After last night’s budget announcement, the 2,500 additional family migration places whose allocation had not yet been confirmedwere ultimately awarded entirely to parent migration!Every time we update supplementary documents or share projection information, we say that the root fix for the long parent-migration queue is increasing the quota — more quota means more visas can be granted, processing can speed up, and wait times can be relatively shortened.That is why we said last night that parent migration is absolutely one of the big winners!

For more quota news, see:FY2022–23 New Budget | PR quota still holds surprises — Subclass 189 nearly doubles, parent migration gets another 2,500!

Almost double last financial year — a return to the ‘golden era’

First, let’s look at the quota numbers in comparison:The total for contributory and non-contributory combined is 8,500 — the ‘doubled’ figure quoted elsewhere refers to the comparison with FY2021–22’s 4,500(1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022). In fact, the quota was already increased once during the current financial year, when the government set it at 6,000 — so the actual increase compared with that figure is 2,500.

This means 8,500 is roughly back to the levels seen during the years when the parent migration quota was at its highest.

       

Could this help Subclass 143 processing speed up further?

Can parent migration processing be accelerated, and if so, how fast? Let us give you an updated look — we previously published a Subclass 143 parent migration projection table.It now appears that our projections at the time were overly conservative.

In the Department’s actual operations this financial year, the additional quota has already been reflected in current progress — so things are moving faster than in previous financial years, but it won’t go any faster than this; we will explain why below.

[We already have supplementary document requests for applications lodged in late January 2017late— supplementary documents received]

According to our projections at the time, processing would not reach early 2017 until the end of this financial year (30 June 2023) — yet as of late October 2022, the Department has already reached January 2017.

We have multiple clients who lodged in early January 2017 and have long since received their supplementary document requests; and just yesterday, the 25th, we received the first supplementary document request for a Subclass 143 applicant who lodged in late January 2017.

[Estimated contributory quota: approximately 6,800 places]

These 8,500 places are not calculated from now (October) onwards,but rather represent the full-year quota from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023,and they include both contributory and non-contributory totals. The specific quota breakdown has not been detailed — this is generally only confirmed at the end of the financial year. If the previous4:1 ratio is maintained, the contributory allocation would be 6,800 placesand the non-contributory allocation would be 1,700 places.

[Processing this financial year has clearly already factored in the increased quota]

From the start of this financial year to date, a large volume of supplementary document requests have been issued for Subclass 143 applications — the pace of supplementary requests has been significantly faster than anticipated and much faster than in previous financial years. Based on information from our clients, supplementary requests have progressed to approximately late January 2017.That means in just four months, progress has moved from July 2016 to January 2017.

How many applications received supplementary document requests in those four months? See the chart below

Cumulative lodgements up to January 2017 totalled 5,232,although some applicants who lodged during that period have not yet received their supplementary document requests.Some lodged in December 2016 and have still not received their supplementary requests. Visa processing does vary in speed — this is normal, so please be patient a little longer.

However, Subclass 143 is processed relatively strictly in overall lodgement order — it won’t jump from processing January 2017 applications to January 2018 and back.These supplementary documents will ultimately all draw on this financial year’s quota when granted,which means 6,800 places minus the 5,232 already progressed leaves only 1,568 places for the remainder of this financial year’s grants.

So based on the current quota balance, this financial year will most likely see grants through to applications lodged in March 2017.

[This financial year’s supplementary requests may progress to April–May 2017]

Parent migration processing is dynamic —the process runs: assessment → supplementary document request → supplementary documents submitted → final grant, so from assessment to grant typically takes one to three months.

Therefore, if this financial year’s grants reach applications lodged in March 2017, supplementary document notices may be issued to April–May 2017 applicants.Then, once the full assessment-to-supplementary-to-grant cycle is complete, it will most likely be after July 2023 — meaning it will draw on next year’s (FY2022–23) parent migration quota.

As for next financial year,it is certainly unknown at this stage — if the current year’s quota can be maintained,processing should be able to largely complete the first half of 2017 (i.e. through to June).

         

If the quota is maintained,how long wouldsomeone lodging now need to wait?

As at 31 July 2022,there were 68,359 Subclass 143 contributory parent migration applications awaiting processing (Subclass 864 also has a backlog of nearly 5,000), based on the current annual contributory quota of 6,800.This means newly lodged contributory parent migration applications will still need to wait more than 10 years.

This is largely due to the significant quota reductions in recent years combined with a sharp surge in new lodgements each year — a severe mismatch between the two.

We hope the government will continue to increase the quota and at least restore it to the previous reasonable wait time of five to six years for contributory parent migration.

       

Subclass 103 may still need to transfer to Subclass 143/864…

As for the non-contributory Subclass 103 parent visa, with 1,700 places available,it should be able to grant applications lodged at least through to February 2011.

So if previously lodged Subclass 103 applicants genuinely want their visa granted, they may need to transfer to Subclass 864 or Subclass 143.

Once again, we emphasise: if transferring from Subclass 103 to the aged contributory parent Subclass 864, the full waiting time accrued carries over — we recently had a successful case:

a client lodged a Subclass 103 in October 2012, contacted us in early September 2022 to transfer to Subclass 864, submitted at lunchtime and received a confirmation letter, then received their supplementary document request the same afternoon.

If parents currently have absolutely no intention or plans to settle in Australia permanently,given the current wait times,we also recommend lodging a Subclass 103 to secure a place in the queue, then transferring to Subclass 143 or Subclass 864 if they change their mind later.Otherwise, starting from scratch at that point — who knows how many more years it will take.

For more explanation, see:Why should you at least lodge a Subclass 103 for your parents to join the queue after you get your PR?

         

For parent migration enquiries

please contact our team below

Parent migration applicants

may still apply for a bridging visa!

The following conditions must ALL be met:

– A Subclass 143 visa application lodged before 24 March 2021

– Held a valid Australian visa at the time of lodging the Subclass 143 (visitor visa etc. — applicants may have been in Australia or overseas)

– Was in Australia at the moment of 24 March 2021, and is currently in Australia with a valid visa

Most of those we have lodged recently have been granted quickly.

If you are still overseas and want to come to Australia for a short period to reunite with your children, consider a visitor visa or the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa — the former has relatively simple requirements, while the latter spares parents the burden of repeated entries and exits.

Common Questions on Parent Migration

Q1. What are the basic requirements for lodging a parent migration application? Do I need to have held PR for 2 years before I can sponsor?

There are two main basic requirements for parent migration. The first is that you must be a permanent resident or citizen who is ‘settled’ in Australia — settled under the internal provisions of the Migration Act essentially means you have lived in Australia for two years (including time spent on a temporary visa, such as a student visa). So if you have already lived in Australia for two years, even if you have only just obtained your PR, it may be possible to lodge an application for your parents. The second point is that some people have lived in Australia for a considerable number of years, then obtained their PR and returned to China, and have remained overseas throughout the pandemic period.They are now returning to Australia to apply for parent migration — we generally advise such clients to be back in Australia for at least three to six months and, ideally, to have a rental agreement and employment in place before lodging, rather than needing to reside in Australia for a full two years again.

The other requirement is that you must satisfy the balance of family test — in brief, at least half or more of your children must have already migrated to Australia. Most only-child families will certainly meet this requirement; however, if there are three children in the family and only you have obtained PR, it would not be possible to sponsor your parents for parent migration.

Q2. I currently don’t have a job — can I apply for parent migration for my parents?

Yes, you can.

As I mentioned above, you just need to meet the settled and balance of family requirements to first lodge an application.

Regarding income requirements: if you intend to act as your parents’ financial assurer and provide an Assurance of Support (AoS), that is only required when processing reaches your case — they generally ask for the ATO Tax Notice of Assessment for the previous financial year at the time of processing, along with proof of current income (employer letter + payslip). If your personal income cannot meet the requirement, another Australian PR or citizen can provide the AoS.

Q3. I’m not sure whether to lodge for both parents together — can I lodge for one of them first?

Yes, you can.

Moreover, before the visa is granted, if you want to add the other parent to the visa application, that is also possible — even if the application fee has increased by then, both applicants’ fees will be charged at the old rate at the time the original application was lodged. In addition, the queue time for the person added later will be the same as the primary applicant’s queue time — they do not need to join the queue from scratch.

There is also another option: you can wait until one parent’s visa is granted and then apply for partner migration for the other parent, but you need to wait five years after the visa is granted before applying for partner migration (for this type of long-term partner migration application, the current processing time is approximately one to one-and-a-half years; the partner visa is usually Temporary and Permanent stages). The current application fee for a partner visa is AUD 7,850.

Q4. If I have already lodged my application and the fee increases later, will it affect my application?

No, it will not.

The Department’s rules on visa application fees follow the Migration Act, which clearly states that visa fees are confirmed at the time of lodgement (Schedule 1). The fees you are required to pay — including the Stage 1 visa application charge and the Stage 2 contribution — are confirmed at the time of lodging your application and will not change. Any subsequent fee increases will only affect applications lodged after the increase. A screenshot of the relevant Migration Act provision is shown below:

For a more detailed explanation, see:If one parent lodges Subclass 143 first, and the contribution fee doubles afterwards, which contribution fee does the other parent added later need to pay?

Q5. How is the visa lodgement date calculated? Do I need to have received the confirmation letter?

The lodgement date is the date your letter is received and receipted by the Department.

Parent migration visa applications are lodged by paper — you need to post your application forms and documents to the Department of Home Affairs in Western Australia. The date your letter is receipted by the Department is the visa lodgement date; the confirmation letter usually arrives two to four weeks later.

Q6. What is the full cost breakdown for a Subclass 143 from start to finishhow much?

For the Subclass 143 contributory parent migration (direct grant pathway), there are three main cost components:

The first is the Stage 1 visa application charge,the primary applicant is AUD 4,225, secondary applicants are AUD 1,425 per person (aged 18 and over), and secondary applicants under 18 are AUD 715. (A minor increase generally applies each July)

The second is the Stage 2 contribution (payable before the final grant is processed),the current price is AUD 43,600 per person aged 18 and over; for those under 18 at the time of lodgement, it is AUD 2,095

The third is the bank bond (to be arranged when processing reaches your case)— as the sponsor, you need to provide a bond for each applicant aged 18 and over. Sponsoring one person requires AUD 10,000; sponsoring two people requires AUD 14,000. This bond cannot be withdrawn for 10 years — if the parents receive any Australian government benefits within those 10 years, the amount will be deducted from the bond. If no benefits are claimed within 10 years, the full amount will be refunded.

Q7: What is a financial assurer? How is the income requirement calculated?

As mentioned earlier, when processing reaches your case, the visa officer will require an Assurance of Support (AoS), which must be provided by a financial assurer.

A financial assurer must be an adult and must be an Australian resident(residents include Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents); one financial assurer can sponsor a maximum of two adults at the same time — there is no limit on the number of dependent children they can sponsor.

The income requirement for financial assurers is something many people ask about — there is a specific formula:

Financial assurer income requirement = annual Newstart Allowance × (number of assurers + number of adult assuredpersons) + (annual Family Benefit Part A + Family Benefit Part A Supplement) × number of the assurer’s dependent children under 18.

Note:

1. Newstart Allowance is calculated on a ‘single, with children’ basis

2. ‘Income’ refers to pre-tax income (Taxable Income shown on the ATO Tax Notice of Assessment)

3. A maximum of 3 financial assurers, and jointly they can sponsor a maximum of two people

4. Dependent children under 18 among the applicants are not counted.

5. Both the previous financial year and the current financial year’s income must meet the requirement

The current Newstart Allowance is 642.7 × 26 = $16,710.20 per year

Family benefit Part A=61.46*26=$1597.96,

Family Benefit Part A Supplement = $788.40; the combined total is $2,386.36

As an example, if one person is sponsoring your parents and a sibling under 18, the income the financial assurer needs to demonstrate is 16,710.20 × 3 (1 assurer + 2 adult assuredpersons) + 2,386.36 × 1 = $52,516.96

Newstart Allowance and the Family Benefit Part A generally increase by a small amount each year, typically 3–5%.

For the most accurate financial assurer income calculation, refer to the official government formula:https://www.centrelink.gov.au/custsite_aoscalc/aoscalc/financialCalPage.jsf?prg_id=77a65e35c14b4f00a08a3b3f4b7e4eac&wec-appid=aoscalc&page=1C0EADC1A5804952B374580CFFB9BDFD&wec-locale=en_US#stay

Q8: What benefits can parents access after their visa is granted? When can they access superannuation? Is there a residency requirement?

After the parent visa is granted, parents can immediately accessprimarily Australia’s universal Medicare healthcare system— most other benefits are generally not available until ten years after the grant. Their PR visa, like other PR visas, generally requires two years’ residence within five years to renew the next five-year return visa; if two years’ residence has not been met, generally only a one-year or shorter return visa can be renewed.

Q9: If I’m applying for parent migration for my parents, can I include my brother or sister?

Yes, but there are certain conditions and corresponding fees.

Generally, if your brother or sister is under 18,as a dependent child, they can be included in the application directly — the visa application fee is AUD 650, and the Stage 2 contribution is only AUD 2,095. And as I mentioned earlier, this AUD 2,095 is calculated based on their age at the time of lodgement, not at the time of processing!

If your brother or sister is over 18, it may still be possible to include them in the application,but they would need to demonstrate they are stilldependent on your parents(generally still in school, with evidence that parents are paying tuition fees).However, they must also not be over 23 at the time of grant, unless the application was lodged before 5 November 2018,because in that year the Department changed the legislative provisions regarding family members. Given the progressively longer wait times, this may result in applications lodged after late 2018 with siblings included finding that the sibling no longer meets the family member requirements at the time of processing, necessitating their removal from the application.

Q10: After lodging a parent migration application, what should I be aware of?

Parent migration currently has a lengthy processing cycle — after lodging, there are generally a few important points to note.The first is that you cannot be absent from Australia for extended periods(with the current pandemic, most people won’t be leaving for any particular reason anyway). The Migration Act explicitly states that the sponsoring child must not only be settled in Australia at the time of lodgement, but must continue to be settled in Australia throughout the processing period. ‘Settled’ generally means no more than three months’ absence from Australia in any year.Of course, if you have already obtained citizenship, or are returning to China for purposes closely related to Australia(such as being posted to a Chinese subsidiary by an Australian company), exceptions may be possible. During the pandemic, we have encountered cases where a sponsor has been abroad for an extended period — after explanation to the Department, they were found to still meet the requirement!

The other point is to keep a close eye on your email and processing progress— if you want to check processing progress, you can send an email with any subject line to the Department at: “WA Parents” <parents@homeaffairs.gov.au> (please do not email too frequently — some inboxes that email too frequently may no longer receive automatic replies); the Department will very quickly send an automated reply with the latest processing progress.

Three to six months before processing reaches your case, the Department will contact you to prepare any additional documents still required, such as police clearances, medical examinations, and the AoS.

For parent migration enquiries

please contact our team below

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