Parent Visas · Australia
Parent visas, planned properly
Every parent visa pathway involves queues, costs and trade offs. We compare them honestly, then build the strategy that suits your family.
Seven parent visas, compared honestly. Eight questions tell you which are open to your family, what each really costs and when, and how long the queue is on the Department's own numbers.
Start Here
First, the honest part
All Australian parent visas are capped and queued. As a result, the pathway you choose matters enormously. Some queues move in years. Others currently run for decades. Moreover, the wrong choice can shut your parents out of better options later. Therefore, we always start with strategy, not forms.
Your Options
Four pathways, four different trade offs
01
Contributory parent visas
Subclasses 143 and 173 offshore, plus 864 and 884 for aged parents onshore. These queues move much faster. However, the visa application charge is substantially higher.
02
Non contributory parent visas
Subclass 103 offshore and subclass 804 for aged parents onshore. The cost is far lower. In return, the queues currently run for decades.
03
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870
Three or five years at a time, up to ten years in total. There is no pathway to permanent residence and no work rights. In addition, the sponsor must meet an income test.
04
Long stay visitor strategy
While a parent waits in the queue, a long validity visitor visa can allow stays of up to twelve months at a time under current policy. Consequently, many families combine a queued application with regular long visits.
The Rules
What every family should know
Balance of Family test
At least half of your parents' children must live permanently in Australia. Alternatively, more must live here than in any other single country.
Strict health rules
Several contributory visas have no health waiver at all. If one applicant fails the health requirement, the whole application fails.
Assurance of Support
Permanent parent visas require a ten year Assurance of Support from an assurer, including a refundable bond.
Aged parent rules
Onshore parent visas are limited to aged parents. In practice, that means they must have reached Australian pension age.
One application at a time
Generally, a new parent visa cannot be lodged while another parent visa application remains unresolved. Timing therefore matters.
Online lodgement
Parent visas can now be lodged online. We prepare the application, lodge it, and manage it through to a decision.
Costs
Fixed professional fees, official government charges
We charge fixed professional fees, agreed in writing before work begins. Government visa application charges are separate and change over time. For current figures, always check the Federal Register of Legislation or the ImmiAccount fee estimator. Before you commit to any pathway, we confirm the exact numbers for your family in writing.
Common Questions
Parent visa questions, answered plainly
How long will it take?
Queue times change and differ by subclass. Contributory queues are far shorter than non contributory queues, which currently run for decades. We give you the latest published estimates in your consultation.
Can my parents wait in Australia?
Sometimes. Onshore aged parent applicants may be able to remain lawfully while their application is processed. Meanwhile, offshore applicants can often visit on long validity visitor visas.
What if a parent has health issues?
It depends on the subclass. Some visas have no health waiver at all. For that reason, we assess health risk before your family spends money on an application.
Which pathway is cheapest?
Non contributory visas cost less but take far longer. We map the costs and timing side by side, so your family can make the decision with full information.
The lawyers who plan parent visa strategies
Parent visas involve long queues, large costs and real trade offs. Our lawyers compare the pathways honestly and build the strategy that suits your family, then prepare the application properly.
Meet the whole team →
How a parent visa matter runs with us
Consultation
We look at your circumstances, map the pathways open to you, flag the risks and give you a fixed fee quote in writing before any work begins.
Strategy and checklist
We decide the strongest approach first, then set you up in our secure client portal with a tailored document checklist so you always know what is needed.
Evidence and preparation
We review every document, draft the submissions and statements, and quality check the file so it is decision ready before it goes anywhere near the Department.
Lodgement and follow through
We lodge, respond to any Department requests, keep you updated at every stage and stay with your matter until the decision.
Parent visa costs in 2026
Parent visa charges vary enormously between pathways, and most are paid in two instalments. These are the main government charges for the main applicant from 1 July 2026; our fixed professional fee is separate.
Our professional fee: fixed, in writing
You approve the fee before work begins. There is no hourly billing and no hidden extras. Book a consultation for a quote on your exact situation.
Get a fixed fee quote| Government charge (main applicant) | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Parent visa, subclass 103 Non contributory. First instalment $6,600, second instalment $2,065 per person before grant | $8,665 total |
| Aged Parent visa, subclass 804 Non contributory, onshore. Same charges as the 103 | $8,665 total |
| Contributory Parent visa, subclass 143 First instalment $6,300, second instalment $43,600 before grant | $49,900 total |
| Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870 First instalment $1,515, then $4,855 (3 year stay) or $10,925 (5 year stay) before grant | $6,370 (3 yrs) / $12,440 (5 yrs) |
Full guide to each subclass
Government charges are taken from the Department of Home Affairs visa pricing table and the Administrative Review Tribunal fee schedule (charges from 1 July 2026, checked 17 August 2026) and are a guide only. Surcharges and other government fees may apply, and charges change. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted separately in writing. We confirm every figure in your quote.
Parent visa questions we hear most
Which parent visa is fastest?
Contributory parent visas are processed much faster than the non contributory 103 and 804 visas, which have very long queues, but they cost far more. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 visa is a temporary alternative that lets a parent stay for three or five years at a time. Which is right depends on your family's budget, timing and long term plans, which is exactly what we work through at the consultation. Our parent visa pathfinder shows which of the seven are open to your family before you book.
What is the balance of family test?
Most permanent parent visas require that at least half of the parent's children live permanently in Australia, or that more of their children live in Australia than in any other single country. We check this early because it decides which pathways are open to you.
Can my parents visit while the parent visa is processed?
Often, yes. A visitor visa can let parents spend time in Australia while a permanent parent application is in the queue, and there are longer stay visitor options for parents. Conditions and stay periods depend on the visa granted, so we plan visits alongside the main application.
How much does the contributory parent visa really cost?
The contributory parent visa (subclass 143) is paid in two instalments, with the second being a large contribution charge, and the total is $49,900 per applicant at 2026 rates ($6,300 on lodgement and $43,600 before grant), plus health, police and our professional fee. We set out the full cost per parent in writing before you decide.
Guides from our lawyers
Parent visa pathfinder
Compare all seven parent visas, test eligibility in eight questions and see the real cost by year.
Visitor Visas
Bringing parents to visit while a permanent application is in the queue.
How we run a parent visa matter
Five phases from strategy to grant, and what we do during the fifteen year queue.
Ready to plan your parents' pathway?
Book a consultation. We will compare every option for your family, in plain language, with the numbers confirmed in writing.
03 8108 8748 · info@skylinemigrationlawyers.com.au