Bringing Your Parents to Australia — Visitor Visa (600) and Parent Visa (870/103/143) Pathways
From the reality of extremely long queues for parent permanent visas to the alternatives that actually work — the visitor visa (subclass 600) and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870 — an overview of the pathways for bringing your parents to Australia, built around realistic expectations. Includes official figures: 143/103 costs, the officially published wait times (15/33 years) and the annual grant caps.
Bringing your parents over — the hard reality first
Before looking at how to bring your parents to Australia, start with the reality. The queues for parent 'permanent' visas are extremely long — the standard Parent visa (subclass 103) is quoted in decades, and even the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), which involves a substantial contribution charge, is quoted with waits of well over a decade (the exact figures change — check the Home Affairs processing times guidance). The contributory route also carries a high application cost. That is why, for most families, the options that actually work are the visitor visa (subclass 600) and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870. This guide is an expectation-setting overview that lays out the nature and limits of each pathway as they really are.
What is the Balance of Family test?
The parent permanent visas (103/143) come with a gateway called the Balance of Family test. The concept is that at least half of the applicant's children must live permanently in Australia as citizens, permanent residents, etc., or more of the applicant's children must live in Australia than in any other single country. For example, if only one of three children is in Australia and two are in the home country, the test is hard to meet. By contrast, the test does not apply to the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870.
Realistic option 1 — the visitor visa (subclass 600)
The fastest and least burdensome pathway is the visitor visa. The Tourist stream is usually granted with a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months, applied for online via ImmiAccount. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents may be offered longer-validity options, but even then there are limits on continuous stay. The heart of the assessment is the genuine visitor requirement — showing the purpose of the visit, funds for the stay, and ties that will draw them back home (job, property, family, etc.).
Sponsored Family stream — the family sponsorship route
In this stream, a family member in Australia (such as a child) acts as a formal sponsor, and the immigration authorities may require a security bond. The family takes on more responsibility than under the Tourist stream, but in return can formally back the invitation. Note that this stream sometimes carries a condition restricting applications for other visas during the stay, so always check the conditions granted.
- Check passport validity and finalise the stay plan (duration and return travel dates)
- Prepare evidence of funds for the stay and ties to the home country (job, property, family)
Realistic option 2 — Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870 is a temporary visa for families who want to spend an extended period together with their parents. It is granted for 3 or 5 years at a time, allows a cumulative stay of up to 10 years including renewals, and the Balance of Family test does not apply. The order of the process matters, though — the child must first be approved as a Parent Sponsor before the parent can apply for the visa, and a household income requirement applies to the sponsor. The application fee is also substantial, so check the latest amounts with Home Affairs.
- The sponsor (child) applies for Parent Sponsor approval — evidence of citizen/permanent resident status and the household income requirement
- Adequate health insurance covering the parent's entire period of stay in Australia
Comparing the four pathway types
The realistic combination depends on your parents' purpose of stay, duration and budget. Compare the nature of the four pathways below.
The fastest and least burdensome route for short visits. A stay of 3–12 months is usually granted, applied for online via ImmiAccount. The key is the genuine visitor requirement and demonstrating an intention to return home.
A stream in which family in Australia acts as the formal sponsor. A security bond may be required, and a condition restricting applications for other visas during the stay may be attached.
Long-term temporary stay of 3 or 5 years, up to 10 years cumulatively. It is not permanent residence and does not allow work, and it comes with a sponsor household income requirement (taxable income of at least AUD 83,454.80) and mandatory health insurance. Costs: AUD 420 sponsorship plus visa charges totalling AUD 6,370 (3 years) or AUD 12,440 (5 years) as at July 2026.
Permanent residence is possible, but the 143 (Contributory) costs from AUD 49,900 in total per applicant with an official processing estimate of about 15 years, while the 103 (standard) costs from AUD 8,665 with an estimate of about 33 years (checked July 2026). Meeting the Balance of Family test is a precondition — check the latest queue with Home Affairs.
Five-step checklist for planning your parents' stay
Once you have chosen a pathway, preparing in the following order can help you avoid trial and error.
- Expectations first: treat the permanent pathways as involving extremely long waits, and build your actual plan around temporary pathways such as the visitor visa (600) and the 870.
- Calculate the total budget: beyond application fees, factor in health insurance premiums, return airfares and the possibility of out-of-pocket medical costs — check fees against the latest Home Affairs schedule.
- Arrange health insurance early: parents are generally not eligible for Medicare, so plan the start date and coverage of visitor health insurance (such as OVHC) alongside the visa application.
Five cautions and common misconceptions
These are the misconceptions and scam patterns that repeatedly cause problems when bringing parents over.
- Believing ads that 'guarantee a parent permanent visa within a few years' — no one can move an application up the queue. This is a classic sign of an unregistered broker scam, so check the OMARA registration number (MARN) and report suspected cases to Scamwatch.
- Trying to effectively migrate on a visitor visa — a continuous stay of more than 12 months is usually not possible, and repeated long stays can count against future visa applications.
Contributory (143/173) vs standard (103) — costs at a glance
Parent permanent visas come in two flavours: contributory visas, where you pay a large contribution charge for a comparatively shorter wait, and the standard visa, which is cheap but takes decades. Both are paid in two instalments (first on lodgement, second just before grant) — the contributory visas' second instalment is the so-called contribution charge. The 173 (contributory temporary) route lets parents enter on a 2-year temporary visa first and then convert to the 143 (permanent), splitting the contribution into two stages.
| Visa | 1st instalment (on lodgement) | 2nd instalment (before grant) | Total cost (per applicant, official) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 143 Contributory — permanent | AUD 6,300 | AUD 43,600 (contribution) | From AUD 49,900 |
| 173 Contributory — temporary, 2 years | AUD 4,245 | AUD 29,130 (contribution, stage 1) | From AUD 33,375 |
| 103 Standard — permanent | AUD 6,600 | AUD 2,065 | From AUD 8,665 |
Sources: the official 'From AUD… over 2 instalments' totals on each Home Affairs visa page plus the official Visa Pricing Estimator — checked 16 July 2026, FY2026-27 rates (reflecting the 1 July 2026 increase). The second instalment is the official total minus the first instalment and is invoiced just before grant. Additional charges apply for each accompanying family member. If a 173 holder converts to the 143, a first instalment of AUD 555 plus a second instalment of AUD 19,420 applies (Migration Regulations Sch 1, as at July 2026). Fees typically increase every 1 July, so re-check just before lodging.
Officially published wait times — how the queue works
All parent permanent visas are subject to capping (an annual limit on grants) and queueing. Applications are assessed in lodgement order against core criteria such as health and character; those that pass are assigned a queue date and later released for final processing in queue-date order, within the annual cap. The figures below are Home Affairs' officially published estimates — not statistics of individual processing outcomes.
| Visa | Estimate for new applications (official) | Queue currently released for final processing (as at 31 May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Contributory Parent 143/173 | About 15 years | Applications queued up to November 2018 |
| Parent 103 / Aged Parent 804 (standard) | About 33 years | Applications queued up to around February-April 2014 (103 up to March, 804 up to April) |
Source: the Home Affairs 'Parent visas — queue release dates and processing times' page (data as at 31 May 2026, checked 16 July 2026). The annual caps are set by legislative instrument — under the latest 2025-26 financial year instrument (F2026L00724, registered June 2026; figures unchanged from the 2024-25 instrument F2025L00360): up to 6,800 Contributory Parent, 1,700 Parent (including Aged Parent) and 500 Other Family visas. Home Affairs generally updates the wait-time figures once a year at the end of each program year, and notes they can change with planning levels, application volumes and withdrawals or refusals. Once the annual cap is reached, no further applications are released that year.
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 — requirements and costs in detail
The 870 is a two-step process: the child must first be approved as a Parent Sponsor, and only then can the parent apply for the visa. Unlike the permanent parent visas there is no Balance of Family test and no Assurance of Support — instead, the sponsor (the child) must meet residence and income requirements. The key figures are below (checked on the official Home Affairs pages, 16 July 2026).
| Item | Official requirement / figure |
|---|---|
| Sponsor eligibility | A child aged 18+ who is an Australian citizen, a permanent resident usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years, or an eligible New Zealand citizen resident for at least 4 years |
| Sponsor income test | Taxable income of at least AUD 83,454.80 for the most recent completed income year before lodging the sponsorship — income can be combined with a partner and/or another child, but the sponsor's own share must be at least 50% |
| Costs | AUD 420 sponsorship application plus the visa application charge: first instalment AUD 1,515, second instalment AUD 4,855 (3 years) or AUD 10,925 (5 years) — totalling AUD 6,370 or AUD 12,440 (as at 1 July 2026) |
| Stay | Up to 3 or 5 years at a time, with a cumulative maximum of 10 years including re-applications — does not lead to permanent residence and does not allow work |
| Capping & queueing |
Visitor visa (600) for parents — the 12-month rules
If your parents do not need residence and just want long visits, the visitor visa (subclass 600) is the most realistic tool. Home Affairs advises that parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may, on a case-by-case basis, be granted a multiple-entry visitor visa valid for longer than 12 months. The following rules apply (checked July 2026).
- The standard Tourist stream stay is 3 months, and a stay of up to 12 months may be granted in certain circumstances
- Parents of citizens or permanent residents may receive a multiple-entry visa valid for more than 12 months (case-by-case), but cannot stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period
Useful official links
- Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600)(opens in a new window)
Official guidance on the visitor visa (subclass 600) — stream-specific requirements, stay periods and how to apply
- Home Affairs — Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)(opens in a new window)
Official guidance on the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870 — sponsor requirements, application process and fees
- (opens in a new window)