Parent Visa

To be eligible for this visa, the applicant must:

• Be the parent of a child (natural, adopted or stepchild) who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen
• Have at least half of their children permanently residing in Australia
• Have more children living permanently in Australia than any other country
• Be able to pay the high contributory amounts

This visa allows the applicant, their accompanying spouse and dependent family members to:

• Work and study in Australia
• Live as permanent residents in Australia indefinitely
• Sponsor additional applicants for permanent residence
• Apply for Australian citizenship, subject to the residency eligibility criteria
• Receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• Travel to and from Australia for five years, from the date the visa is granted

The applicant will need an Assuror of Support. This person, usually their child, must be prepared to provide financial assistance to the visa applicant, spouse and dependent family members. This ensures that they do not need to rely on government support for 10 years.

In addition to this, the Assuror must reimburse any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying spouse and dependant family members in the first 10 years of residency in Australia.

Finally, the Assuror needs to lodge a bond of AU $10,000 for one applicant, and AU $4,000 for each additional adult family member. This amount may be returned after the 10 year period.

This visa is similar to the Non-Contributory Parent visa. The main difference is the reduced waiting period due to the larger contributory grant fee. With this payment, the visa is processed within 15-18 months from application, rather than 12-18 years for the Non-Contributory Parent visa.

This visa allows the holder to enter Australia and live in the country for up to two years. To be eligible for this, applicants must:

• Currently live outside of Australia
• Be the parent of a child (natural, adopted or step child) who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Be able to pay the high contributory amounts, which are split into two separate payments under the 173 and 143 applications

This visa is temporary and cannot be extended. After arriving in Australia, holders of this visa have two years in which to apply for a Contributory Parent Migrant Visa (Subclass 143). This will give the applicant permanent resident status in Australia. Applicants must apply for their permanent visa before their temporary visa expires.

This visa allows the applicant, together with their accompanying spouse and dependent family members, to:

• Work and study in Australia
• Live as temporary residents in Australia for two years
• Have access to Medicare, Australia’s medical expenses and hospital care assistance scheme

The applicant will need a sponsor to give written confirmation that they will provide support, accommodation and financial assistance to the applicant and any accompanying spouse and dependent family members during their first two years in Australia.

To be eligible for this visa, the applicant must:

• Be the parent of a child – naturally or by law – who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen
• Have at least half of their children permanently residing in Australia
• Have more children living permanently in Australia than any other country

This visa allows the applicant, their accompanying spouse and any dependent family members to:

• Live as permanent residents in Australia
• Work and study in Australia
• Receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
• Access certain social security payments
• Apply for Australian citizenship, once residency eligibility criteria are met
• Sponsor other applicants for permanent residence

Applicants for this visa currently have to wait over 20 years before it is granted, as the government limits the number of places available each year of the programme. To manage demand fairly, applicants who meet the core criteria for this visa are placed in a global queue.

Due to the long waiting period, applicants may choose to apply for a Contributory Parent visa instead. This visa requires that applicants, or their sponsor, pay a much higher visa application fee and Assurance of Support bond. This contributes to government revenue and helps to offset some costs placed on the community by parent migration.

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the applicant will need an Assuror of Support who must be prepared to:

• Provide financial assistance to the visa applicant, spouse and dependent family members, to ensure that they do not need to rely on any form of government support for 10 years
• Reimburse any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant, their accompanying spouse or dependent family members in the first 10 years of residency in Australia
• Lodge a bond of AU $10,000 for one applicant and AU $4,000 for each additional adult family member, which can be reimbursed after the 10 year period