Sponsor your parents to live in Australia. Registered migration agents in Brisbane explain contributory and sponsored parent visa options. Book a consultation.
Bringing your mum or dad to live with you in Australia is one of the most rewarding things migration can do, and one of the more complicated to plan. There are several parent visa options, the costs and waiting times are very different depending on which one you choose, and the rules around who can apply are strict. Our registered migration agents in Brisbane help families work out the right path and avoid the expensive mistakes.
A parent visa lets a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen move to Australia, usually permanently. Broadly, there are three groups to know about.
Contributory parent visas (such as subclasses 143 and 173, or 864 and 884 for aged parents). These cost more, a lot more, because of the large contribution charge, but they’re processed far faster than the alternative.
Non-contributory parent visas (such as subclasses 103 and 804). These are much cheaper, but the queue is extremely long, often stretching many years.
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870). This one doesn’t lead to permanent residency, but it lets an approved sponsor bring a parent to Australia for up to five years at a time. It’s a good option for families who want time together without the permanent-visa price tag or wait.
Which one suits you depends on your budget, how long you’re willing to wait, and whether permanent residency is the goal.
Most parent visas require you to pass the balance-of-family test. In plain terms, at least half of your children must live permanently in Australia, or more of your children must live in Australia than in any other single country. This trips a lot of families up, so it’s one of the first things we check. If you don’t pass it, some options are closed off before you start, and it’s better to know that early.
The sponsor is usually the child in Australia, who needs to be a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. For the sponsored temporary visa (870), the sponsor has to be approved first, and there are income requirements to meet. We handle the sponsorship approval as part of the job.
This is where parent visas get real. The contributory options involve a substantial second instalment, often the biggest single cost in the whole process, paid before the visa is granted. The non-contributory options are cheaper up front but can involve a wait so long that many families choose not to go that way. Because these figures change and depend heavily on your circumstances, we’ll walk you through the current numbers and timelines in your consultation, so you can make a decision with your eyes open.
Plenty of families use a Visitor visa (subclass 600) so a parent can spend long stretches in Australia while a permanent parent visa sits in the queue. It’s not a substitute for the parent visa, but it keeps the family together in the meantime. We often set this up alongside the main application. See our Visitor & Tourist Visa page.
We check the balance-of-family test before you spend a cent on the wrong pathway.
We compare the contributory, non-contributory and temporary options against your budget and timeline.
We manage the sponsorship, the application, and the evidence.
We keep the family’s visitor visas ticking over while the main application is processed.
We keep you updated at each stage, so a multi-year process never leaves you wondering what’s happening.
The contributory parent visas (such as 143) are processed much faster than the non-contributory ones, but they cost significantly more because of the contribution charge.
On a permanent parent visa, yes. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (870) does not allow work, since it’s designed for visiting family, not working.
It’s a rule that generally requires at least half of a parent’s children to live permanently in Australia, or more to live here than in any other country. Passing it is a condition for most parent visas.
Up to five years at a time, and it can be renewed for a total of up to ten years, provided the sponsorship and requirements are met.
Possibly, if you’re an eligible New Zealand citizen. This depends on your specific status, so let’s confirm it before you plan around it.
In many cases, yes. The definition of “parent” for these visas is broader than people expect, and we’ll check whether your relationship qualifies.
It can be, if you’re comfortable with a very long wait. For many families the faster contributory option or the temporary 870 makes more practical sense. We’ll help you weigh it up.
