Current Processing Status of the Subclass 143 Contributory Parent Visa

According to the Department of Home Affairs’ 2020–21 Migration Programme Report, as at 30 June 2021, the total backlog of parent migration visa applications stood at 114,359 — a 5.2% increase on the same period the previous year. With the annual parent visa quota set at just 4,500 places over the past two years, wait times have grown significantly longer.

Encouragingly, the government has increased the parent migration visa quota to 6,000 places for the next financial year, which should help to ease the severe backlog somewhat.

Processing speed is primarily determined by:the annual grant quota, the volume of applications in the backlog,the number of visas refused or granted, processing requirements, and the Department of Home Affairs’ internal resourcing arrangements —among other factors.

Lodged Mid-2016 — Wait Time of 6–7 Years

As at January 2022, the Department of Home Affairs website indicated that Contributory Parent visa applications lodged up to June 2016 were being processed. Many clients who have already lodged often ask: where is processing up to now?The answer — June 2016 — has not changed for well over a year,not because the Department is not granting visas, but because the number of grants is completely mismatched with the volume of applications lodged each month. Applicants from mid-2016 have now been waiting 6–7 years.

For more detailed analysis, see:Why the Subclass 143 Parent Visa Processing Seems Stuck at Mid-2016

One positive sign is that, in early April, some of our clients who lodged in July 2016 received requests for additional information, indicating that processing has begun to advance into July.

Lodging Now — A Wait of 10-Plus Years Is Already an Optimistic Estimate

For those lodging a new application today, let us estimate the wait time using the fastest-processing option — the Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa:

As at the end of February 2022 (the latest data we obtained from the Department of Home Affairs), there were over 65,000 applications in the backlog,using the next financial year’s quota of 6,000 grants, and applying the historical ratio of 4:1 between contributory and non-contributory parent visas,the contributory stream as a whole would receive approximately 4,800 places;(for simplicity, this optimistic estimate assumes all 4,800 contributory places go to Subclass 143, excluding Subclass 864 and others).A rough estimate puts the wait time for a new application at over 13 years (65,000 ÷ 4,800).

Overall, contributory parent migration is unquestionably slowing further.

As for the non-contributory Subclass 103 Parent visa, the estimated wait is at least 30 years or more. As a result, many applicants who initially lodged a Subclass 103 are now switching to the Subclass 143 contributory stream — fortunately, this does not affect their place in the queue.

As successive waves of new migrants settle in Australia, the number of people lodging parent migration applications is unlikely to fall sharply any time soon,which is why we have consistently argued that a meaningful increase in the grant quota is the only real solution.

Eligibility requirements:

— the child must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen,and must have been living in Australia for at least two years;

— satisfy the family balance test;

— have an assurance of support sponsor;

— meet health and character requirements.

Visa fees: (excluding migration agent service fees)

— visa application charge: AUD 4,225 (payable at the time of lodgement)

— second instalment (contributory amount): AUD 43,600 (payable when your application is reached for processing)

— the assurance of support sponsor pays a bond of AUD 10,000 (plus AUD 4,000 for each secondary applicant). This bond is refunded after 10 years, provided the visa holder has not received any government welfare payments during that period. As a result, parents cannot receive the Age Pension for the first 10 years after obtaining PR.

– Medicare (public health insurance)

– parents aged 60 and over may apply for a Seniors Card,which provides extensive concessions across many areas of everyday life, including public transport, travel, exhibitions, performances, shopping, health care, and financial advisory services.

– free English language tuition

– caring for grandchildren (with government childcare subsidies available)

– social welfare benefits

– future eligibility for the Age Pension

– freedom to travel and live between Australia and China to visit family and friends

This is something of a special concession that emerged from the pandemic. For parent migration visa applicants, those who have already lodged a parent visa application during the pandemic may, if they meet the following criteria,be eligible for a bridging visa to remain in Australia while awaiting a decision, without the need to repeatedly apply for visitor visas.

Applicants may apply for and be granted a Bridging Visa A (BVA):

– the applicant lodged a parent migration visa application before 24 March 2021;

– if a non-paper-based application was lodged from outside Australia;

– the applicant held a substantive visa (such as a visitor visa) at the time of lodgement;

– the applicant was in Australia on 24 March 2021;

– the parent migration visa application is still being processed.

Case Study 1: Bridging Visa A granted after lodging a Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa application

Case Study 2: Bridging Visa A granted after lodging a Subclass 103 (queue-based) Parent visa application

If the applicant did not hold a substantive visa at the time of lodging the parent visa,the applicant is not eligible for a BVA;however, they may be eligible for a Bridging Visa E (BVE) (discussed further below).