SUBCLASS 870 · 2026 UPDATE

This article was published in April 2026 — the current version is here

The Subclass 870 visa’s eligibility requirements, income threshold, application charges, processing times and GTE requirement are set out in full in our August 2026 update.

If you only read one, read the update; the article below is kept as an archive.

Read the 2026 Subclass 870 guide →Free assessment

Subclass 870 Parent Visa: Eligibility Criteria and Sponsorship Requirements

If you are the parents of a PR holder or citizen, a visitor visa lets you stay for a maximum of 12 months at a time — which simply isn’t enough. You have to keep careful track of the timing to exit and re-enter (you cannot stay for more than 12 months within any 18-month period), which is inconvenient. On top of that, parent migration now takes at least ten-plus years to be processed. So let’s keep explaining how parents can live in Australia over an extended period!

You can stay in Australia continuously for up to 5 years at a time, and once it expires you can renew it.

In fact, for the parents of a PR holder or citizen, there is a visa category called the Subclass 870 visa.

1. Advantages over a visitor visa

On your very first application you can apply for a five-year visa, and during the visa period you don’t need to leave the country at all — you can stay for as long as you like. This is the biggest difference from a visitor visa.
This visa can also be renewed once more, allowing parents to stay in Australia for up to 10 years.
It can be applied for alongside parent migration — while you wait in the parent migration queue, you can hold the Subclass 870 visa and remain in Australia continuously over the long term to care for your children and family.

2. Advantages over parent migration

Processing is relatively fast, which addresses the urgent need of parents who require long-term residence right now.
With sound planning by a professional and in the right circumstances, after lodging the Subclass 870 application parents can be granted a bridging visa and then wait onshore in Australia for the grant, whereas the Subclass 143 has no bridging visa and requires applicants to be offshore for the grant.
If your child cannot apply for sponsorship eligibility for the time being — for example, they hold a Subclass 820 and have not yet formally obtained PR — the child’s partner who holds PR or is a citizen can act as the sponsor instead.
There is an income requirement of AUD 83,454.80 for the sponsor; if your individual income is not enough, you can combine your spouse’s income.

Parent migration and the Subclass 870 visa are not an either/or choice — they are designed to be used together. If you have already lodged a parent migration application and hold a visitor visa that allows a maximum stay of 18 months at a time, you can still apply for the Subclass 870 visa. If you haven’t yet lodged a parent migration application, we recommend lodging the parent migration first and then applying for the Subclass 870 visa.

Plan for the long term while reuniting your family in Australia as soon as possible.

3. Things to note

1. You need to take out your own insurance. Some people may worry about medical matters, but there is really no need to worry too much. The Subclass 870 visa requires you to hold insurance, and the monthly premium is roughly AUD 160-180, covering most commonly used items.

2. Processing is slowing down, so plan early. If you need a seamless transition and cannot afford for elderly parents to be offshore for several months, the time spent outside Australia should be kept as short as possible — you must plan ahead. The Subclass 870 application involves two steps: first, the child obtains sponsorship eligibility; second, the parents apply for the visa and have it granted. Because processing times keep getting longer, the Department of Home Affairs website now shows that sponsorship eligibility takes 5 months and the visa takes 7-9 months.

Subclass 870 sponsorship progress

Subclass 870 application progress

If your parents are currently onshore on a visitor visa, it is entirely possible to transition seamlessly from the visitor visa to the Subclass 870 visa, keeping the time your parents spend offshore to an absolute minimum! Get in touch with us right away!