Parent Visa Australia: Which Parent Visa Is Right for Your Family?

PARENT VISA GUIDE

Which Parent Visa Is Right for Your Family?

A practical guide to Australia’s most common temporary and permanent Parent visa pathways

There is no single ‘best’ Parent visa. The most suitable option depends on the parents’ age, location, family composition, budget, health, existing visa conditions and whether the family’s priority is permanent migration or spending longer periods together in Australia.

The key message: Long processing estimates should not prevent families from obtaining advice. They make early planning, accurate eligibility assessment and a realistic long-term strategy even more important.

Understanding the Parent visa framework

Australia offers several pathways for parents of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens. Some provide permanent residence, while others allow an extended temporary stay. Permanent Parent visas are generally subject to annual caps and queueing because demand is greater than the number of places available each year.

Home Affairs currently estimates that a new Contributory Parent visa application may take approximately 15 years, while new Parent and Aged Parent visa applications may take approximately 33 years. These are estimates only. They may change and do not guarantee when an individual application will be finalised.

Common requirements for permanent Parent visas

Although the requirements differ between subclasses, a permanent Parent visa applicant will commonly need to:

have an eligible sponsor, commonly a settled child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen;
satisfy the Balance of Family Test;
meet the relevant health and character requirements;
meet the age and location requirements for the chosen subclass; and
provide an Assurance of Support where required before the visa is granted.

A person is generally regarded as ‘settled’ after being lawfully resident in Australia for a reasonable period. Home Affairs generally treats two years as the relevant period, although the assessment can depend on the circumstances.

The Balance of Family Test

The Balance of Family Test measures the parent’s family links to Australia. A parent generally meets the test if:

at least half of their children and stepchildren are ‘eligible children’; or
they have more eligible children in Australia than children living in any other single country.

The way children and stepchildren are counted can be complex. The test cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances. It applies to subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884, but not to the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).

The most common Parent visa options

1. Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

The subclass 143 visa is a permanent visa and is commonly considered by parents who are not required to use an aged onshore pathway. It involves substantially higher government charges than the non-contributory subclass 103 visa but currently has a shorter estimated queue.

Provides permanent residence when granted.
Requires the Balance of Family Test.
Usually requires an Assurance of Support before grant.
Involves a substantial second visa application charge.
Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 15 years for new Contributory Parent applications.

Who might consider it? Families seeking permanent residence who can meet the eligibility requirements and accommodate the higher costs, while understanding that the current wait remains lengthy.

2. Parent visa (subclass 103)

The subclass 103 visa is a permanent, non-contributory pathway. Its government visa charges are lower than those for a Contributory Parent visa, but its estimated processing period is considerably longer.

Provides permanent residence when granted.
Requires the Balance of Family Test.
Usually requires an Assurance of Support before grant.
Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent applications.

Who might consider it? Families for whom the lower visa application charges are important and who understand the implications of a very long queue.

3. Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)

The subclass 864 visa is a permanent contributory pathway for a parent who meets the applicable age requirement and can make a valid application in Australia. The relevant age is linked to the Australian Age Pension age, which is currently 67.

The applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying and generally when the visa is decided.
Requires the Balance of Family Test.
Involves substantial government charges and usually an Assurance of Support.
A valid onshore application may be associated with a Bridging Visa A, which generally becomes active after the current substantive visa ends.

Important: An onshore application is not available merely because a parent is aged 67 or older. Existing visa conditions, including a No Further Stay condition, immigration status and the validity requirements must be checked before any application is lodged.

4. Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

The subclass 804 visa is the non-contributory permanent option for eligible aged parents applying in Australia. It has lower visa application charges than subclass 864 but a much longer estimated queue.

The parent must meet the applicable age requirement and valid onshore application requirements.
Requires the Balance of Family Test.
Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent applications.
A valid application may be associated with a Bridging Visa A; its conditions should be checked carefully.

Travel while waiting: A Bridging Visa A does not permit re-entry to Australia. Before leaving Australia, a person who relies on a bridging visa should obtain advice about applying for a Bridging Visa B. A Bridging Visa B is not automatic and its travel period must be checked.

5. Two-stage contributory pathways: subclasses 173/143 and 884/864

Some families may prefer a two-stage contributory pathway. The subclass 173 and subclass 884 visas are temporary visas, generally allowing a stay of up to two years, before the eligible parent applies for the corresponding permanent visa.

Subclass 173 can lead to subclass 143.
Subclass 884 can lead to subclass 864 for an eligible aged parent.
The staged pathway can spread the applicable visa charges across two applications.
Deadlines, location requirements and eligibility for the permanent stage must be managed carefully.

6. Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

The subclass 870 visa is not a permanent Parent visa, but it can be a valuable family-reunion option. It may allow an eligible parent to stay in Australia for up to three or five years at a time, for a cumulative maximum of 10 years.

Does not require the Balance of Family Test.
Requires an approved family sponsor before the parent applies for the visa.
Is not subject to the permanent Parent visa queue.
Does not provide a direct pathway to permanent residence.
Carries sponsorship, income, health insurance and other requirements.

Who might consider it? Families whose immediate priority is an extended temporary reunion, including parents who cannot satisfy the Balance of Family Test for a permanent Parent visa.

Bridging visas: an important planning issue

A valid application for an onshore Aged Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visa may result in an associated Bridging Visa A. This does not mean every visitor can enter Australia and lodge an onshore Parent visa application. Before lodging, the parent’s current visa, visa conditions, age, location, immigration status and the validity criteria for the intended subclass must all be checked.

The Bridging Visa A generally does not become active until the current substantive visa ceases. Its work and other conditions must be checked. If travel is contemplated, advice should be obtained before departure because leaving Australia without an appropriate visa can have serious consequences for the parent’s ability to return and for the application strategy.

Will a Parent visa applicant receive Medicare?

Merely applying for a Parent visa does not generally make a person eligible for Medicare. Services Australia states that Parent visa applicants can usually enrol once the Parent visa is granted. While an application is being assessed, limited eligibility may arise under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement or another independent basis.

For example, some subclass 804 or subclass 103 applicants from Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries may qualify subject to the agreement’s conditions. Families should not assume that a Bridging Visa A provides Medicare access and should consider appropriate private health insurance and the potential cost of healthcare during a long waiting period.

How do you decide which option is best?

A sound Parent visa strategy should consider the whole family’s position rather than focusing only on the quoted processing estimate. Useful questions include:

Do the parents satisfy the Balance of Family Test?
Are they seeking permanent migration or an extended temporary stay?
Do they meet the age requirement for an aged-parent pathway?
Are they in Australia or overseas, and what visa conditions currently apply?
Can the family manage the government charges, Assurance of Support and healthcare costs?
What travel, work and living arrangements will be needed while an application is pending?
Could health, character or sponsorship issues affect the strategy?

Best option = best fit. For one family, subclass 143 may be the appropriate permanent pathway. Another may prefer the staged subclass 173/143 route. An eligible aged parent may consider subclass 864 or 804, while subclass 870 may better serve a family seeking temporary reunion. The correct choice depends on the facts.

Seek advice before committing to a long-term pathway

Parent visa applications involve long timeframes, significant financial commitments and rules that can produce very different outcomes depending on the applicant’s circumstances. Obtaining advice before lodging can help a family identify eligibility problems, understand realistic costs and waiting periods, and choose a pathway that supports both immediate and long-term goals.

Better Life Migration

Registered Migration Agent Preeti D’silva | MARN 0530747

Phone: 0415 419 414

Website: www.betterlifemigration.com.au

Suite 511, 118 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150

Important information

This article provides general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Visa criteria, charges, processing estimates, queue dates, Assurance of Support requirements and Medicare eligibility can change. Individual circumstances must be assessed against the law and policy applying at the relevant time.

Sources checked 4 September 2026

Department of Home Affairs, ‘About parent visas’.
Department of Home Affairs, ‘Parent visas – queue release dates and processing times’ (figures current as published at 31 May 2026).
Department of Home Affairs, ‘Balance of family test’.
Department of Home Affairs visa pages for subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804, 864, 884 and 870.
Services Australia, ‘Enrolling in Medicare if you’re an Australian permanent resident’