PARENT VISAS​

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You may be able to have your parents join you in Australia either permanently or temporarily.  If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen and would like your parents to join you, our team at Christie Migration Agents will be able to assist you with the best visa pathway for your parents.  

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Temporary Parent Visa (Subclass 870)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to be sponsored and to remain in Australia temporarily for a period of 3 or 5 years.  This visa can be renewed one time.  This visa may be beneficial for parents who want to have an extended stay in Australia, but longer than a tourist visa would allow.  There is no balance of family test, however, there is a limit on how many parents can be sponsored at a time.  A household can only sponsor two parents which could make for interesting discussions on who can bring their parents to Australia!  

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There are several other eligibility factors that can be discussed with the team at Christie Migration Agents to see if this visa is right for you and your family. 

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THE BALANCE OF FAMILY TEST

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The Balance of Family test requires that at least half of the applicant's children must be living in Australia as Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens, or more of their children must be living in Australia than in any other single country. If the parent has an equal number of children living in two or more countries, the test is not met.

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Permanent Parent Visa (Subclass 103)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia from offshore.  One of your children must sponsor you in Australia.  The balance of family test mentioned above must be met. This visa could involve a wait time of 30 years so it is not recommended to apply for this visa if you want your parents to join you in Australia anytime soon. 

 

Permanent Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804)

 

This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia and apply for this visa whilst they are in Australia, but not holding a subclass 870 visa.  One of your children in Australia must sponsor you.  You must meet the Balance of Family Test (explained above).  At least one applicant must also be over the pension age to apply for this visa.  This visa also has a long wait time of 30 years but you may be granted a bridging visa to reside in Australia whilst you await the processing of the visa application.  

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Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia and apply for this visa whilst they are either inside or outside of Australia, but not holding a subclass 870 visa.  This visa is considered an offshore visa process, regardless of where the applicant is when they apply for the visa.  One of your children in Australia must sponsor you.  You must meet the Balance of Family Test (explained above).  This visa process can be rather costly, but processing time is considerably less than the subclass 103 or 804 visas.

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Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia and apply for this visa whilst they reside in Australia, but not holding a subclass 870 visa.  You can apply for this visa whilst in Australia if you are of pension age, and may receive a bridging visa to remain in Australia while this visa is being processed.  One of your children in Australia must sponsor you.  You must meet the Balance of Family Test (explained above).  This visa process can be rather costly, but processing time is considerably less than the subclass 103 or 804 visas.    

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Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to temporarily travel to and reside in Australia and apply for this visa whilst they are outside of Australia, but not holding a subclass 870 visa.  This visa is valid for two years.  In that time, it would be expected the visa holders then apply for the subclass 143 visa.  This visa allows the applicant and sponsor to pay lower fees initially and travel to Australia sooner.  Generally, the subclass 173 visa should be processed quicker than the subclass 143 visa, however, in practice, it is processing around the same time making this visa not very attractive at the moment.

 

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884)

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This visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to temporarily reside in Australia and apply for this visa whilst they are inside of Australia, but not holding a subclass 870 visa.  This visa is valid for two years and the balance of family test must be met.  In that time, it would be expected the visa holders then apply for the subclass 864 visa.  This visa allows the applicant and sponsor to pay lower fees initially and the applicant will be provided a bridging visa whilst they await for the processing of the visa.  Generally, the subclass 884 visa should be processed quicker than the subclass 864 visa, however, in practice, it is processing around the same time making this visa not very attractive at the moment.

 

The parent visa options can be complex and there are further requirements not mentioned here.  Working out which process is appropriate for your situation may require a consultation with one of our registered migration agents.

  

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