Subclass 103

Parent visa (subclass 103)

The subclass 103 is the permanent, non contributory parent visa. It costs $8,665 per parent in government charges, about a fifth of the contributory visas, but Home Affairs estimates about 33 years from lodgement to decision for a new application. It must be lodged and granted while the parent is outside Australia.

Book a consultation Test eligibility in the pathfinder

Key facts

Outcome: Permanent residence, with a five year travel facility
Where to lodge: Outside Australia
Where at grant: Outside Australia
Parent's age: Any
Government charge: $8,665 per parent: $6,600 at lodgement and $2,065 before grant
Wait: About 33 years for a new application (Home Affairs estimate, 31 May 2026)
Assurance of Support: $5,000 bond, held for two years
Medicare and work: From grant
Bridging visa: Not applicable: the parent is offshore

Verified against Home Affairs on 8 September 2026

Fit

Who the 103 is for, and who it is not

Usually the right visa for

Families with a tight budget who accept that the outcome is decades away
Younger parents, for whom a 33 year wait is at least conceivable
Families who want a permanent application on foot at low cost while they save for a contributory one
Parents content to remain overseas and visit

Usually the wrong visa for

Any family that wants the parent here within their lifetime: applications from 2014 are only now being released
A parent already in Australia (the 103 cannot be lodged onshore; over 67 the 804 may apply)
Anyone who has applied for or holds a subclass 870
Parents who fail the balance of family test

Eligibility

What the 103 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: $5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for each adult dependant, held for two 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.
Offshore at lodgement and grantThe parent must be outside Australia when the application is lodged and when it is decided.

Cost

What the 103 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	$6,600
First instalment, second parentAdditional adult applicant charge, confirmed at lodgement	approx. $3,300
Second instalment, each applicantRequested when the application is released from the queue	$2,065
Assurance of Support bond$5,000 main applicant plus $2,000 per adult dependant, refundable after two years	$5,000
Health examinations and police checksTypical 2026 cost per person, done at least twice over the queue	$600 to $900
Skyline professional feeFixed, quoted in writing at the consultation	On request

Timeline

How a 103 application runs

Weeks 1 to 8

Strategy and lodgement

Balance of family and sponsor confirmed, then the application lodged in ImmiAccount from outside Australia with the first instalment.

Months 1 to 6

Queue date assigned

Core criteria checked and a queue date assigned in the non contributory queue.

Years 1 to 32

The queue

The parent remains overseas and visits on visitor visas. Every change of circumstances is reported. Many families lodge a contributory application later; the 103 does not reserve a place in the contributory queue.

Final 12 months

Release and second instalment

Fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support and the $2,065 second instalment.

Grant

Permanent residence

Granted while the parent is outside Australia, followed by first entry and Medicare enrolment.

How we manage the whole timeline

Alternatives

Visas to compare with the 103

143

Contributory Parent visa

About 15 years instead of 33, for $49,900 per parent.

Read the 143 guide →

804

Aged Parent visa

The onshore equivalent for a parent already in Australia and over 67, with a bridging visa for the wait.

Read the 804 guide →

870

Subclass 103 questions we are asked most

How long does the subclass 103 take?

The Department of Home Affairs estimates about 33 years for a new Parent or Aged Parent visa application, as at 31 May 2026. Applications with a queue date up to March 2014 are being released for final processing.

How much does the 103 cost?

From 1 July 2026 the government charge is $6,600 at lodgement and $2,065 before grant, a total of $8,665 for the main applicant. The Assurance of Support bond of $5,000 is refundable after two years.

Can the 103 be lodged in Australia?

No. The parent must be outside Australia at lodgement and at grant. A parent who is in Australia and over 67 may be able to lodge the onshore Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) instead.

Can I switch from a 103 to a 143 later?

A family can lodge a contributory parent application at any time, with its own charges. The 143 gets its own queue date when its core criteria are assessed; the earlier 103 does not carry its place across.

Does the 103 give a bridging visa?

No. It is an offshore visa, so there is nothing to bridge. Parents visit Australia on visitor visas during the wait.

Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Parent visa (subclass 103) 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 103

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 103

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