Are you a citizen or a permanent resident of Australia who wants to bring your parents here? Australian citizens, Permanent Residents, and qualifying New Zealand Citizens may sponsor their parents’ permanent relocation to Australia under the Australia Parent Migration Visa.

How can parents be brought to Australia?

There are two different types of visas for bringing your parents to Australia:

Visas for non-contributory parents:

This PR visa carries a minimal processing charge.

Parents must have a sponsor, satisfy health and character standards, and pass the balance of family test in order to be eligible. At least half of the parents’ children must live permanently in Australia in order to pass the balance of family test.

Visas for Contributory Parents:

For a limited number of applicants based on the wait and cap, this is a fast-track PR visa.

Parents must have a sponsor, satisfy health and character standards, pass the balance of family test, and have proof of support in order to be eligible. A legal promise from the sponsor to provide financial support is known as an assurance of support.

Why should you use Parent Visa?

Here is a list of benefits you will get when you get Parent Visa:

• Continually remain in Australia;
• There are no restrictions on travel to or from Australia;
• may be eligible for Medicare, Australia’s public health program;
• less limitations on the rights to work;
• When the conditions for residency in Australia are satisfied, apply for Australian citizenship.

Parent visa details expanded

Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa

A parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or qualified New Zealand citizen may enter Australia for a period of three or five years with this temporary visa.

Benefits of Sponsored Australia Parent Visa

This visa enables your parents to:

visit Australia for a maximum of three or five years per visa.

apply for further visas so that you can stay in Australia for a total of 10 years.

Your parents SHOULD:

Before you submit an application for this visa, you must have a parent sponsorship that has been authorized.

apply for this visa online

Once your sponsorship has been approved, you have six months to apply for a visa, or 60 days if you have been granted permission to apply in Australia.

With this visa, your parents are able to:

visit Australia for a maximum of three or five years per visa to reconnect with family and children.

reapply for visas to visit Australia for a maximum of 10 years.

Visa for parents (permanent) under class 103

A parent of an established Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or qualifying New Zealand citizen may enter Australia with this permanent visa 143.

This visa allows your parents to:

migrate to or remain as a permanent resident in Australia, sponsor eligible family members’ immigration to Australia, and if qualified, seek for Australian citizenship.

Your parents SHOULD

possess an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or eligible New Zealand Citizen, satisfy all requirements for the visa, and abide by Australian law. When applying for this visa, the applicant must not already be in possession of or have applied for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa.

Note: The Department is not currently requesting that applicants for Family Visas travel abroad. From 24 March 2021, qualified applicants for parent visas will be able to take advantage of a temporary exception that will allow visas to be given to applicants in Australia.

With this visa, your parents are able to:

• Stay in Australia permanently
• work and study there
• enroll in Medicare
• sponsor your family’s immigration to Australia
• If qualified, seek for Australian citizenship

Benefits of the Australia Parent Visa:

During five years, travel to and from Australia

If the travel facility on this visa is still in effect after five years, your parents may travel to and from Australia as often as they like.

After the first 5-year travel facility has expired, if your parents desire to travel:

• To return to Australia as a permanent residents, your parents will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return Visa (RRV).
• Perhaps your parents might think about obtaining Australian citizenship. Your parents won’t need a visa to enter Australia if they become citizens of Australia.
• To leave and enter Australia, your parents will require an Australian passport, which they must apply for.

retirees should apply for a Parent Visa (subclass 103)

• Your parents do not have to: if you apply for the category 103 visa as a retiree.
• fulfill the family balance test, or have a sponsor or a guarantee of assistance
• It is a long-term visa. Your parents are permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely.
• The day the visa is issued counts as your parents’ first day of permanent residency for citizenship reasons.

Subclass 143 Contributory Parent (Permanent) Visa

This permanent visa enables the relocation to Australia of the parents of an established Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or qualifying New Zealand Citizen.

This visa enables your parents to:

• go to or remain as a permanent resident in Australia
• encourage qualified relatives to visit Australia
• if you are eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

Your parents SHOULD

fulfill the balance-of-family criteria, unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway, or have a Subclass 173 visa, and have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Permanent Resident, or eligible New Zealand Citizen.

Assurance of Support, unless you are applying under the Retirement Pathway, Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa, or both, at the time of application.

Benefits of a Contributory Parental Visa

With this visa, your parents are able to:

• remain in Australia forever
• study and work in Australia
• enroll in Medicare, Australia’s universal health insurance program
• sponsoring your relatives to visit Australia
• fly to Australia and stay there for five years
• if you are eligible, apply for Australian citizenship.

During five years, travel to and from Australia

For a period of five years from the day the visa is issued, your parents are permitted to visit Australia as frequently as they like. This is true so long as the travel authorization on this visa is still in effect.

After the first 5-year travel facility has expired, if your parents desire to travel:

In order for your parents to return to Australia as permanent residents, they will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV).

Perhaps your parents might think about obtaining Australian citizenship. You can enter Australia without a visa if you become an Australian citizen. To leave and enter Australia, your parents will require an Australian passport, which they must apply for.

retirees should apply for a Parent Visa (subclass 143)

If you are a retiree applying for a category 103 visa, you are exempt from:

• meet the family balance test, or
• own a sponsor or a guarantee of backing
• You can apply for the visa whether within or outside of Australia.

If you apply in Australia, any family members you bring with you must be present at the time of application but not in the immigration clearance process. Any family members who also apply for the visa with you must be outside Australia at the time of your application if you do so from outside Australia.

If you’re applying as a retiree, you must be in Australia at the time of application but not in immigration clearance. When a decision is made on your application, you may be within or outside of Australia.