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Parent visas australia

Parent Visas

Bring your parents to Australia,
with your eyes open

Getting your parents here is one of the most meaningful things you can do. It's also an area full of long waits and significant costs that a lot of agents gloss over. We won't. We'll show you the real trade-offs so you can choose the right visa for your family.

Book a Family Visa Consult See Which Family Visa Fits
Permanent and temporary options Honest about the waits The right fit for your family
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Which Parent Visa Is Right for You?

Parent visas split two ways: how much you pay and how long you wait. The contributory visas cost more but move in years. The non-contributory ones are cheaper but the wait runs into decades. The 870 lets parents stay long-term without permanent residence.

Visa Suited if you Cost Wait Outcome
143 Contributory Parent Want PR sooner and can pay for it High Years Permanent
103 Parent Want PR and cost is the priority Low Decades Permanent
864 Contributory Aged Parent Are aged, in Australia, and can pay High Years Permanent
804 Aged Parent Are aged, in Australia, cost-focused Low Decades Permanent
870 Sponsored Parent Want long-term stay without chasing PR Moderate Shorter Temporary
Subclass 103 Parent visa - government charge
roughly AUD 3,000

A rough, illustrative figure for the Department's visa application charge on the lower-cost non-contributory route, depending on your circumstances. It is not a fixed price and it is not a contribution payment - the long wait is the real cost here.

Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa - government charge
roughly AUD 15,000

A rough, illustrative figure for the contributory route, which carries a far larger second-instalment contribution per parent. The exact charge depends on your circumstances and the current settings, so treat this only as a rough comparison against the 103.

These are illustrative government charges only, to help you compare the routes. They are not quotes and they are not certainties - the Department sets its charges and changes them, and figures should be confirmed against homeaffairs.gov.au for your situation. Our professional fee is separate from the government charge. It depends on your circumstances and we quote it in writing. See how we quote.

Not sure where your family fits? Tell us your situation and we'll point you to the route that suits you.

The Options

Every Parent Visa We Handle

  • 143

    Contributory Parent

    The faster route to permanent residence for parents overseas (Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa and its two-stage Subclass 173 temporary version). Costs more, but the wait is years, not decades. We talk you through the 143 in your consult.

    Talk Through the 143
  • 103

    Parent Visa

    The lower-cost permanent option for parents overseas. The trade-off is a wait measured in decades rather than years.

    About the 103
  • 864

    Contributory Aged Parent (Onshore)

    The onshore version for aged parents already in Australia who can contribute the higher fees (Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa and its two-stage Subclass 884 temporary version). The faster onshore path to permanent residence. We walk you through the 864 in your consult.

    Talk Through the 864
  • 804

    Aged Parent (Onshore)

    The lower-cost onshore option for aged parents already in Australia. Same long wait as the other non-contributory visas.

    About the 804
  • 870

    Sponsored Parent (Temporary)

    Want your parents here for years without the PR wait? The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa lets them stay long-term on a temporary visa, and it can be renewed. No permanent residence and no balance-of-family test. We map out the 870 with you in your consult.

    Talk Through the 870
The Honest Version

We tell you things other agents often don't

Parent visa processing is one of the least transparent areas in migration. Costs change, queues move, and the picture you see on government websites is often optimistic. Our job is to give you the real one.

Get an Honest Assessment
  • The non-contributory visa waits are genuinely very long - the honest answer is that most people in that queue will wait decades, not years
  • The 870 can be a smarter choice than people realise - parents can be here long-term without the cost and wait of a permanent visa
  • The balance of family test matters - you need to show that more of your parent's children live in Australia than overseas
  • Processing times change and aren't guaranteed - we'll give you realistic current estimates, not marketing copy
  • If the contributory visa is right for you, the second instalment payment is significant - we'll make sure you know exactly what's coming

Just Starting Out?

If you're new to parent visas and not sure where to begin, our Bring My Parents to Australia guide walks you through the whole picture - which visa fits your family, what the real costs are, and where the process starts. It's the honest, plain-English overview we wish every family could read first.

Read the Guide

Just a Visit?

If your parents don't need to live here permanently and you just want them to come for an extended visit, there's a simpler path. The visitor visa for parents covers stays that aren't about permanent residence, and it's a much faster process.

Visitor Visa for Parents
Work It Through

Which parent visa? Start with these questions

There is no single right answer - the route that suits your family depends on where your parents are, their age, and whether speed or cost matters more. Follow the questions below, then we will pressure-test it with you.

1

Are your parents overseas, and is keeping the cost down the priority?

Look at the Subclass 103 Parent visa. It is the lower-cost permanent route for parents applying from outside Australia. The trade-off is real: the queue currently runs into decades, so it suits younger parents who can treat it as a long-term plan rather than families who need them here soon.

2

Is your parent already in Australia and of pension age?

Look at the Subclass 804 Aged Parent visa. It is the onshore non-contributory option, and applying onshore generally means your parent can hold a bridging visa and remain in Australia while the long queue plays out. It shares the same lengthy wait as the 103.

3

Do you need permanent residence in years, not decades, and can the family fund the contribution?

Look at the contributory routes. The Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa (offshore) and the Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa (onshore) move far faster, because the family pays a much larger contribution per parent. We describe these in your consult rather than pointing you at a brochure.

4

Do you mainly want your parents here long-term, without chasing permanent residence at all?

Look at the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa. It lets parents stay for years at a time and can be renewed, with no permanent outcome and no balance-of-family test. For many families it is the most practical way to spend real time together while a permanent visa waits in the queue.

Still weighing it up? Take our visa assessment and we will help you settle on the route that suits your family - not the one that sounds quickest.

Common Questions

Parent visa questions, answered honestly

It is a gateway requirement for most parent visas. Broadly, your parents generally need to show that at least half of their children live permanently in Australia, or that more of their children live here than in any other single country - in practice this is often described as roughly a 50% threshold, but the exact way it is counted depends on your family and the current rules. It applies across the 103, 143, 804 and 864. It is worth checking early, because it can decide whether a parent visa is realistic at all before you spend anything. The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa does not apply this test, which is one reason it suits some families.
Generally families do not run two separate parent applications in parallel, but many lodge the lower-cost Subclass 103 Parent visa first as a backstop, then move toward the Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa later if they decide the long wait does not suit them. Whether that strategy makes sense depends on your circumstances, the costs involved and the current processing settings, so it is something to plan deliberately rather than do by default. We map the options out with you before you commit any money.
Where your parent applies from matters. The Subclass 103 Parent visa and Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa are offshore visas, generally lodged from outside Australia. The Subclass 804 Aged Parent visa and Subclass 864 Contributory Aged Parent visa are onshore visas, and lodging onshore usually means a bridging visa keeps your parent lawfully in Australia while the application is processed. One important caveat is that a visitor visa may carry a condition that limits or blocks a further onshore application (for example condition 8503), so the wording on your parent's current visa needs checking first. We confirm that before recommending a path.
The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa is granted for multi-year terms (typically up to around five years at a time) and can generally be renewed, subject to the current limits and your circumstances. The honest trade-off is that it never leads to permanent residence and it carries no Medicare access, so parents need their own health cover. It does not apply the balance-of-family test, which is why it works for families who cannot meet that gate or who simply want time together rather than a permanent outcome.
Yes. A parent visa is a different visa class with different criteria and grounds, so an earlier visitor refusal does not automatically rule one out. That said, a refusal forms part of your parents' immigration history and a decision-maker can take past concerns into account, so it pays to understand why the visitor visa was refused and address it openly in the parent application. This is exactly the kind of situation where a consultation before lodging is worthwhile.
The lower-cost routes - the Subclass 103 Parent visa and the Subclass 804 Aged Parent visa - have a small annual number of places relative to a very large queue, so applications can sit for many years. We will not soften this: for older parents in particular, the wait can stretch beyond a realistic horizon. Processing times change and are not guaranteed, so we give you a current, realistic estimate rather than marketing copy, and we are upfront if a different route would serve your family better.
There are two separate costs. The first is the government charge set by the Department of Home Affairs, which is far higher for the contributory routes than the non-contributory ones - very roughly the order of AUD 3,000 for a Subclass 103 Parent visa versus around AUD 15,000 for a Subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa, depending on your circumstances. Treat those as rough comparisons only, not fixed prices, and confirm the current figures at homeaffairs.gov.au. The second is our professional fee, which is separate, depends on your situation, and is always quoted in writing. See how we quote.
A permanent parent visa (the 103, 143, 804 or 864) gives your parents permanent residence, which generally includes the right to live in Australia indefinitely, work, and access Medicare. There are also obligations to be aware of, including the assurance of support the family commits to, and the travel facility on a permanent visa lasts a set period before a resident return visa is needed to re-enter. The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa is different - it grants no permanent residence and no Medicare, so parents on it need private health cover. We set out the after-grant picture for your specific route so there are no surprises.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

Ready to find the right path for your family?

Tell us about your parents' situation. We'll show you the real trade-offs and which visa makes sense for you.

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