Parents Visa Subclasses in Australia

Many immigrants who live in Australia want to sponsor their parents to come to Australia either as temporary visitors or for permanent residence in the country.

There are many provisions for you in the Australian visa categories that allow you to sponsor your parents for a quick visit to Australia or grant them permanent residence with you in the country.

Each of the visas is tailored to cater to your unique needs — for instance; some visas will allow your parent to stay up to 5 years in the country, while some other visas, like the subclass 804 visa, give you the option for permanent residence.

Some visas allow your parents to join the workforce, partake in the Australian government’s health scheme, or continue their studies, while some don’t offer these benefits.

We have explored various parent visa subclasses in Australia, their requirements, and eligibility criteria for subclass 173, 143, 870, 804, and 864 visas.

Australian Parent Visa Overview

If you are interested in applying for an Australian parental visa, you must familiarize yourself with the various visa categories. There are a total of five different types of parent-related Australian visas.

Of the five types of parent-related visas, two options — visa 173 and 870 offer your parent a temporary stay, while three visa types — 143, 804, and 864 provide your parent with a permanent stay option. These five visa subclasses are called the contributory parent visa. Some of the contributory parent’s visas are sponsored, while some are not supported.

We have explored each of them and their requirements below.

Contributory Parent Visas

Subclass 173 Visa

The subclass 173 visa allows the parent of a settled Australian citizen, an immigrant with permanent residence in Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen to stay temporarily in Australia.

With the temporary subclass 173 visa, your parent can stay in Australia for two years. The duration of stay cannot be extended or renewed once the time of visit elapses. Instead, you can apply for a permanent visa within two years of the subclass 173 visa if you desire to become a permanent resident in Australia.

Parents who are on a visit to Australia with subclass 173 temporary visas are eligible for work and study. But they will not qualify for government grants or support.

Eligibility Criteria for Subclass 173 Visa

To be eligible for the subclass 173 visa, your parent must

• Possess a valid international
• Have a sponsor: Subclass 173 is a sponsored visa. For your parent’s application to be approved, you’ll need to provide them with proof that you can support them. If they are coming in through a community organization, the organization must be approved by the Australian government.
• Pass the balance of family test
• Pass the character requirement for the visa
• Meet the health requirements for the visa
• You, the sponsor, must not owe the Australian government any debt before your parent’s application.
• Your parent must not have any previous history of visa cancellation.
• Your parent must not marry or go into a socially recognized relationship with a spouse just before applying.

Average Processing Time and Cost of The Subclass 173 Visa

The processing time is the time it takes for your subclass visa 173 to be approved and issued from the date of your submission. It generally takes from 2 years to a maximum of 5 years for the visa to be issued.

The subclass 173 visa cost about AUD 32,000.

Pros

• Grants your parent temporary entry to Australia
• They can work or study
• Can be converted to permanent residence

Cons

• They will not be able to benefit from the Australian government health scheme

Subclass 143 Visa

With the subclass 143 visa, you can move to Australia and stay permanently in the country if you want. You can also sponsor another member of your family to come to Australia. If you are a holder of the subclass 143 visa, you can also apply for Australian citizenship if you are eligible.

Subclass 143 Visa Requirements

To be eligible for the subclass 143 visa, the applicant must

• Have a valid international passport
• Have a child in Australia with permanent residence, a citizen of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
• Not holding a temporary sponsored subclass 870 visa when applying.
• Pass the balance of family test or hold a subclass 173 visa
• If your parent is applying via the Retirement Pathway, the eligibility criteria listed above will not be required.
• Have an assurance of your ability to support them
• They must not arrive in Australia before you, the primary holder of the visa or the sponsor.

Average 143 Visa Processing Time and Cost

The subclass 143 visa costs about AUD 48,000 and takes about 3 to 5 years to process. The processing time often depends on the visa queue when you apply for the visa. The more queues there are, the more time it will take to process your visa. But your visa will be issued at least five years after your date of request if your application is successful.

Pros

• Offers your parents permanent residence
• Parents can sponsor other family members

Cons

• Parents cannot work or study

Subclass 870 Visa

If you are interested in bringing your parents to come and stay with you temporarily in Australia, you can apply for visa 870. This subclass visa allows you to get your parent to Australia, and they can stay with you for 3 to 5 years.

This visa allows the parent of an Australian citizen, a migrant with permanent residence in Australia or an eligible New Zealand citizen to visit Australia to reunite with their family.

The 870 visa is a sponsored visa. This means that you will need to provide your parent with accommodation and financial support for their stay, and if they incur any debt in the country, you will need to pay it.

The subclass 870 visa duration can be extended for ten years, but parents will not be allowed to work if they hold this visa.

Subclass 870 Visa Requirement

To apply for this visa, your parent.

• must possess a valid international passport
• Show that they meet the character conditions.
• Prove that they meet the health requirements
• Show that their sponsor (usually you, the child) can support them.
• Prove that the sponsor possesses a permanent residence permit in Australia, is a citizen of Australia, or is an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Proof of family relationship to the sponsor
• Other documents may be demanded by the immigration officers if necessary.

Average Processing Time and Cost for the Subclass 870 Visa

The subclass visa comes in two varieties — 3 years and five years. The subclass 870 visa variety that allows you to stay in Australia for a maximum of 3 years costs about AUD 5,000, while the subclass 870 visa that allows you to stay in Australia for five years costs about AUD 10,000.

The processing time for the subclass 870 visa takes anywhere from 4 months to 24 months.

Pros

• Temporary stay option for parents
• It can be extended up to 10 years

Cons

• Parents must be sponsored
• It cannot be converted to a permanent resident visa

Subclass 804 Visa

The subclass 804 visa is a permanent visa that lets the aged parent of an Australian citizen, a child of an immigrant with permanent residence in Australia, or an eligible citizen of New Zealand stay permanently in Australia.

With this visa, the aged parent can stay in Australia as a permanent resident, apply for Australian citizenship if eligible, and sponsor other family members to come to Australia. This visa will not allow your parent to study or work in Australia.

Subclass 804 Visa Requirement

To qualify for this visa, your parent must

• Have an eligible sponsor. To qualify as a sponsor for your parent, you must be an Australian citizen, have a permanent residence permit in Australia, or be an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Have a valid international passport
• Your parent must be able to pass the balance of family test.
• The parent must be 65 years and above.
• Applicant must meet the character and health requirements.
• The applicant must not be in Australia before the sponsor.

Subclass 804 Visa Processing Time and Cost

The subclass 804 visa costs about AUD 6,500. Depending on the visa queue during the application, it can take as long as 30 years to issue the visa.

Pros

• Permanent visa
• The parent can sponsor other family members

Cons

• Parents cannot work or study in the country

Subclass 864 Visa

The subclass 864 visa is a contributory aged parent visa that will allow you to sponsor your parent’s trip to Australia. It can allow your parent to remain in Australia for as long as they want or apply to become citizens of the country if they are eligible. It is a permanent visa.

With the subclass 864 visa, your parent can stay permanently in Australia, work or study in the country, and partake in the Australian public health scheme.

Requirements for The Subclass 864 Visa

Your parent can qualify for the subclass 864 visa if they can meet the requirements listed below:

• The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, have a permanent residence permit in Australia, or you are an eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Your parent must be old enough to receive an Australian pension. They must be at least 65 years old.
• They must not have already applied for or held subclass 870 when applying for the 864 visas.
• They must possess a valid international passport.

Subclass 864 Visa Processing Time and Cost

The subclass 864 visa costs about AUD 48,000 and usually takes about 65 months to 30 years for the visa to be finally issued. This of course is dependent on the visa queue at the time of application.

Pros

• Parents can stay permanently in the country
• Parents can study or work
• They can partake in the Australian government health scheme

Cons

• Parents must be sponsored

Balance of Family Test

If your parent is applying for a family-related visa to come and join you in Australia, they must be able to pass the balance of family test. This test is required for all parent-related visas except for the subclass 870 visa which cannot be turned into a permanent residence permit.

The balance of family test is a way for the Australian immigration officer to measure the level of link your parent has with the country before permitting them into Australia. The link here means you, how they are related to you and any other of their children or relatives living in Australia.

To pass the balance of family test, it is expected that your parent must have 50% of their children living in Australia either as Australian citizens, immigrants with a permanent residence permit, or as eligible New Zealand citizens.

The children don’t have to be their immediate children. It could also include their grandchildren, adopted children, and stepchildren. But it must be shown that the parents have more children living in Australia than in any other country in the world.

This test will not include deceased children, children who have been removed from the custody of their parents, or children who live in countries where they are persecuted or are in any camp operated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

For stepchildren to be included in the balance of family test, the child must be your current partner’s child or your former partner’s child who is under 18 years of age, and you have custody over the child. Stepchildren born in polygamous homes or from a concurrent relationship are not eligible for counts in the balance of family test.

FAQ:

Related Articles:

• Family Sponsorship Visa Options in Australia
• How to Sponsor Parents in Canada 
• Australia Parent Visa Subclass 103 Explained
• Skilled Recognized Graduate Visa (Subclass 476) 
• Carer Visa (Subclass 116 and 836) in Australia

Conclusion

Bringing your parent to come and join you in Australia is a laudable initiative as it means that you want them to be closer to you so you can take better care of them. We can help you with your parent’s related visa application and fast-track the process for you. You can contact the Immigration and Education Services (IES) Portal for more information.