We have, via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Department of Home Affairs, obtained the latest backlog figures for parent migration applications

So, as promised, the updated parent migration waiting-time projection is here!

First, here are the raw figures:

The number of applications on hand and not yet decided reflects the true backlog more accurately than the number of applications lodged，because, after lodging, applicants may withdraw for various reasons, or switch — for example, from a 103 to a 143.

143：Monthly count of applications on hand and not yet decided, from January 2017 to the end of May 2023

By the end of May, the total backlog of applications for Contributory Parent migration (143 + 864) had reached roughly 83,000，the last financial year alone saw 23,559 new Contributory Parent migration applications，The core reason remains the rise in skilled migration grants — many people lodge a parent migration application and join the queue as soon as they receive PR.If 6,800 grant places a year are allocated to the contributory category, it would now take roughly 12 years to be processed。

103：Monthly count of applications on hand and not yet decided, from July 2011 to the end of May 2023

Queued Parent migration (103 + 804) now has a total backlog of 50,504 — and if 1,700 places a year are allocated, it would now take nearly 30 years to be processed。

804 and 864: Monthly count of applications on hand and not yet decided, from January 2017 to the end of May 2023

In summary:

It is fair to say that, although the Department processed parent migration more actively and attentively last financial year — pushing ahead with requests for further documents and with grants wherever possible — the places allocated each financial year remain a drop in the ocean against the backlog, and the reality that the later you lodge, the longer you wait has not improved.

Back to the projection table for applicants who have already lodged

Assumptions behind the projection:

– This projection again assumes a total annual parent migration cap of 8,500 places, of which 1,700 go to the queued category and 6,800 to the contributory category, as the basis for the calculation.

–– We assume that future financial years are identical to the current one, and that grant progress in half a financial year equals half of the full-year cap. That is, the half-year quota is 850 places for queued parent migration and 3,400 for the contributory category.

Contributory category

By the end of the 2023-24 financial year (30 June 2024), Contributory Parent migration is expected to reach applications lodged in June 2017

The data shows that lodgement volumes in May and June 2017 were very high — a single month essentially consumed more than half a year’s worth of places.Very few applications lodged between January and April 2017 remain undecided. As of today, 143 document requests have advanced to applications lodged on 7-8 May 2017.

Assuming that, in the next financial year (2024-25), the cap stays unchanged, by 30 June 2025 the next financial year would reach lodgements from October 2017.Based on current quotas, for lodgements before April 2021 the queue advances on average 7-9 months each financial year; but from April 2021 onward, monthly lodgement volumes all exceeded 1,000, so the pace slows to 4-5 months.

Queued category

Queued Parent migration will, by the end of the 2023-24 financial year (30 June 2024), advance to the end of March 2012。

You can use the projection table to check your likely grant timing, and prepare in advance for documentation requirements such as your assurer of support.

To stress once more, the projection table is based on the assumption that future quotas stay the same. Parent migration processing and grants are dynamic, and there is still a 1-3 month gap between an application being reached and the formal grant. All of the above is based on the grant point when estimating progress.

So, given that a long wait is a basic fact of life, if your parents have a clear intention to settle in Australia later, lodge a 143 as soon as possible; if they have no firm plans or thoughts for now, you can first lodge a 103 as a relatively low-cost way to hold a place in the queue, so that if they decide to proceed later they can switch to an 864 or 143 without having to start the queue from scratch.

An introduction to parent migration applications

Parent migration visas fall broadly into two categories: the contributory category (commonly called the “paid” category) and the queued category.

Contributory category

Contributory parent migration visas have a comparatively shorter queue, but require an assurance of support and payment of a “contribution” to the Australian government. This type of visa mainly includes:

Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143)

Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864)

Queued category

Queued parent migration is low in cost and requires no “contribution” payment to the government, but the roughly 30-year wait now facing new lodgements is well beyond what most would accept. This category mainly includes two visas:

Parent visa (Subclass 103)

Aged Parent visa (Subclass 804)

For a child to sponsor a parent migration visa, three basic requirements must be met:

–The sponsor is an Australian PR or citizen

–Has been settled in Australia for two years (this includes time held on a temporary visa; most onshore skilled migrants meet it almost as soon as their visa is granted)

–Meets the balance of family test：

The 143 is the first choice for the vast majority of families. For detailed advice on the application requirements or costs, add our consultant below:

Even if your parents are not planning to migrate now, lodge a 103 to hold a place in the queue

But if your parents’ circumstances do not currently allow it, or their intention is not strong, you can still lodge a 103 as a fallback. The benefits are:

Benefit 1: Lodging a 103 essentially secures a place in the queue for parents who cannot yet be certain whether they will truly migrate, and once they decide to migrate, it can be switched to the contributory category at any time

(and if they never make up their minds, the 103 can simply sit in the queue for 20-30 years).

Benefit 2: Under the Department’s policy, when a queued parent visa (such as a 103 or 804) is switched to a contributory parent visa (such as a 143 or 864), the time already spent in the queue is counted.

(Note, however, that if a 143 is switched to an 864, the 143 queue time cannot be counted towards the 864 queue time!)

Benefit 3: If, at that point, the requirements for switching to the contributory aged category are met, the applicant can hold a bridging visa and wait in Australia for the grant.

For example: on 1 January 2018, Li Lei’s father lodged a 103 visa before reaching aged-parent age, but today, on 28 July 2022, he has reached aged-parent age, currently holds a visitor visa onshore in Australia, and is not subject to condition 8503. Li Lei’s father can therefore lodge an 864 Aged Parent visa onshore. Not only is the earlier 103 queue time counted, but he can also obtain a bridging visa and wait in Australia for the grant!

(To stress this again: if a 143 is switched to an 864, the 143 queue time will NOT be counted towards the 864 queue time!!)

For more detail, see: Why you should at least lodge a 103 to hold a place for your parents once you get PR

If you want to reunite in Australia in the short term

Admittedly, whether it is a 143 or a 103, lodging a parent migration visa will not help most families reunite in the short term, so below we introduce the temporary visa options available to parents

1. Applying for a visitor visa from offshore is fine, but do not be careless

A visitor visa for the parent of a PR or citizen can be granted for a cumulative stay of up to 12 months, and assessment is relatively lenient.

But we must stress, again and again: do not assume that, because you are a PR or because a visa was granted before, you can risk a careless DIY lodgement. Prepare your documents as completely as possible — we receive many requests for help after refusals.

For details, see: Refused with a template visitor-visa rejection — can it be saved? A DIY lodgement for parents was refused — can you re-lodge? Are family sponsorship or the business stream worth considering?

2. Renewing a parent’s visitor visa onshore — not recommended

This is especially so where parents have already stayed onshore in Australia for at least 12 months — regardless of whether they entered before, during or after the pandemic, we have received requests for help with refusals of further onshore renewals. The Department now discourages parents from using a visitor visa as a long-term means of staying in Australia

For details, see: Warning! Onshore visitor-visa renewals for parents of PRs are tightening again?! Refused even after only 12 months!

3. If your parents do not need genuinely free entry and exit, the 870 is an option

Subclass 870 — basic application requirements

– There is an Australian PR or citizen sponsor (aged 18 or over). The applicant may be the sponsor’s biological parent, legal parent (including adoptive parent), step-parent or parent-in-law

– The sponsor has lived in Australia for at least 4 years (including earlier time as a non-PR)

– The sponsor’s income must exceed AUD 84,000, which may be household income

– A family may hold only one sponsorship approval at any one time, and a single approval can sponsor up to two parents

The 870 does not require passing the balance of family test, so it also suits families who cannot lodge parent migration because they fail the balance of family test, yet want to keep their parents onshore long-term.

Subclass 870 — current processing times

The 870 involves two steps — sponsorship approval and the visa — each currently taking 2-4 months to process, so starting preparations about six months ahead leaves a comfortable margin。

For more detail, see: Now is the time to apply for the 870 long-term temporary visa for your parents! Things to note for a second visa, plus frequently asked Q&A!

If you would like a direct assessment or a consultation

feel free to add our consultant below to arrange one:

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