The first goal was achieved, you are now a permanent resident in Australia and is time to share your amazing new life with those who always believed in you, your parents.

It is important for you to know the different types of visas available from the Australian government, the main requirements, process duration and costs. In order to decide the best pathway for you and your parents.

Parent visas in Australia

If your parents are inside of Australia, you will be able to apply for the following visas:

1. Parent Visa (Subclass 103);
2. Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173);
3. Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143).

If your parents are outside of Australia, you will be able to apply for the following visas:

1. Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804);
2. Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143);
3. Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884);
4. Contributory Aged Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 864).

What are the basic requirements for a parent visa application?

All the visas above have certain eligibility criteria depending on whether your parents are inside or outside Australia. However, the main requirements for all parent visas are:

1. The child must be a permanent resident or Australian citizen.
2. The child has been living in Australia for 2 years before lodging the application.
3. Meet the requirements of the Balance of Family Test, which means half of your parent’s children or more must live in Australia rather than another country.

What is the best visa option for my parents?

It would depend on different aspects such as time and the amount of money you will be able to spend on this process.

To know which one is more convenient check the following requirements for each parent visa in Australia.

Parent Visa (Subclass 103) (Permanent Resident visa)

1. Your parents are applying outside of Australia.
2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents.

However, this visa is subject to a “capping and queueing” system, which means that the Australian Immigration Authorities will only grant a certain amount of parent visas every year and the rest will be postponed to the next Migration Program year.

Based on the current queue time, some cases may take up to 30 years!

This is a low-cost parent visa option but the duration to be granted makes it less common among applicants.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $3.945 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.975 AUD

Processing Times: up to 30 years.

Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173) (Temporary resident)

1. Your parents are applying outside of Australia.
2. Your parents want to live in Australia for up to 2 years.
3. You and your parents are prepared to pay the visa application charges (around $31.980AUD for each parent) to optimize the processing time.

This visa takes approximately 3 to 3.5 years to process, and your parents will be granted a 2 years visa. This visa can be taken as a pathway to apply for the visa Subclass 143 to become permanent residents.

You can apply for the visa subclass 173 for temporary residence and before this visa expires, you can apply for the visa subclass 143 which is a permanent residency visa. Applying for a temporary subclass 173 visa before the permanent subclass 143 visa lets you minimize the impact of the high costs of your parent’s migration over a number of years.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $2.540 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.270 AUD

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $19.420 per applicant.

Processing Times: 12 – 18 months.

Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143)

1. Your parents are applying either inside or outside Australia.
2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents.
3. You and your parents are prepared to pay the visa application charges (around $43.600 AUD for each parent).

This visa takes 3.5 to 4.5 years to process and is a permanent resident visa, the initial application fee is $4,225AUD for the first applicant and $1,425 for the second applicant. However, the second instalment for each applicant is $43,600.

This visa is one of the most expensive options for parent visas however the fastest pathway to bring your parents to Australia. The applicants will have to pay this amount to compensate for the rights that are granted to the visa holder under the permanent residence to which they have not contributed throughout their lives as ordinary Australians have by way of taxes.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $3.770 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.270 AUD

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $46.600 per applicant.

Processing Times: 3 – 4.5 years.

Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804) (Permanent residency)

1. Your parents are applying inside of Australia.
2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents.
3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old).

There is currently a long queue in processing this particular visa. waiting times can get up to 13 years before this visa is approved.

Applicants of this age can also apply for a Contributory Aged Parent visa, however, that visa will incur a larger application fee and an Assurance of Support bond will be required under this stream.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $3.945 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.975 AUD

Processing Times: 13 years or more.

Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884)

1. Your parents are applying inside of Australia.
2. Your parents want to live in Australia for up to 2 years.
3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old).

This visa takes approximately 1.5 to 2 years to process and your parents will be granted 2 years of temporary visa. For this visa, the Assurance of Support (AoS) is also part of the fees you have to consider. For two applicants the bond price is currently $14,000 AUD.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $3.770 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.880 AUD

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $29.130 AUD per applicant.

Processing Times: 12 – 18 months.

Contributory Aged Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 864)

1. Your parents are applying either inside or outside Australia.
2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents.
3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old).

This visa takes approximately 2.5 to 4 years to process and is a permanent visa. For this visa, you will also have to pay a contribution of $43.600 AUD for each applicant and the Assurance of Support is also compulsory.

Visa Price:
Main applicant: $3.770 AUD

Dependent applicant: $1.880 AUD

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $43.600 AUD per applicant.

Processing Times: 2 – 3 years.

All the information above is a very well-done summary of relevant things you must know before applying for any parent visa, it is also important for you to understand all the options available so you can make a wise choice.

Remember that you may need to complete additional requirements depending on your case. Each visa has its particularities and we recommend consulting a migration agent (Like us ????) to assist you with further information.

Bill Mitroulas

Head of Migration at Questra Immigration. Managing and overseeing the growth and performance of Questra’s team of migration agents, while maintaining a client-centric and quality-driven approach. A registered migration agent since 2015 and a member of the Migration Institute of Australia, with over 15 years’ experience in international education and 11 years in Australian Migration law.