Choosing an Australian Parent Visa: 103, 143, 173, 804 and 870 Compared by Queue Time, Cost and Sequence
Australia has seven visas for parents: the queued Parent (subclass 103) and Aged Parent (subclass 804) visas, the contributory 143/173 and 864/884 visas, and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for time together without settlement. What separates them is not the names but three things: whether the parent gets permanent residence or a period of time in Australia, where the parent must be when the application is lodged, and how much it costs and how long it takes. Settle those three first and the choice becomes much simpler.
This page follows the Department of Home Affairs website as it currently reads. It puts the seven visas side by side in one table, explains how capping and queueing work, what the two instalments and the Assurance of Support are, who the 870 and the 143 each suit, and the common application sequences. Every fee, waiting estimate and income threshold on this page was checked against the official site on 15 October 2026. Confirm the charges and the sponsorship income rules that apply to the relevant application when you lodge; the waiting estimates are the Department’s estimates at that date and can change after lodgement.
Answer three questions before choosing a subclass
Settlement, or time together
If the goal is for your parents to live in Australia permanently, work and use Medicare, you are looking at a permanent visa: the 103, 143, 804 or 864, or the two-step 173 and 884 that lead to them. If you only want your parents to stay for a few years at a time with no plan to settle, the 870 temporary visa is more direct, but it does not lead to permanent residence and holders cannot work. This question decides everything that follows.
In Australia now, or overseas
The aged parent visas 804, 864 and 884 require the parent to be in Australia both when applying and when the decision is made. The 103, 143 and 173 can be lodged in or outside Australia, but the parent must generally be outside Australia when the decision is made. The 870 must be lodged from outside Australia unless the Department gives permission to apply onshore. Where your parents are, and which visa they hold, directly decides which subclasses are open, and whether they can stay in Australia while they wait.
Budget and how long you can wait
The queued 103 and 804 cost from AUD 8,665, but the Department’s estimated wait for a new application is 42 years. The contributory 143 and 864 cost from AUD 49,900 with an estimated wait of 18 years. The 870 charges AUD 6,370 or AUD 12,440 for a stay of up to 3 or 5 years and sits outside the queue. Money and time usually have to be weighed together, and whether a combination suits a family is assessed case by case.
The seven parent visas in one table
The table lists, for each subclass, whether it is permanent or temporary, where the parent must be when applying, the visa application charge from which a single applicant starts, the Department’s estimated wait for a new application, and the situation it suits. All fees are standard single-applicant starting prices paid in two instalments; where family members may be included, additional applicant charges apply.
| Visa | Permanent / temporary | Where the parent must be (lodgement / decision) | Charge from (single) | Official wait estimate | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103 Parent | Permanent | Lodge in or outside; outside at decision | AUD 8,665 | 42 years | Limited budget, can accept a very long queue |
| 143 Contributory Parent | Permanent | Lodge in or outside; usually outside at decision | AUD 49,900 | 18 years | Settlement, budget available |
| 173 Contributory Parent (Temporary) | Temporary, 2 years | Lodge in or outside; outside at decision | AUD 33,375 | 18 years (same queue as 143) | Heading for the 143 but paying in two steps |
| 804 Aged Parent | Permanent | In Australia at lodgement and decision | AUD 8,665 | 42 years | Age pension age, onshore, limited budget |
| 864 Contributory Aged Parent | Permanent | In Australia at lodgement and decision | AUD 49,900 | 18 years | Age pension age, onshore, settlement |
| 884 Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) | Temporary, 2 years | In Australia at lodgement and decision | AUD 35,430 | 18 years (same queue as 864) | Heading for the 864 but paying in two steps |
| 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | Temporary, up to 3 or 5 years per grant, 10 in total | Lodge outside (unless permitted onshore); in or outside at decision | AUD 6,370 (3 yrs) / 12,440 (5 yrs) | Not queued | Time together, no plan to settle |
Queued: 103 and 804
The Parent visa (subclass 103) and the Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) are permanent visas with the lowest charges and the longest queue: the Department estimates 42 years for a new application. The difference between them is that the 804 requires the parent to have reached the age at which they could receive the Australian age pension, and to be in Australia when applying.
Contributory: 143/173 and 864/884
The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) and the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) are permanent visas with a higher charge and a shorter queue, estimated at 18 years. The 173 and 884 are the matching two-year temporary visas that let a family pay in two steps: hold the temporary visa first, then apply for the permanent 143 or 864 before it expires, without having to pass the balance of family test a second time. The 864 and 884 also require the parent to have reached age pension age and to apply in Australia.
Temporary, for time together: 870
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) is not queued. Each grant allows a stay of up to 3 or 5 years, up to 10 years in total. It does not lead to permanent residence, holders cannot work, family members cannot be included in the same application, and adequate Australian health insurance must be kept for the whole stay. The child must first be approved as a Parent Sponsor and pass an income test. While an 870 application is pending or the visa is held, no other parent visa can be applied for, and a former holder must have left Australia after it ceased before applying for a permanent parent visa.
The fees and waiting estimates in this table were checked against the Department of Home Affairs website on 15 October 2026. Confirm the charges that apply when you lodge; the waiting estimates are the Department’s estimates at that date and can change after lodgement. The Department generally updates them once a year at the start of the program year.
How long is the queue: capping, queue dates and the official estimate
Every parent visa except the 870 is subject to capping and queueing. The Department can grant only a fixed number of parent visas in each migration program year; once that number is reached, the remaining applications stay in the queue until places become available in a later year.
Assessment happens in two stages. After lodgement the Department makes an initial assessment. Applications that meet the core criteria, including health and character, are given a queue date and told in writing; applications that do not meet them are refused. Later, as places are released, the Department takes applications out of the queue in queue-date order for final assessment.
According to the Department’s website, as at 31 August 2026 it had released Contributory Parent applications with a queue date up to November 2018, Contributory Aged Parent applications up to November 2020, Parent applications up to March 2014 and Aged Parent applications up to October 2014.
For a new application, the Department’s estimated processing time is 18 years for the contributory parent visas and 42 years for the Parent and Aged Parent visas. The website notes that the estimate is based on the current number of places available each year, is generally updated at the start of each program year, and does not indicate how long any individual application will take.
Being in the queue does not entitle a parent to stay in Australia. Ordinary 103, 143 and 173 applications generally carry no bridging visa and the parent must be outside Australia at decision; 804, 864 and 884 applications lodged onshore are usually granted a bridging visa, but check the current visa and its conditions. Families who want time together while they wait can consider an 870 or a Visitor visa (subclass 600), but the order of applications matters, as explained below.
Not sure which one fits your family?
Fees come in two instalments, and permanent visas need an Assurance of Support
Two instalments
All seven visas are paid in two instalments: the first when you apply and the second when the Department asks for it. The split differs by subclass: for the 143 and 864 the second instalment is the larger part, while for the 103 and 804 the first instalment is larger than the second. The 173 and 884 each have their own two instalments; the later 143 or 864 application is a separate visa application with its own second-stage charge, lower than applying directly. Where family members may be included, additional applicant charges apply, and health examinations, police certificates and biometrics may cost extra.
Assurance of Support
The four permanent visas, 103, 143, 804 and 864, require an Assurance of Support at the final assessment stage: a person, several people or an organisation undertakes to Services Australia that the parent will not rely on income support during the assurance period, and must repay any recoverable payments the parent receives. The period starts on the later of the parent’s arrival and the visa grant, and runs for 10 years for the 143 and 864 and 4 years for the 103 and 804. The assurer need not be the visa sponsor, but must meet Services Australia’s income and other requirements and lodge a bank guarantee under its rules; the amount and the income standard are those Services Australia currently sets. The temporary 173 and 884 stage and the 870 have no Assurance of Support requirement; the retirement pathway has its own rules, not covered here.
Balance of family test
The six visas 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884 all require the parent to pass the balance of family test. First identify the children counted under the Department’s rules: eligible children are Australian citizens, permanent residents usually resident in Australia and eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia; children in Australia on a temporary visa do not count as usually resident. The test is met if at least half of the counted children are eligible children, or if eligible children outnumber the children living in any other single country. Specified exclusions apply. The Department states that the test cannot be waived for any reason; a 173 or 884 holder applying for the 143 or 864 does not take it again. The 870 does not require it.
870 or 143: decide the goal, then the visa
Both visas generally need a sponsor in Australia, usually the parent’s child. The difference is that the 870 is for time together, while the 143 is for settling permanently.
When the 870 fits
The 870 is a temporary visa: each grant allows a stay of up to 3 or 5 years, up to 10 years in total, and it does not convert to permanent residence. Holders cannot work, cannot include family members in the same application, and must keep adequate Australian health insurance throughout. A further 870 must meet the requirements afresh, and an offshore repeat application also requires 90 consecutive days outside Australia counted from the relevant departure day. The charge is per parent, AUD 6,370 for up to 3 years or AUD 12,440 for up to 5 years, paid in two instalments, plus AUD 420 when the child lodges the sponsorship application. The sponsor must pass an income test: taxable income of at least AUD 83,454.80 in the last completed income year before the sponsorship application, which can be combined with the income of a spouse or de facto partner and/or another eligible child of the parent if it falls short, provided the sponsor personally meets at least half of the threshold. The sponsor must also meet age, status and residence requirements, and a household can hold only one sponsorship at a time, covering up to two parents. The 870 sits outside the parent visa queue; its focus is time together, not settlement.
When the 143 fits
The 143 is a permanent visa: once granted, parents can live in Australia indefinitely, work and study, and enrol in Medicare. The charge starts from AUD 49,900 for a single applicant, paid in two instalments, and the visa also requires an Assurance of Support and the balance of family test. Places are capped each year and applications are processed in queue-date order; the Department’s website currently estimates 18 years for a new contributory parent application and notes that this estimate changes with the number of places and applications.
Can the two be combined
Order matters. Parents who have already lodged a permanent parent visa such as the 143 can still hold an 870 to visit, but cannot use it to remain permanently while the 143 is decided. The other way round, while an 870 application is pending or the visa is held, a 143 or any other parent visa cannot be lodged, and a former 870 holder must have left Australia after the visa ceased before applying for a permanent parent visa. Whether and when to combine them should be assessed by a registered migration agent against the parents’ visa status and travel history.
Common application sequences
173 then 143, 884 then 864: paying in two steps
Applying for the two-year 173 or 884 first, then for the permanent 143 or 864 while it is still in effect, is the two-step pathway the Department lists; the Department recommends lodging stage two as soon as the temporary visa is granted. The total costs more than applying for the permanent visa directly, but it is spread over several years, and the balance of family test passed in the first step is not repeated in the second. The two steps must not be allowed to lapse: the Department recognises only an applicant who holds the temporary visa at the time of application or held it within the 28 days before; once it has ceased for more than 28 days, the application is processed as a standard one unless compelling and compassionate circumstances are shown with evidence and accepted by the Minister. This rule does not extend lawful stay. A qualifying stage-two application has its own processing arrangements, so the 18-year estimate for new applications does not apply to it.
Lodge the permanent visa first, then visit on an 870 or a 600
A family heading for the 143 or 103 can lodge an eligible permanent application first; a queue date is assigned only after the initial assessment. Whether an 870 or a Visitor visa (subclass 600) can be used for time together while waiting needs a separate assessment. The order cannot be reversed: while an 870 application is pending or the visa is held, no other parent visa can be lodged.
Parents at age pension age and already in Australia: 804, 864, 884
A parent who has reached Australian age pension age and is already in Australia can consider the aged parent visas 804, 864 or 884. All three require the parent to be in Australia both when applying and when the decision is made. Where the current visa carries a No Further Stay condition, a waiver must first be granted before an onshore application can be made; requesting a waiver does not remove the restriction or extend the current visa. The same applies to other applications lodged onshore, such as the 173.
Short visits only: the Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Parents who only plan to stay a few months a year usually do not need a parent visa; first assess whether the Visitor visa (subclass 600) suits their circumstances. What to do when a 600 is granted for only 6 months with condition 8503 is covered on our dedicated page.
How Newstars helps
Newstars’ registered migration agents start by working out which pathway suits your family: whether the goal is settlement or time together, where the parents are now, whether the children can sponsor and provide an Assurance of Support, and what cost and waiting time are acceptable. They then set out the steps and the document list for that pathway. For queued and contributory applications they follow up the queue-date notice, the second instalment and the Assurance of Support when each falls due; for the 870 they apply for sponsorship approval first, then lodge the visa application within six months of approval from outside Australia, or within 60 days where permission to apply in Australia has been granted.
What Newstars does
Migration advice is given by the registered migration agents in Newstars’ migration team. This page is general information compiled from the Department of Home Affairs website as it currently reads; it is not advice on any individual case and does not indicate the outcome of any application.
Want to know which visa fits your family? Tell us your parents’ ages, where they are and the children’s situation, and a registered migration agent will make an initial assessment first.
Book a Free Initial Assessment →Frequently asked questions about parent visas
Which parent visas does Australia have?
Seven in all: the queued Parent visa (subclass 103) and Aged Parent visa (subclass 804); the contributory visas 143 (Contributory Parent), 173 (Contributory Parent Temporary), 864 (Contributory Aged Parent) and 884 (Contributory Aged Parent Temporary); and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870), which is not queued and does not lead to permanent residence.
How long is the wait for a contributory parent visa now?
The Department of Home Affairs estimates 18 years for a new contributory parent application (143, 173, 864 or 884). As at 31 August 2026 it had released 143 applications with a queue date up to November 2018 and 864 applications up to November 2020. This is the Department’s estimate based on current places, generally updated at the start of each program year, and does not indicate how long an individual application will take.
How do I check the progress of a 143 application?
The Department does not answer individual progress enquiries. Instead it publishes, on its parent visa queue release dates page, the queue date up to which applications have been released, and writes to you when your application is released. Your own queue date is given in writing after the initial assessment; comparing it with the published release date shows roughly where you stand.
What is the difference between the 103 and the 143?
Both are permanent parent visas with essentially the same requirements. The difference is money and time: the 103 starts from AUD 8,665 for a single applicant with an estimated wait of 42 years for a new application; the 143 starts from AUD 49,900 with an estimated wait of 18 years. Both need a sponsor, the balance of family test and an Assurance of Support.
Can an 870 lead to permanent residence?
No. The 870 is a temporary visa and does not lead to permanent residence. While an 870 is pending or held no other parent visa can be applied for, and a former holder must have left Australia after it ceased before applying for a permanent parent visa. A family that wants permanent residence for the parents should lodge the permanent application first, then assess whether an 870 can be used for time together.
What is the balance of family test?
First identify the children counted under the Department’s rules; eligible children are Australian citizens, permanent residents usually resident in Australia and eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia. The test is met if at least half of the counted children are eligible, or if eligible children outnumber the children living in any other single country; specified exclusions apply. The 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884 all require it and the Department does not waive it for any reason; the 870 does not require it.
What is an Assurance of Support and how long does it last?
An Assurance of Support is a legal undertaking to Services Australia that the parent will not rely on income support during the assurance period, with the assurer repaying any recoverable payments the parent receives. The period starts on the later of the parent’s arrival and the visa grant, and runs for 10 years for the 143 and 864 and 4 years for the 103 and 804. The assurer can be one person, several people or an organisation, must meet Services Australia’s income requirement and must lodge a bank guarantee; the amount is set by Services Australia’s current rules.
Can the parent visa charge be paid in instalments?
Yes. All seven visas are paid in two instalments: the first on lodgement and the second when the Department asks for it. To split the contributory charge further, a family can take the 173 to 143 or 884 to 864 pathway, paying the temporary visa charge first and the permanent visa portion some years later.
Can parents come to Australia while they are in the queue?
An 870 or a Visitor visa (subclass 600) can be assessed for time together, but neither allows the parent to remain permanently, and the permanent application must be lodged before the 870 is applied for; while an 870 is pending or held no other parent visa can be lodged. Ordinary 103, 143 and 173 applications generally carry no bridging visa and the parent must be outside Australia at decision; 804, 864 and 884 applications lodged onshore are usually granted a bridging visa.
What is the age requirement for the aged parent visas?
The 804, 864 and 884 require the parent to have reached the age at which they could receive the Australian age pension, as set by Services Australia’s current rules, and to be in Australia when applying.
What is the income requirement for an 870 sponsor?
Measured on the last completed income year before the sponsorship application is lodged, the sponsor’s taxable income must be at least AUD 83,454.80. If it falls short, it can be combined with the income of a spouse or de facto partner and/or another eligible child of the parent, but the sponsor’s own income must be at least half of that amount. This figure was read from the official site in October 2026; the rules that apply are those in force when the sponsorship application is lodged.
Will the fees and waiting times on this page change?
Yes. Visa application charges are generally adjusted on 1 July each year, the waiting estimates are generally updated at the start of each program year, and the queue release dates move as processing progresses. The figures on this page were read from the Department of Home Affairs website in October 2026 when the page was built; check the current figures on the official site before lodging, or have a registered migration agent confirm them.
Decide the goal first, then the visa, the sequence and the budget
Tell us your parents’ ages, where they are and the children’s situation. A registered migration agent makes a free initial assessment: which pathway fits, what to prepare and roughly how long the wait is.
