Parent visas enable Australian permanent residents or citizens to sponsor their parents’ migration to Australia. Parents who pass the balance of the family test are eligible for parent visas. This necessitates parents settling at least half of their children in Australia. This implies that if you live in Australia and have one sibling elsewhere, you can sponsor your parents; but, if you have two siblings elsewhere, you cannot support your parents. Parents are always welcome to apply for a Visitor visa in order to visit Australia.
To be a formal sponsor, you must have lived in Australia for at least two years before you can sponsor your parents for a visa. You must also provide a written statement to support, house, and financially aid your parents during their first two years in Australia. There are several types of Parent visas. These visas are classified by age, with distinct visas available for parents over the age of 67, by location (whether your parents are already in Australia or elsewhere), and by ability to pay to the cost of medical expenditures when the visa is granted. Parent Visa Australia can also be temporary (transitional to permanent residency) or permanent.
Visa processing times
Visa processing times for non-contributory visas are in excess of 30 years. The reason for this is that the Australian government only awards a limited number of Parent visas each year, and there are currently a big number of individuals waiting in line for the available visas.
Contributory parent visas
The Australian Government established the Contributory Parent visa in 2003, under which visa applicants or their sponsors can make a one-time payment to the Australian Government of about AUD $43,000 per parent right before the visa is issued. This payout will most likely cover ongoing medical bills in Australia. However, the wait time for Contributory Parent visas is currently around 6 years.
Offshore Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173)
This is a temporary form of the Contributory Parent visa that you can apply for if you live outside of Australia. It permits the parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or qualifying New Zealand citizen to stay in Australia for two years. You can apply for a permanent Subclass 143 visa at the end of this period. The current waiting period for this visa is 5 to 6 years. By applying for this visa, you can split the total cost of applying for a Contributory Parent visa into two payments.
With this visa, you can:
- reside in Australia for up to two years,
- work and study (but not receive government support),
- enroll in Medicare, Australia’s public health care plan,
- and apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143).
File an application for a Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) visa.
By applying in two parts, you can spread the cost of applying for a permanent Parent visa over a number of years. Apply for the Temporary Contributory Parent (Subclass 173) visa first, followed by the Permanent Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) visa.
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884)
This is a temporary form of the Contributory Aged Parent visa for adults over the age of 67 in Australia. It permits the parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or qualifying New Zealand citizen to stay in Australia for two years. You can apply for a permanent Subclass 864 visa at the conclusion of this time.
- The current waiting period for this visa is 5 to 6 years.
- If you apply for this visa while in Australia on a Visitor visa, you will be awarded a bridging visa, allowing you to stay in Australia until the visa is determined.
With this visa, you can stay in Australia for up to two years, work and study (but not receive government assistance), and apply for a permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864).
File an application for a Contributory Aged Parent (Subclass 864) visa.
You must first apply for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Subclass 884 before applying for the permanent subclass 864 visa. Applying for the Subclass 884 visa first, followed by the Subclass 864 visa, allows you to spread the expense of the visas over several years.
- If you are in Australia with a valid visa and apply for a Contributory parent visa (subclass 884), you could be awarded a Bridging Visa “A.” (BVA). The BVA allows you to stay in Australia legally while your visa application is being processed.
- This is the permanent Aged Parent visa. It allows the parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or qualifying New Zealand citizen to permanently move to Australia. When you apply, you must be over the age of 67 and reside in Australia.
- The current waiting period for this visa is around 30 years.
- When you apply for the visa, you will be given a bridging visa that will enable you to stay in Australia until your visa is approved.
With this visa, you can stay in Australia forever; work and study in Australia; enroll in Medicare, Australia’s public health care plan; sponsor family to come to Australia; and, if qualified, apply for Australian citizenship.
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 870)
This temporary visa allows a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident of Australia, or qualified New Zealand citizen to visit Australia for up to three or five years.
With this visa:
- You can reunite with your children and reapply for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas to visit Australia for up to ten years.
- You are not permitted to work in Australia while holding this visa.
- Please keep in mind that this visa does not grant permanent residency. When you hold this visa, you cannot apply for a permanent parent visa.
Sponsorship
To apply for this visa:
- You must have an authorized Parent Sponsor.
- Your sponsor’s household is only allowed to sponsor one person at a time.
- At any one moment, your sponsor’s sponsorship can cover up to two parents per household.
