Subclass 870

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

The subclass 870 lets a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen visit Australia for up to three or five years at a time, to a maximum of ten years in total. There is no balance of family test and no multi year queue, but the parent cannot work, must hold health insurance for the whole stay, and Home Affairs states that a person who has applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the permanent or contributory parent visas.

Book a consultation Test eligibility in the pathfinder

Key facts

Outcome: A temporary stay of three or five years per visa, ten years in total. No pathway to residence
Where to lodge: Outside Australia, unless the Department gives permission to apply in Australia
Where at grant: Outside Australia, unless permitted
Parent's age: Any
Government charge: $6,370 for three years or $12,440 for five, plus a $420 sponsorship application
Wait: Months: sponsorship approval first, then the visa
Balance of family test: Not required
Medicare and work: No Medicare and no work. Health insurance is a visa condition
Cap: Up to 15,000 grants each program year

Verified against Home Affairs on 8 September 2026

Fit

Who the 870 is for, and who it is not

Usually the right visa for

Families who want long stays soon and have decided residence is not the goal
Parents who fail the balance of family test and therefore cannot use the other six visas
Sponsors who meet the income threshold and accept liability for public health debts
Retired parents who do not need to work and can afford private cover

Usually the wrong visa for

Any family that intends a permanent parent visa later: the 870 bars it
Parents who need to work or rely on Medicare
Sponsors with taxable income below $83,455
Families who cannot fund health insurance for the entire stay

Eligibility

What the 870 requires

These are the requirements that decide most applications. Each has detail and exceptions that we work through in the consultation.

An approved parent sponsor firstThe child applies to become a Parent Sponsor before any visa application. The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over, usually resident in Australia for at least four years, with no outstanding public health debts, and must pass character checks.
Sponsor income of at least $83,455The sponsor’s taxable income for the last financial year must meet the threshold. A partner’s income can be combined, but the sponsor must earn at least half of the threshold themselves. The figure is indexed.
Health insurance for the whole stayThe parent must hold and maintain adequate health insurance in Australia. Condition 8501 applies to the visa.
Health and characterStandard health examinations and police clearances. The parent must have no outstanding public health debts.
Lodged within six months of sponsorship approvalThe visa application must be lodged within six months of the sponsorship being approved, or within 60 days if the Department has permitted an onshore application.
A genuine temporary stayThe visa carries a no work condition and the parent is expected to leave at the end of the visa period. It does not lead to permanent residence.

Cost

What the 870 costs, and when each amount is due

Government charges from 1 July 2026 for the main applicant. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Use the cost calculator to model one or two parents and the waiting years.

Item	Amount
Sponsorship applicationPaid by the sponsoring child	$420
Visa charge at lodgementPer parent	$1,515
Visa charge at grant, three year visaPer parent	$4,855
Visa charge at grant, five year visaPer parent	$10,925
Health insuranceOverseas visitor cover for a parent in their sixties or seventies, commonly $2,000 to $4,000 a year, for every year of the stay	per year
Health examinations and police checksTypical 2026 cost per person	$600 to $900
Skyline professional feeFixed, quoted in writing at the consultation, covering the sponsorship and the visa	On request

Timeline

How a 870 application runs

Weeks 1 to 4

Sponsorship application

The child applies to be a Parent Sponsor with income, residence and character evidence. Skyline prepares the evidence so it is decided once.

Months 1 to 6

Sponsorship decided

Once approved, the visa must be lodged within six months.

Weeks after approval

Visa application

Lodged from outside Australia with health insurance evidence, the health examination and police clearances.

Months

Grant

The visa is granted while the parent is outside Australia, for three or five years, subject to the annual cap of 15,000 grants.

Years 3 to 10

Further visas

A further 870 can be applied for up to ten years in total. After that the parent must leave, and the permanent parent visas are not available to them.

How we manage the whole timeline

Alternatives

Visas to compare with the 870

143

Contributory Parent visa

Permanent residence in about 15 years for parents who pass the balance of family test.

Read the 143 guide →

173

Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa

Two years onshore with work rights and Medicare, as the first stage of the 143.

Read the 173 guide →

804

Aged Parent visa

For a parent already in Australia and over 67: an onshore application with a bridging visa for the wait.

Read the 804 guide →

Compare all seven parent visas side by side →

Questions

Subclass 870 questions we are asked most

Does the subclass 870 lead to permanent residence?

No. It is a temporary visa only, and Home Affairs states that a person who has already applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the Parent, Contributory Parent, Aged Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visas. Families who may want residence later should get advice before lodging an 870.

How much does the 870 cost?

From 1 July 2026 the visa charge is $6,370 for a three year visa or $12,440 for a five year visa, paid as $1,515 at lodgement and the balance at grant, plus a $420 sponsorship application. Health insurance for the whole stay is extra.

What income does the sponsor need?

Taxable income of at least $83,454.80 in the last financial year. A partner's income can be combined, provided the sponsor earns at least half of the threshold. The figure is indexed.

Can my parent work on the 870?

No. The visa carries a no work condition. Parents who need to work should look at the contributory temporary visas instead.

Is there a balance of family test for the 870?

No. The 870 is the one parent visa without it, which makes it the only option for parents whose children are mostly outside Australia.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) and Parent visas queue release dates (as at 31 May 2026); Services Australia for Assurance of Support amounts. Checked 8 September 2026. Charges change every 1 July. General information only, not advice on your circumstances.

Skyline Migration Lawyers

How we help with the 870

Melbourne migration lawyers who run parent visa matters from the first strategy letter to grant, however long the queue.

A written strategy that tests all seven parent visas against your family before anything is lodged
Balance of family and sponsor evidence prepared so the application is queued on the first assessment
An annual review through the queue: addresses, passports, sponsor, health, and the second instalment forecast
Release day handled in advance: health, police, the Assurance of Support and the payment
A fixed fee, quoted in writing, staged across lodgement and release

Next Step

Talk to us about the subclass 870

One consultation, by phone, video or at 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. You leave with the visa confirmed, the costs by year and a fixed fee in writing.

Book a consultation Call 03 8108 8748