resident
- You meet age requirements
- You are prepared to pay higher visa application charges
To apply for the Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864), a parent must:
- meet age requirements
- meet the balance-of-family test
- meet health and character requirements
- have an assurance of support
- have a sponsor.
If you hold a Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864) and you would like to stay in Australia permanently, you can apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 864) before your temporary visa expires.
