If you would like to sponsor your parents to apply for Australian permanent residency, they will need to apply for a contributory or non-contributory Parent Visa.

Who needs this visa?

Parents from overseas who have half or more of their children living in Australia as Australian citizens or permanent residents may apply for a parent visa to join the majority of their children in Australia. The visa grants permanent resident status to the parents, meaning the parents can stay in Australia indefinitely and also receive Medicare.

Subclass 804

Aged Parent visa
This permanent visa lets an aged parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen stay in Australia.

With this visa you can

  • Stay in Australia as a permanent resident.
  • Sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia.
  • If eligible, apply for Australian Citizenship.

However , you must

  • Have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
  • Be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia
  • Not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa

There are different categories available to the parent visa.

  • Parent visa (subclass 103)
  • Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
  • Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
  • Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
  • Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
  • Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)

What are the requirements to apply?

The main criterion for the parent visas is that you will need to pass the “Balance of Family Test”. The Balance of Family Test requires half or more of your children to be in Australia living as an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

What is the application process?

The parent visas can only be submitted by post or courier to the DIBP office in Perth.
For the application you will need to show your children’s birth certificates and documents proving the locations where they live.

Depending on the parent visa category you applied for you may wait 2 years for a Contributory Parent visa or up to 30 years for a non-Contributory Parent visa.

If you are applying for the Contributory Parent visa the 2nd instalment fee of A$ 43 600 (as of 15 November 2016) is payable just before the visa is granted.

If you are sponsoring your child to apply for Australian permanent residency, you will need to apply for a Child Visa on behalf of the child.