Basic application process and requirements for contributory parent migration:

Step 1 — Confirm the child can act as sponsor:

1. Is an Australian PR or citizen

2. Has resided in Australia for at least 2 years

3. Meets the balance-of-family test — at least half of the applicant’s children have already migrated to Australia

Step 2 — Choose between Subclass 143 and Subclass 864

If the applicant has reached Age Pension age at the time of application, they may apply for the Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa. The Subclass 864 was previously processed faster than Subclass 143, but the Department has paused Subclass 864 processing for some time in order to balance the two streams.

Subclass 864 can be lodged and granted onshore, whereas Subclass 143 can only be granted onshore if specific COVID-related conditions are met —specifically, the application must have been lodged before 24 March 2021 and the applicant must have been in Australia on 24 March 2021.Applicants who do not meet both of these conditions will be required to depart Australia before the visa can be granted.

Age requirements for lodging a Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa:

Step 3 — Lodge the visa application

Step 4 — When the case officer contacts you (further information request)

The financial assurer(who may be the sponsor or another Australian PR, citizen, or company) must provide income evidence for the two most recent financial years and proof of Assurance of Support (AOS) payment. The applicant must also undergo a medical examination.

The financial assurer’s/sponsor’s income threshold is determined by the number of people being sponsored, the number of the sponsor’s dependent children, and any prior sponsorship history.

For more detailed application requirements and the lodgement process for contributory parent migration, please contact our team to arrange a consultation.

Subclass 600 Visitor Visa

Parents of PR holders and citizens generally have little difficulty obtaining a visitor visa.Most are granted within a month and can travel in and out of Australia without issue.The cases shown below are our recent grants from the past 1–2 weeks.

The Subclass 870 allows parents to stay in Australia for up to 10 years in total.After the initial 5-year period, the parent must depart Australia for at least 90 days before applying for the next 5-year stay. This visa cannot lead to permanent residence (if parent migration is a goal, the parent migration application must be lodged before applying for the Subclass 870).Compared to a visitor visa, this avoids the inconvenience of parents having to travel in and out repeatedly. Furthermore, if parents are currently in Australia,it is possible to first apply for permission and then lodge the Subclass 870 application onshore.

Processing timeline: The process involves two stages — the sponsor (child) must first be approved as a sponsor, then the visa application can be lodged.Expected processing time is 6–12 months. If parents are currently in Australia, begin preparing before their current visa expires.

Advantages: No educational, work experience, or assets requirements. No balance-of-family test. Allows a single continuous stay of 5 years, with a maximum of two stays totalling 10 years.

Sponsor requirements:The sponsor must be at least 18 years old and must be the applicant’s child or the child’s partner.

Sponsor financial requirements: If one sponsor is sponsoring one parent, the sponsor’s income for the previous financial year must be at least AUD 83,454.80.If the sponsor’s individual income is insufficient, the sponsor’s spouse’s income can be included. The ratio of sponsor income to spouse income must be at least 1:1.

Bridging Visa (Parent Migration Stream)

The eligibility requirements are shown in the image below. Both Subclass 143 and Subclass 103 applicants are eligible, and processing is currently quite prompt.

For assistance with visitor visas for parents, the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent visa, or bridging visas, please contact our team using the details below!

Visa about to expire but still waiting for an invitation — what are your options?Click “Read Original”to explore your options!