Bringing your parents to Australia permanently is one of the most rewarding but complex goals in migration law. There are multiple visa pathways, each with vastly different costs and waiting times. This guide breaks down every parent visa option available in 2026, so you can make an informed decision — or at least understand what you’re in for.
Why Parent Visas Are So Complicated
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Parent visas sit within Australia’s Family Stream migration programme, which is capped at 52,000 places per year for 2025-26. Of those, only 8,500 are allocated to parent visas — 6,800 for the contributory stream and approximately 1,700 for the non-contributory stream. With thousands of applications in the queue and a fixed annual intake, waiting times are measured not in months but in decades.
Understanding the options before you lodge is critical. The wrong choice could mean paying fees upfront for a visa your parents can’t realistically use.
The Two Main Categories: Contributory vs Non-Contributory
The most important distinction in Australian parent migration is between contributory and non-contributory visas.
Non-Contributory Parent Visas (Subclass 103 and 804)
The Subclass 103 Parent visa is for parents applying from outside Australia. The Subclass 804 Aged Parent visa is for parents already in Australia who are of retirement age (67 or older).
These visas are significantly cheaper — total government fees are approximately $7,345 per applicant — but the queue is catastrophic. As at February 2026, the Department of Home Affairs is processing applications lodged up to July 2013. That means a new application lodged today is looking at a wait exceeding 30 years.
I don’t say this to be alarmist. I say it because I’ve had families come to me having already lodged a 103 without understanding what they were committing to. If your parent is in their 60s today, they may be in their 90s before the visa is decided. This is not an exaggeration — it’s the current queue position.
Contributory Parent Visas (Subclass 143, 173, 864, 884)
Contributory visas were introduced to offer a faster pathway in exchange for a significantly higher fee. The contribution offsets the anticipated healthcare costs of older migrants to the Australian health system.
The four contributory subclasses are:
- Subclass 143 — Contributory Parent (Permanent, Offshore): Parent must be outside Australia at application and decision.
- Subclass 864 — Contributory Aged Parent (Permanent, Onshore): Parent must be in Australia and of retirement age (67+).
- Subclass 173 — Contributory Parent (Temporary, Offshore): A two-step pathway to the 143. Lower upfront cost, temporary visa first.
- Subclass 884 — Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary, Onshore): A two-step pathway to the 864.
As at February 2026, the Department is processing contributory applications lodged up to November 2018. New applications today face an estimated wait of 12 to 15 years. Still a very long time — but substantially shorter than the non-contributory queue.
What Do Contributory Parent Visas Cost?
The fees are substantial and represent the most common sticker shock I see with clients. For 2025-26, the approximate government fees per applicant are:
- Subclass 143/864 (Permanent Contributory): First instalment approximately $5,040, then a second instalment of approximately $43,600 when the visa is about to be granted — total approximately $48,640 per person.
- Subclass 173/884 (Temporary Contributory): First instalment approximately $3,395, second instalment approximately $29,130 when converting to the permanent visa — total approximately $32,525 to $34,170 per person.
For a couple, you are looking at close to $100,000 in government fees alone for the contributory permanent route. Current fees should always be verified on the Department of Home Affairs website, as they are indexed annually.
The 173/884 stepping stone exists specifically to split the financial burden. You pay the smaller first instalment now, your parents get a two-year temporary visa, and you pay the large second instalment when the permanent decision is imminent. The second instalment is never requested and then refused — you only pay it once approval is effectively confirmed.
The Balance of Family Test
Every permanent parent visa requires the applicant to pass the balance of family test. This is a purely numerical test — it has no discretion and no waiver, regardless of circumstances.
The test is satisfied if:
- At least half of the parent’s children (and stepchildren) are eligible children — meaning Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens who usually live in Australia; or
- More eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country.
All children and stepchildren are counted, including those from prior relationships. Children on temporary visas in Australia are counted as resident overseas, not as living in Australia.
If a parent has three children — one in Australia, one in Pakistan, one in the UK — the test is satisfied because Australia has the most children of any single country, even though only one-third are here. But if two children are in Pakistan and one is in Australia, the test fails.
I always map out the full family structure carefully before lodging. A failed balance of family test means the application is refused regardless of everything else.
The Assurance of Support Requirement
All permanent parent visas also require an Assurance of Support (AoS). This is a legally binding obligation under the Social Security Act 1991 — the Australian child who sponsors their parent commits to repaying the Commonwealth for any recoverable social security payments the parent receives during the AoS period.
The refundable bond amounts are:
- Non-contributory visas (103, 804): $5,000 for one parent, $7,000 for two. AoS period is 2 years.
- Contributory visas (143, 864, 173, 884): $10,000 for one parent, $14,000 for two. AoS period is 10 years.
The bond is refundable at the end of the AoS period if no recoverable benefits were claimed. However, liability is uncapped — if the parent accesses Centrelink benefits exceeding the bond amount, the sponsor remains personally liable for the remainder.
The AoS application is lodged with Services Australia using Form SU594. There is an income threshold that sponsors must meet, which is indexed annually. Processing typically takes between two and six weeks.
The 870 Sponsored Parent Visa: A Practical Short-Term Option
The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa operates entirely differently to the permanent options.
Key features:
- Grants periods of 3 or 5 years, with a maximum cumulative stay of 10 years in Australia
- No balance of family test required
- No Assurance of Support required
- Cannot lead to permanent residence — this is a temporary visa only
- Annual cap of 15,000 grants, separate from the 8,500 permanent parent cap
- Processing times average approximately 8 months
For families who want their parents in Australia now — while waiting in the contributory queue — the 870 is often the practical bridge. A parent with a 143 application lodged and pending can also hold a 870, spending extended time in Australia while the permanent application works through the system.
The 870 sponsor must meet an income threshold and the parent must have adequate health insurance for the duration of the stay, as Medicare access is limited or unavailable depending on Australia’s bilateral health arrangements with the parent’s home country.
Onshore vs Offshore: Does It Matter?
Yes, significantly. The offshore subclasses (103, 143, 173) require the parent to be outside Australia at both application lodgement and at decision. The onshore subclasses (804, 864, 884) require the parent to be in Australia at lodgement and to generally remain in Australia while the application is pending.
The onshore aged parent visas (804, 864, 884) have an additional age requirement: the parent must be of retirement age — currently 67 years old.
A parent who lodges a 864 in Australia and then departs may jeopardise the application. Onshore applicants receive a bridging visa to remain lawfully while the parent visa is pending, but travel on a bridging visa requires a separate Bridging Visa B application before any departure.
Which Option Is Right for Your Family?
There is no universal answer, but here is how I typically frame it for clients:
- If you want permanence and can afford it, lodge the 143 and accept the 12-15 year wait. Use the 870 for extended time together while waiting.
- If the 143 fee is too large upfront, consider the 173 to stage the cost over time.
- If permanence within a realistic timeframe is not achievable — parents already elderly, or the balance of family test fails — the 870 may be the only viable option for meaningful time together in Australia.
- If your parent is already in Australia, aged 67+, and meets the criteria, the 864 allows the application to be lodged without returning overseas.
- The 103 and 804 are rarely advisable for new applicants — the 30+ year queue makes them impractical for most families.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Parent visa applications have strict requirements and the downside of an error is severe — not just a refusal, but potentially years of lost queue time. Key issues I commonly see include:
- Failing the balance of family test because the full family structure was not mapped correctly at lodgement
- Assurance of Support not lodged, or the sponsor’s income not meeting the threshold
- Health issues flagged during the medical examination
- Parents being in Australia at the time of decision for an offshore visa subclass
- Character requirements — police clearances are required from every country the parent has lived in for 12 months or more since turning 16
If you are considering a parent visa for your family, speaking with a registered migration agent before lodging is strongly advisable. The complexity and the financial stakes are both significant.
At VisaTasker, we handle parent visa applications across all subclasses. We map the family structure, advise on the best pathway, manage the Assurance of Support process, and guide sponsors through health and character requirements from start to finish. Contact us to discuss your family’s situation.
Related Articles You May Find Useful
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- Character Requirements for Australian Visas: What You Need to Know About Police Clearances
- Does Time on a Bridging Visa Count Towards Australian Citizenship?
- Partner Visa Sponsorship Limitations: How Many Times Can You Sponsor a Partner?
Reviewed by VisaTasker Migration Services
MARA Registered Migration Agent · MARN 2318017
This article is written and reviewed by VisaTasker Migration Services, a MARA-registered migration agency based in Australia. As registered agents, we are bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct and required to provide accurate, up-to-date advice based on Australian migration legislation. Information is reviewed against the latest Department of Home Affairs policy.
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