Subclass 600 visitor visa update
Three pathways for parents to stay in Australia long term
Subclass 600 visitor visas granted recently commonly carry a shorter validity period and condition 8503, which closes off the onshore lodgement pathway.
Depending on how much validity is left on your parents’ current visa, there are three pathways — short, medium and long term.
Related pages: Subclass 870 visa page · Why condition 8503 is now common
If your parents would like to stay in Australia longer to be with their children, the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa is the option many families are now considering.
Recently, many Australian PRs and citizens have found that when their parents apply for a Subclass 600 visitor visa, it comes with condition 8503 (No Further Stay), or the period of stay granted is noticeably shorter. That has left many families hoping for a long reunion in Australia asking the same question: apart from a visitor visa, is there a better option for a long visit?
This article walks through the Subclass 870 visa’s eligibility requirements, fees, income requirement, processing times and frequently asked questions.
What is the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa?
The Subclass 870 visa is a temporary parent visa that allows eligible parents to stay in Australia continuously for up to three or five years at a time.
Compared with a Subclass 600 visitor visa, which usually allows a stay of three, six or twelve months, the biggest advantage of the Subclass 870 visa is a lawful, unbroken stay of three or five years — better suited to families who want a long reunion.
It is worth noting that the Subclass 870 visa is still a temporary visa in nature. It does not lead directly to Australian permanent residency and cannot be used as a migration visa.
Subclass 870 visa eligibility requirements
Before a Subclass 870 visa can be lodged, the sponsor must first apply for sponsorship. Only once the sponsorship is approved can the parents lodge their visa application.
The sponsor must meet the following basic requirements:
- Be an Australian permanent resident (PR) or an Australian citizen
- Have usually been resident in Australia for at least four years before the sponsorship application is lodged (Usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years)
- Meet the income requirement
- One family can sponsor a maximum of two parents
Income requirement
The current income threshold is AUD 83,454.80.
The income can be household income, made up of:
- the main sponsor
- their spouse or partner
- other children of the sponsored parents (where eligible)
combining to meet the income requirement.
Note, however, that the main sponsor’s own income must be at least 50 per cent of the threshold — currently at least AUD 41,727.40.
In addition, the Department of Home Affairs generally only looks at the ATO Notice of Assessment for the most recent completed financial year at the time the sponsorship application is lodged.
If income in the last financial year fell short of the requirement but this financial year now meets it, it is worth completing the previous year’s tax return first and then considering lodgement.
Subclass 870 visa processing times
The Subclass 870 visa has two stages:
The first step is to apply for sponsorship.
Once the sponsorship is approved, the parents can formally lodge the Subclass 870 visa application.
At present the sponsorship application and the visa application each usually take about two to four months, so the overall processing time is generally around four to eight months. Actual timeframes are subject to the Department of Home Affairs.
Subclass 870 visa application charges
The main charges at present are:
Sponsorship application charge
- AUD 420
Visa application charge
Three-year visa:
- total AUD 6,370
- first instalment AUD 1,515
- second instalment AUD 4,855
Five-year visa:
- total AUD 12,440
- first instalment AUD 1,515
- second instalment AUD 10,925
There are other costs to allow for as well, for example:
- Immigration medical examination (about CNY 1,500–2,000 per person in China; about AUD 350–500 per person in Australia)
- Police clearance certificate (about CNY 200–500 per person in China, including translation and notarisation; if the applicant has spent a cumulative 12 months or more in Australia in the past 10 years, an AFP National Police Check is also required, at about AUD 42 per person.)
Children sponsoring their parents
Case-by-case assessment of sponsorship eligibility and the income test
Sponsorship eligibility and the income test must both be worked out case by case.
You can book a registered migration agent to assess your family’s circumstances, at no charge.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How long does a Subclass 870 visa take to be granted?
A: You need to apply for sponsorship first, then lodge the visa application.
Generally the sponsorship and the visa application each take about two to four months, so the overall processing time is usually around four to eight months.
Q: Which year’s income counts towards the income requirement?
A: Usually only the ATO Notice of Assessment for the most recent completed financial year at the time the sponsorship application is lodged.
If your income now meets the requirement but last financial year’s tax return has not been completed, it is worth completing it before lodging.
Q: If a parent migration application has already been lodged, can we still apply for the Subclass 870 visa?
A: Yes, and it does not affect the parent migration application.
The order of lodgement does need particular attention, though.
Under the Department’s rules, while a Subclass 870 visa is held or a Subclass 870 application is still being processed, a new parent migration application generally cannot be lodged.
So if parent migration is part of the plan for the future, it is better to lodge the parent migration application first and then apply for the Subclass 870 visa.
Q: Does the Subclass 870 visa have to be lodged from outside Australia?
A: Yes.
The Subclass 870 visa requires the applicant to be outside Australia at the time the visa application is lodged.
The good news is that the applicant can be in Australia when the visa is granted.
For example, parents can lodge the Subclass 870 application offshore and then apply for a Subclass 600 visitor visa to come to Australia while they wait. When the Department finishes processing the Subclass 870 application, the visa can be granted even if the parents are in Australia at the time — there is no need to leave the country just to receive the grant.
Q: What is GTE, and why does the Subclass 870 visa need to satisfy it?
A: The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is how the Department assesses whether an applicant genuinely intends to come to Australia on a temporary basis.
Although the Subclass 870 visa allows a stay of three to five years at a time, it is still a temporary visa, so the Department needs to be satisfied that the applicant will leave Australia when it expires.
If parents have repeatedly come to Australia on visitor visas and stayed for the maximum period each time, a case officer may suspect an intention to live in Australia long term.
It is therefore worth providing solid evidence that the parents retain close ties at home, such as:
- property at home
- a regular pension income
- other children or close relatives at home
- plans and arrangements for returning home
A clearly reasoned GTE statement explaining the purpose of the visit and the plans for returning home also helps make the application more persuasive.
Q: Does a previous visa refusal or visa breach affect a Subclass 870 application?
A: It can.
If the parents have had a visa refused, overstayed, or breached visa conditions, the Department will usually pay closer attention to their visa history.
In that situation, prepare a thorough explanation in advance and provide evidence appropriate to the circumstances, to reduce any adverse effect on the application.
In summary
As more and more parents’ visitor visas come with condition 8503 or a shorter period of stay, the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa has become an important option for Australian PR and citizen families seeking a long reunion.
That said, the Subclass 870 visa has requirements around sponsor income, the order of lodgement, GTE and supporting documents. If parent migration is also planned for the future, the timing needs to be worked out in advance so that an unsuitable order of lodgement does not affect later visa arrangements.
If you are unsure whether your family meets the Subclass 870 visa requirements, or you would like an assessment of the best option for a long-term reunion, it is worth speaking to a professional migration agent before lodging so that a suitable strategy can be built around your family’s circumstances.
