Many PR and citizen clients are often unsure how long a tourist visa arranged for their parents can actually last. There is a lot of conflicting information online. Today we will set out the facts clearly in one go.

First, when we talk about how long a tourist visa lasts, we need to distinguish two separate concepts:

1、the length of the visa， — that is, how long it is valid for

2. the other is the maximum stay allowed per entry to Australia

Australia does not have a so-called “family-visit visa” — anyone who wants to visit family, travel, or see friends applies for the same Subclass 600 Visitor visa.

Let’s start with the per-entry stay period

— 3-month stay per entry:Parents of PR holders or citizens can apply, like any other applicant, for a 3-month stay per entry. The advantage is that no medical examination is required.

— 12-month stay per entry:If you want your parents to stay longer in one go, you can also apply for a visa that allows a stay of up to 12 months within any 18-month period，This is a “privilege” reserved for parents of PR holders and citizens, but it requires a medical examination and health insurance.

Now for the overall visa length

If your parents are coming to Australia for the first time:

If they have never been to Australia before, they can opt for a 1-year multiple-entry visa with a 3-month stay per entry. If a single stay of only 3 months is too short。, they can choose a single stay of 12 months, or up to 12 months within any 18-month period.

If your parents have already visited Australia:

including visits during your student-visa period, your Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa period, or while waiting for PR to be granted — in that case the next application is relatively more flexible. They can apply for a 3-year multiple-entry visa, again with a maximum stay of no more than 12 months in any 18-month period.

Can we apply for a 5-year visa?

If you have lodged a Parent migration application and have received a queue date letterqueue letter — note, this must be a queue date letter, not simply an application acknowledgment letter (see image below) — in that case, whether under Subclass 103 or Subclass 143, applicants are now generally granted a 5-year multiple-entry visa, again with a maximum single stay of 12 months.

Additional note: if you have lodged a Subclass 143/864 Parent migration application but have not yet received a queue date letter,

this does not mean your application is not in the queue. Contributory Parent 143/864 applications enter the queue the moment they are lodged, so there is no need to worry.

If you made a mistake while DIY-applying and your parents ended up with a visa that is too short, or one that allows too little stay time, please get in touch and we can see whether a longer visa can be applied for.

Parents of non-PR / non-citizen applicants

If your child holds a Subclass 500, 485, 462, 482 or 820 visa — any non-permanent visa, including the Subclass 491 provisional PR visa — or has lodged a Subclass 189, 191, 190 or 801 PR application that has not yet been granted,

the parents can for now only apply for a Subclass 600 Visitor visa with a 3-month stay per entry. If this is their first trip to Australia, the grant is generally a 1-year multiple-entry visa, with a maximum stay of 3 months per entry. If they have visited Australia before, a 3-year multiple-entry visa is more common, again with a maximum of 3 months per entry.

Many people assume that because they have been in Australia for years or are on their way to PR, a short parent visit should not be a problem, and they rush into a DIY application — only to be refused within 2 to 3 weeks.Once there is a refusal history on file, even after the child obtains PR, a future tourist visa application becomes harder than it would have been without that refusal. For that reason we strongly recommend lodging through a qualified professional.

If you need help with a tourist visa application,

please contact us.