Parent Visas

General criteria for the applicant

• You can’t apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• You can apply for this visa at any age (specific requirements may apply).
• You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. This is usually your child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Meet the balance of family test .
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have no debt to the Australian Government.
• Not had a visa cancelled or refused. In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused.

General criteria for sponsors

To sponsor your parent for this visa, you or your cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 years of age or older.

You must agree to provide support, housing and financial help for the first 2 years the applicant lives in Australia. You must also support any members of the applicant’s family who apply with them.

You can sponsor more than one parent.

With a subclass 173 visa you can

Live in Australia for up to 2 years, work and study in Australia (you will not receive government support), enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme (Medicare) , and apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143).

With a subclass 143 visa you can

stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study in Australia, enrol in Australia’s public healthcare scheme ( Medicare) , sponsor your family members to come to Australia, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program , if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship .

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date the visa is granted. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

General criteria for the applicant

• You can’t apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• You must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia (67 years old or older).
• You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. This is usually your child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Meet the balance of family test .
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have no debt to the Australian Government.
• Not had a visa cancelled or refused. In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused.

General criteria for sponsors

To sponsor your parent for this visa, you or your cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 years of age or older.

You must agree to provide support, housing and financial help for the first 2 years the applicant lives in Australia. You must also support any members of the applicant’s family who apply with them.

You can sponsor more than one parent.

With a subclass 884 visa you can

Live in Australia for up to 2 years, work and study in Australia (you will not receive government support), and apply for a permanent Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864).

With a subclass 864 visa you can

Stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study in Australia, enrol in Australia’s public healthcare scheme ( Medicare) , sponsor your family members to come to Australia, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program , if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship .

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date the visa is granted. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

General criteria for the applicant

• You must have an approved Parent Sponsor.
• You must be the biological, legal (including adoptive) parent, step-parent or parent in-law of the approved Parent Sponsor.
• Your Parent Sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• There is no balance of family test or Assurance of Support requirements for this visa.
• You must meet health and character requirements.
• Have no debt to the Australian Government.
• You must have met and complied with any previous visa obligations.
• You must have and maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance from an Australian Health Insurance provider.
• Have a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily

General criteria for sponsors

• To be eligible as a Parent Sponsor, you must be at least 18 years of age and be the child of the prospective visa applicant (or the child’s spouse or de facto partner).
• You must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 years of age or older.
• You have not been unlawful or held a bridging visa (other than a bridging visa A, B or C) during the last 4 years.
• You must have met and complied with any previous sponsorship obligations
• You must pass the income test.
• Have no debt to the Australian government.
• Meet character requirements.
• Your household is limited to one sponsorship at a time, but your sponsorship can cover up to 2 parents/grandparents per household at a time.

With this visa you can

Reunite with children, visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, re-apply for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas to visit up to a maximum period of 10 years in Australia.

You cannot work in Australia while you hold this visa.

General criteria for the applicant

• You can’t apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• You can apply for this visa at any age (specific requirements may apply).
• You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. This is usually your child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Meet the balance of family test .
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have no debt to the Australian Government.
• Obtain an Assurance of Support (AOS) for the visa to be granted.
• Not had a visa cancelled or refused. In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused.
• If in Australia, you must maintain adequate health insurance until you are granted a Parent visa.

General criteria for sponsors

To sponsor your parent for this visa, you or your cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 years of age or older.

You must agree to provide support, housing and financial help for the first 2 years the applicant lives in Australia. You must also support any members of the applicant’s family who apply with them.

You can sponsor more than one parent.

With this visa you can

Stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study in Australia, enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme ( Medicare) , sponsor your family members to come to Australia, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program , if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship .

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility, to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) ; you might also want to consider Australian citizenship.

General criteria for the applicant

• You can’t apply for this visa if you have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa.
• You must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia (67 years old or older).
• You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. This is usually your child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Meet the balance of family test .
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have no debt to the Australian Government.
• Not had a visa cancelled or refused. In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused.

General criteria for sponsors

To sponsor your parent for this visa, you or your cohabiting spouse or de facto partner, must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen, settled in Australia, and 18 years of age or older.

You must agree to provide support, housing and financial help for the first 2 years the applicant lives in Australia. You must also support any members of the applicant’s family who apply with them.

You can sponsor more than one parent.

With this visa you can

Stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study in Australia, enrol in Australia’s public healthcare scheme (Medicare) , sponsor your family members to come to Australia, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program , if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship .

You can travel to and from Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date we grant this visa. This is as long as the travel facility on this visa remains valid.

If you want to travel after the initial 5-year travel facility, to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident you will need to apply for and be granted a Resident Return (RRV) ; you might also want to consider Australian citizenship.