Are you thinking of bringing your parents to Australia? As an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you can invite your parents to live with you for a limited or unlimited period. For this purpose, there are several Parent Visa options, with varying processing times and costs. There are two categories of parent visas in Australia:
- Permanent Parent visa category
- Temporary Parent visa category
Parent Visa Categories
Permanent Parent Visa Categories
Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143)
It is a permanent visa and there are two ways of applying for Contributory Parent (Subclass 143) visa. You can apply for a Parent Visa (subclass 143) visa as a retiree or can be sponsored by their eligible children, a relative, or a community organization. As retiree, you are not required to meet the balance-of-family test, have an assurance of support and an eligible sponsor. With this visa you can
- move to or stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa. If you are applying as a retiree, you must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply. You can be in or outside Australia when your application is decided.
Parent Visa (Subclass 103)
It is a permanent visa to apply as a retiree and become eligible for the visa without meeting a balance of family test, having a sponsorship, or an assurance of support. Since it is a non-contributory visa, its approval process takes longer.
With this visa you can:
- move to or stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa. If you are applying as a retiree you must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply. You can be in or outside Australia when your application is decided.
Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804)
It is a permanent visa to let your aged parent stay in Australia permanently. As the name suggests, the visa is granted to only aged parents eligible to receive the age pension in Australia (from 65-67 years). . With this visa you can:
- move to or stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia
- apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
You must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for this visa.
- Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864)
The requirements for the visa are the same as for the Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804), but it is processed faster and is costly. With this visa you can:
- stay in Australia as a permanent resident
- work and study in Australia
- enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme
You can apply for the subclass 864 visa as a two-step process by first applying for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) (subclass 884) visa. Applying for the subclass 884 visa and then the subclass 864 visa allows you to spread the cost of the visas over a number of years. Also, you must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa and must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply for this visa.
Temporary Parent Visa Categories
Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 884)
With this temporary visa you can live in Australia for up to 2 years and work and study in Australia (without government support) To apply for this visa, you must be sponsored by an approved sponsor who can be the applicant’s child or if the child is under 18, can be sponsored by an eligible relative or community organisation and must be eligible to receive the age pension in Australia.
- This visa allows you to apply for a permanent Contributory Aged Parent (Subclass 864) visa. You can apply for the permanent subclass 864 visa as a two-step process by first applying for a Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) subclass 884 visa to spread the cost of the visas over a number of years. You must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when you apply and when the Department makes a decision on your application Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 173)
With this temporary visa you can live in Australia for up to 2 years and work and study in Australia (without government support It requires sponsorship by an approved sponsor who can be the applicant’s child or if the child is under 18, can be sponsored by an eligible relative or community organisation. You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa. Also, while applying for this visa, you must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 870)
The temporary parent visa comes with the advantage of living in Australia for 3 to 5 years and re-applying for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas to visit up to a maximum period of 10 years in Australia. However, you cannot work in Australia while you hold this visa. To apply for this visa, you must have an approved Parent Sponsor. You must be outside Australia when you apply for this visa, unless you have Permission to Apply in Australia, but not in immigration clearance.
You can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the application is decided.
Non Contributory and contributory parent visas
All non-contributory Parent Visas are subject to capping. Capping is the number of Visas set by the minister for a class for that program year. Once the cap has been reached, no further visas can be granted in that class in that program year. However, Contributory visas have more Visa places available each Migration Program year and have significantly shorter waiting periods for applications to be finalised. Visa applications in the contributory parent category are accorded a higher priority for processing. Non-contributory parent visas have a lower cost/longer wait option while the contributory parent visas have a higher cost/short wait option.
McKkr’s Pty Ltd will update you with different types of parent visas to Australia through its blogs and newsletters. If you want an honest approach to your parent’s visa approval, McKkr’s dedicated experts will help you out. Reach us at (02) 4626 1002 or email us at admin@mckkrs.com.au to discuss your case.
