Subclass 143

Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

The subclass 143 is a permanent visa for a parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. It costs $49,900 per parent in government charges across two instalments, and Home Affairs estimates about 15 years from lodgement to decision for a new application. It is the main permanent pathway for parents under 67, and for parents of any age who are outside Australia.

Book a consultation Test eligibility in the pathfinder

Key facts

Outcome: Permanent residence, with a five year travel facility
Where to lodge: In or outside Australia
Where at grant: Outside Australia, unless the parent holds a subclass 173 at the time
Parent's age: Any
Government charge: $49,900 per parent: $6,300 at lodgement and $43,600 before grant
Wait: About 15 years for a new application (Home Affairs estimate, 31 May 2026)
Assurance of Support: $10,000 bond, held for ten years
Medicare and work: From grant
Bridging visa: None. An onshore application does not allow the parent to stay

Verified against Home Affairs on 8 September 2026

Fit

Who the 143 is for, and who it is not

Usually the right visa for

Parents under 67, for whom the aged onshore visas are not available
Parents outside Australia who want permanent residence in a known timeframe
Families who can plan for a large second instalment about 15 years from now
Parents who will visit on visitor visas during the wait and settle later

Usually the wrong visa for

A parent already in Australia and over 67, who can usually do better with the onshore 864
Families that need the parent here now: the 143 gives no bridging visa
Anyone who has applied for or holds a subclass 870
Parents who fail the balance of family test

Eligibility

What the 143 requires

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

A settled sponsorUsually the parent’s child, aged 18 or over, who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and has lived in Australia lawfully for around two years. If the child is under 18, their partner, a relative or a community organisation may sponsor instead.
The balance of family testAt least half of the parent’s children must be Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia, or more of the children must live in Australia than in any other single country. All children of the parent and their current partner count, including step and adopted children, with narrow exceptions.
Health and characterA medical examination with the Department’s panel provider, police clearances from every country the parent has lived in for 12 months or more in the last ten years, and the usual character rules. Health is checked when the application is queued and again before grant.
An Assurance of SupportA bank guarantee lodged with Services Australia shortly before grant: $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each adult dependant, held for ten years and returned if no recoverable welfare payments were made. The assurer must pass an income test.
No Subclass 870 on the recordHome Affairs states that the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) when applying. Families considering an 870 as a stopgap should get advice first.
Location at grantThe parent must be outside Australia when the visa is granted, unless they hold a subclass 173 when the 143 is decided. Lodging in Australia is allowed, but no bridging visa follows and the parent leaves when their current visa expires.

Cost

What the 143 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
First instalment, main applicantPaid at lodgement	$6,300
First instalment, second parentAbout half of the main charge, confirmed by the Department at lodgement	approx. $3,150
Second instalment, each applicantRequested when the application is released from the queue, shortly before grant	$43,600
Assurance of Support bond$10,000 main applicant plus $4,000 per adult dependant, refundable after ten years	$10,000
Health examinations and police checksTypical 2026 cost per person, usually done twice over a long queue	$600 to $900
Skyline professional feeFixed, quoted in writing at the consultation, staged across lodgement and release	On request

Timeline

How a 143 application runs

Weeks 1 to 8

Strategy and lodgement

Balance of family, sponsor and budget confirmed, then the application lodged in ImmiAccount with the first instalment. The Department acknowledges it in about four weeks.

Months 1 to 6

Queue date assigned

The Department checks the core criteria, including health, and assigns a queue date. From here the application waits for a place under the annual cap.

Years 1 to 14

The queue

The parent lives overseas, or visits on visitor visas. Changes of address, passport, relationship and sponsor must be reported. Skyline runs an annual review of the file.

Final 12 months

Release and second instalment

The Department releases the file, requests fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support and the $43,600 second instalment, usually with short deadlines.

Grant

Permanent residence

The parent must be outside Australia at grant, then enters by the initial entry date. Medicare and the ten year bond period start from arrival.

How we manage the whole timeline

Alternatives

Visas to compare with the 143

173

Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa

Same queue, but the charge is split into two stages and the parent gets two years onshore with Medicare and work rights in between.

Read the 173 guide →

864

Contributory Aged Parent visa

For a parent already in Australia and over 67: same cost, same wait, but a bridging visa lets them stay here for all of it.

Read the 864 guide →

103

Parent visa

A fifth of the government charge, at the price of a 33 year queue.

Read the 103 guide →

Compare all seven parent visas side by side →

Questions

Subclass 143 questions we are asked most

How much does the subclass 143 cost in 2026?

From 1 July 2026 the government charge is $6,300 at lodgement and $43,600 before grant, a total of $49,900 for the main applicant. A second parent on the same application pays a lower first instalment and the full second instalment. The Assurance of Support bond of $10,000 is refundable. Skyline's professional fee is fixed and quoted separately.

How long does the 143 take?

The Department of Home Affairs estimates about 15 years for a new contributory parent application, as at 31 May 2026. Applications with a queue date up to November 2018 are being released for final processing. The estimate moves with each year's planning levels, which fell to 7,060 parent places for 2026 to 2027.

Can my parent stay in Australia while the 143 is processed?

No. A 143 can be lodged in Australia, but no bridging visa is granted with it, and the visa can only be granted while the parent is outside Australia unless they hold a subclass 173. Parents commonly visit on visitor visas during the wait.

When is the $43,600 second instalment paid?

Only when the application is released from the queue and is about to be granted, which on current estimates is around 15 years after lodgement. It is not required at lodgement.

Does a subclass 870 affect a 143 application?

Yes. Home Affairs states the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa when applying for the 143.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) 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 143

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 143

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