It’s that time of year again — the end of the financial year,time for our parent migration processing summary and update.Compared to this time last year,the news on parent migration is relatively more encouraging.First,the parent migration quota has not been exhausted this financial year — processing remains slow, but unlike last financial year, there has been no situation where the quota ran out months early, leaving applicants with nothing to do but wait.Second, we have learned thatthe overall parent migration quota for the next financial year (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023) has increased, rising from 4,500 this financial year to 6,000,and based on the previous contributory-to-queue ratio of 4:1,the contributory stream is expected to receive 4,800 places and the queue stream 1,200.
This Financial Year
Parent-related Changes
Before getting into the main content, let’s recap the key news from this financial year relating to parent migration and parent visas.
1. Parent migration categories including the Subclass 103, 143, and 173 can still be granted onshore in Australia.
Previously, the Subclass 143 required applicants to be offshore at the time of grant. Taking into account the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the Department of Home Affairs allowed onshore grants. Since late March last year, clients whose visas are about to be granted have been spared the inconvenience of having to travel overseas (particularly during the pandemic) — and this policy remains in effect. However, it is important to note that this only applies to applications lodged before 24 March 2021, where the applicant was also in Australia on 24 March 2021.
2. Some applicants with parent migration applications already in the queue may be eligible to apply for a Bridging Visa A to remain onshore long-term.
The followingallconditions must be met:
– The applicant lodged a parent migration visa application before 24 March 2021 (Subclass 103/143/173 etc. are all eligible)
– If the application was lodged offshore as a non-paper application
– The applicant held a substantive visa at the time of lodgement (e.g. a visitor visa or Subclass 870 visa)
– The applicant was in Australia on 24 March 2021
Success Story 1: Bridging Visa A granted after lodging a Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa application
Success Story 2: Bridging Visa A granted after lodging a Subclass 103 Parent visa application in the queue
If you would like to assess whether you may be eligible to apply for a Bridging Visa A, please contact our customer service team below.
2. Vaccine requirements for parents of PR holders and citizens entering Australia have not yet been relaxed.
Although Australia opened its borders this financial year, with the Department of Home Affairs allowing parents of PR holders and citizens to enter as an exempt group from November last year, the relevant vaccine requirements have still not been relaxed. Even though hotel quarantine for unvaccinated arrivals has been lifted in several states for a number of weeks, there has been no change at the federal level. The Chinese-made vaccines recognised by Australia are Sinovac and Beijing Biological/Sinopharm (for those aged 60 and under, Chengdu Biological, Lanzhou Biological, and Changchun Biological — which are distributed by Beijing Biological — are also recognised). Wuhan Biological and Zhifei, as well as Beijing Biological received by those aged over 60, are not yet recognised.
[Facts Explained] Can people overseas who haven’t completed a recognised vaccine course now enter Australia without hotel quarantine?
3. The long-stay Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa has become an increasingly popular choice, both because of the pandemic and the lengthy waiting periods.
The processing time for the Subclass 870 has grown noticeably longer, though applications can still be lodged onshore for the time being. You must first apply for sponsorship approval, and only once that is granted can you lodge the formal visa application,with sponsorship approval currently taking close to 4–5 months to process.For the basic requirements of the Subclass 870, please refer to our earlier article:Return tickets to China cost tens of thousands of yuan… It’s time for PR holders to apply for a 3- or 5-year Subclass 870 visa for their parents!
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Parent Migration
Current Processing Progress
Let’s first look at the progress for the contributory parent migration stream. The chart below shows the current official processing progress from the Department of Home Affairsfor parent migration,and the contributory stream remains atJune 2016.
However, wehad a Subclass 143 client who lodged in July 2016 receive a request for further documents in early April this year,which means applications lodged in June 2016, having been under review for over a year, have finally seen some progress!
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Exclusive
Current Parent Migration Backlog
and Wait-Time Projections
Following our usual practice, we have once again pulled the latest parent migration backlog figures — as at the end of February 2022 — and compared them against the backlog data from the end of April 2021,to show how the backlog has changed over roughly one year.
Contributory Stream
Comparing against last year’s data — as at 30 April 2021, the standard contributory Subclass 143 had a backlog of 56,386 and the Subclass 864 (Aged Parent) had 4,105, totalling 60,491. With a quota of 3,600 this financial year, new applications would need to wait nearly 17 years.
As at the end of February this year, the Subclass 143 backlog stands at 65,214 (an increase of nearly 9,000), Subclass 864 at 4,882, for a total of 70,006.Even if the quota increases from 3,600 to 4,800 next financial year, the wait for a new application would still be approximately15 years!
Queue Stream
This year’s queue parent migration backlog total (Subclass 103 + 804) stands at 48,225, compared to 50,730 in April last year — a genuine reduction. The quota for next financial year has also increased from 900 to 1,200,so the wait time for new applications will decreaseto around 40 years!
Our processing estimate chart for parent migration in the next financial year (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023): the Subclass 143 has currently been processed up to July 2016, and the Subclass 103 up to October 2010. For further projections, please see the chart below.
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Department of Home Affairs Monthly
Parent Migration Grant Numbers
Likewise, we have pulled the monthly grant numbers by visa category for parent migration from the Department of Home Affairs — see the summary table below.As can be seen, as at 28 February this financial year, a total of 3,005 parent migration visas have been granted. The remaining quota for this financial year is 1,374 for the contributory stream and 352 for the queue stream.
Our processing estimate chart for parent migration in the next financial year (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023): the Subclass 143 has currently been processed up to July 2016, and the Subclass 103 up to October 2010. For further projections, please see below.
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Important reminder: we have recently encountered a number ofenquiries about switching from the queue stream to the contributory stream:Some clients have had their previous queue time overlooked! This has occurred due to a lack of understanding of the conversion timing mechanism combined with oversight by the Department of Home Affairs, resulting in applications being left unprocessed for far too long!
Please read on.
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Queue
/ Time
This section will address the following questions:
How does queue time carry over when switching to the contributory stream? Under what circumstances can this conversion occur?
What does ‘Queue date’ mean? From what point does the queue waiting period begin?
First, let’s discuss under what circumstances previous queue time, after conversion,can be countedtowards the new application?
The diagram below shows internal information from the Department of Home Affairs, and it clearly shows thatwhen switching from a queue parent migration visa (Subclass 103/804) to a contributory parent migration visa (Subclass 143/173/864), the original lodgement date will be taken into account— your previous time in the queue is not wasted,as long as you are switching from the queue stream to the contributory stream, all of your previous queue time will be counted!
On the other hand, under what circumstances will previous time NOT be counted after conversion?
If you areswitching from one contributory visa to another,for example, if you see that the Subclass 143 queue is now very long, your parents have already been waiting for several years, and they now also meet the requirements for aged parent migration,you may consider switching from the Subclass 143 to the Subclass 864 — however, in this situation, the previous waiting time will not be counted.
For a detailed breakdown of which parent migration visa type conversions do or do not carry over previous queue time, please refer to the diagram below.
The main rule for calculating queue time is: any switch from the queue stream to the contributory stream counts; for all other combinations — contributory to queue, contributory to contributory, or queue to queue — previous time does not count.
So, which date marks the start of the parent migration queue waiting period? Let’s clarify the distinction between these dates.
Previously, the Department of Home Affairs only assigned a Queue date toqueue parent migration visas,because the waiting periods are so long, the Department wished to provide applicants with some feedback during the wait. For the Subclass 103 visa, based on official website data as at May 2021,the Queue had been processed to January 2019, meaning applicants receive a Queue date approximately 3 years after lodging their application.
Previously,contributory parent migration visasdid not have a Queue date, but now that the waiting periods for the contributory stream are also very long,a Queue date has been assigned for the contributory stream as well, starting from June 2018.
And here is the critical point:
If you have only applied for the Subclass 103, you should refer to the official website’s processing progress based on your Queue date. Currently, Subclass 103 processing has reached the Queue date of October 2010 — you can use this as a reference for the expected processing timeline.
But if you are an applicant who lodged a queue parent migration visa and is switching to the contributory stream, since the contributory stream did not previously have a Queue date, the starting point for calculating your queue time is actually the date you lodged the original queue parent migration application!That is, when you lodged your application and received the acknowledgement,the lodgement date shown on your first confirmation email —has nothing to do with the Queue date!
When you convert from a Subclass 103 to a Subclass 143, or from a Subclass 103 to a Subclass 864, the queue time is calculated from the date you lodged the Subclass 103 — NOT from when you entered the Queue!
There are many similar cases:for example, applicants who lodged a Subclass 103 before June 2016 and later converted to a Subclass 143, but did not enter the Queue until 2017 or even 2018,and whose applications have still not been processed — they have been overlooked by the Department of Home Affairs!In such cases, you should contact the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible and urge them to assign a visa officer to process the application without delay.After last week’s article was published, a number of clients confirmed they are in exactly the same situation.
The diagram below shows the latest processing cut-off dates for each visa category (note that the Department’s auto-reply still reflects the May 2021 update, so there may be some discrepancies!)
Additionally, here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
Q1. What are the basic requirements for lodging a parent migration application? Do you need to have held PR for 2 years before you can sponsor?
There are two main requirements for parent migration. First, you must be settled in Australia as a permanent resident or citizen — ‘settled’ under the Migration Act’s internal provisions generally means you have lived in Australia for at least 2 years (including time on a temporary visa, such as as a student). So if you have already lived in Australia for 2 years, even if you have just obtained PR, it may be possible to lodge a parent migration application. A further point: some people have lived in Australia for a number of years, obtained PR, then returned to China and remained offshore throughout the pandemic,and now wish to return to Australia and apply for parent migration. We generally advise such clients to return and stay for at least 3–6 months; if they have a rental agreement and employment, they can then proceed to lodge — there is no requirement to accumulate another 2 years of residence.
The second requirement is that you must satisfy the family member test — in short, at least half of your parents’ children must have already migrated to Australia. Most only-child families will easily meet this requirement. However, for example, if there are 3 children in the family but only one of you has obtained PR, it would not be possible to lodge a parent migration application.
Q2. I am currently not working. Can I still apply for parent migration on behalf of my parents?
Yes, you can.
As mentioned above, as long as you satisfy the settlement and family member tests, you can proceed to lodge the application.
Regarding income requirements, if you intend to act as the Assurance of Support (AoS) provider for your parents, this is only required when the application reaches the processing stage. You will generally need to provide the ATO Tax Notice from the previous financial year and current-year income evidence (an employer confirmation letter and pay slips) at that time. If your personal income does not meet the requirements, another Australian PR holder or citizen may also provide the AoS.
Q3. I am not yet sure whether to lodge for both parents at the same time. Can I lodge for one parent first?
Yes, you can.
Furthermore, before the visa is granted, it is possible to add the other parent to the application at any time — even if visa fees have increased by then, both parents’ fees will be calculated based on the fee schedule at the time of the original application. The subsequently added applicant’s queue time is also the same as the primary applicant’s, meaning they do not need to start queuing again from scratch.
Another option is to wait until one parent’s visa has been granted, then apply for partner migration for the other parent. However, you must wait five years after the grant before you can lodge a partner migration application (for this type of long-term de facto partner migration application, processing currently takes approximately 1 to 1.5 years, covering both the temporary and permanent stages of the partner visa). The current visa application fee for partner migration is AUD 7,850.
Q4. If I have already lodged an application, will subsequent fee increases affect my application?
No, they will not.
The Department of Home Affairs’ rules on visa application fees are governed by the Migration Act, which is very clear: visa fees are locked in at the time of lodgement (Schedule 1). Therefore, the fees you are required to pay — including the first instalment (visa application charge) and the second instalment (contributory amount) — are confirmed at the time of lodgement and will not change. Any subsequent fee increases will only affect applications lodged after that point. A screenshot of the relevant Migration Act provision is below:
For a more detailed explanation, please see:If one parent lodges the Subclass 143 first and the contributory amount later doubles, which fee applies to the other parent who is subsequently added to the application?
Q5. How is the visa lodgement date calculated? Does the applicant need to receive the confirmation letter?
The lodgement date is the date the letter is signed for and received by the Department of Home Affairs.
Parent migration visa lodgements are all submitted by paper. Application forms and supporting documents must be posted to the Western Australian office of the Department of Home Affairs. The date your letter is signed for and received by the Department is your lodgement date; the confirmation letter generally arrives 2 to 4 weeks later.
Q6. What is the full cost breakdown for the Subclass 143from start to finish?
For the Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa (the direct permanent pathway), the costs are made up of three main components:
First, the first instalment visa application charge:the primary applicant pays AUD 4,225; secondary applicants aged 18 and over pay AUD 1,425 each; secondary applicants under 18 pay AUD 715. (There is generally a small increase each July.)
Second, the second instalment contributory amount (only payable once the application reaches the point of grant):the current amount for a person aged 18 and over is AUD 43,600; for those under 18 at the time of application lodgement, it is AUD 2,095.
Third, a bank guarantee (only required when the application reaches the processing stage):as a sponsor, you must provide a guarantee for each applicant aged 18 and over. The guarantee is AUD 10,000 for one person and AUD 14,000 for two people. This amount cannot be accessed for 10 years. If your parents claim any Australian government welfare benefits within 10 years, the amount claimed will be deducted from the guarantee. If no benefits are claimed within 10 years, the full amount will be refunded.
Q7: What is an Assurance of Support provider? How are the specific income requirements calculated?
As mentioned earlier, when your application reaches processing, the visa officer will require an Assurance of Support (AoS), which must be provided by an AoS provider.
The AoS provider must be an adult and must also be an Australian resident(residents include Australian citizens and permanent residents); a single AoS provider can sponsor at most 2 adults at the same time, with no limit on the number of children they can sponsor.
The income requirements for the AoS provider are a frequently asked question. There is a specific formula for this:
AoS provider income requirement = annual Newstart Allowance × (number of AoS providers + number of adult applicants being sponsored) + (annual Family Tax Benefit Part A + Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement) × number of the AoS provider’s minor children.
Note:
1. Newstart Allowance is calculated on the basis of ‘single, with children’.
2. ‘Income’ refers to pre-tax income (the Taxable Income shown on the ATO Tax Notice).
3. There can be a maximum of 3 AoS providers, and they can collectively sponsor at most 2 adults.
4. Children under 18 among the applicants are not counted in the calculation.
5. Income requirements must be met for both the previous financial year and the current financial year.
The current annual Newstart Allowance is 642.7 × 26 = $16,710.20.
Family benefit Part A=61.46*26=$1597.96,
Family Tax Benefit Part A Supplement = $788.40; the combined total per child is $2,386.36.
For example, if one AoS provider is sponsoring your two parents and you have one sibling under 18, the income evidence required would be: 16,710.20 × 3 (1 provider + 2 adult sponsored persons) + 2,386.36 × 1 = $52,516.96.
The Newstart Allowance and Family Tax Benefit Part A generally increase slightly each year, typically by around 3–5%.
The most accurate AoS provider income formula, as published on the official website, is as follows:https://www.centrelink.gov.au/custsite_aoscalc/aoscalc/financialCalPage.jsf?prg_id=77a65e35c14b4f00a08a3b3f4b7e4eac&wec-appid=aoscalc&page=1C0EADC1A5804952B374580CFFB9BDFD&wec-locale=en_US#stay
Q8: What benefits can parents access after their visa is granted? When can they access superannuation? Is there a residence obligation?
Upon grant of the parent migration visa, the benefit immediately available isprimarily Australia’s universal healthcare system, Medicare.Other benefits generally cannot be accessed until 10 years after the visa is granted. Their PR visa, like other PR visas, generally requires them to have lived in Australia for at least 2 years within each 5-year period in order to renew for the next 5-year Resident Return Visa; if they have not met the 2-year threshold, they can generally only renew for 1 year or less.
Q9: When applying for parent migration for my parents, can I include my younger siblings?
Yes, you can, but there are certain restrictions and corresponding fees.
Generally, if your younger siblings are under 18,they can be included in the application as dependent children, with a visa application fee of AUD 650 and a second instalment of only AUD 2,095. And as I mentioned earlier, this AUD 2,095 is calculated based on their age at the time of lodgement, not at the time of processing!
If your siblings are over 18, it may still be possible to include them in the application,but they would need to demonstrate that they are stilldependent on your parents(generally demonstrated by still being in full-time study, with evidence that the parents are paying their tuition fees).However, they must not be over 23 at the time of grant, unless the application was lodged before 5 November 2018,as the Department of Home Affairs changed the legislative definition of family members that year. Given the continuously increasing waiting times, for applications lodged after the end of 2018 that include younger siblings, it is possible that the siblings may no longer meet the family member requirements by the time the application is processed, making it necessary to withdraw their inclusion.
Q10: Is there anything to be aware of after lodging a parent migration application?
Parent migration currently involves a lengthy processing period, and there are generally a few important things to keep in mind after lodging:one is that the sponsor cannot be absent from Australia for extended periods.(During the pandemic, most people are unlikely to travel abroad under normal circumstances anyway.) The Migration Act clearly stipulates that the sponsoring child must not only be settled in Australia at the time of lodgement but must also continue to be settled in Australia throughout the processing period. ‘Settled’ generally means not being absent for more than 3 months in any given year,though if you are already a citizen, or if any overseas absence is for purposes closely connected to Australia(such as being posted to a Chinese branch office of an Australian company), exceptions may apply. During the pandemic, we have also had cases where sponsors were absent from Australia for an extended period and, after providing an explanation to the Department of Home Affairs, were found to still meet the requirements!
It is also important to monitor your email inbox and the progress of your application regularly.To check on your application’s progress, you can send an email with any subject line to the following Department of Home Affairs address: “WA Parents”<parents@homeaffairs.gov.au> (please do not send too frequently, as emailing too often may result in no further auto-replies); the Department will quickly auto-reply with the latest processing progress.
Around 3–6 months before the application is due to be processed, the Department of Home Affairs will contact you to prepare any outstanding documents, such as police clearance certificates, medical examinations, and the AoS.
If you have any other questions about lodging or the processing of parent migration applications, please feel free to add us on WeChat directly.
That concludes this edition of the parent migration update.
We hope you are reunited with your parents in Australia soon!
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