Australia Parent Visas
Australia
Residency
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See if you're a match →Australia's permanent Parent visas let a parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen move to Australia.
- Type
- Permanent family residence
- Sponsor
- Settled Australian child
- Core requirements
- Sponsor, balance-of-family test, support, health, and character
- What to know
- Costs and waits vary sharply by stream
Summary
Australia's permanent Parent visas let a parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen move to Australia permanently. The main permanent streams include Parent (103), Contributory Parent (143), Aged Parent (804), and Contributory Aged Parent (864).
These routes can be powerful for family reunification, but they can be expensive, slow, or both. The contributory streams generally cost more but are designed differently from the long-wait non-contributory streams.
Eligibility
Core issues usually include:
- Having an eligible child who is settled in Australia.
- Meeting the balance-of-family test.
- Having an eligible sponsor.
- Providing an Assurance of Support when required.
- Meeting health, character, debt, and visa-history rules.
Aged-parent streams can depend on age and whether the applicant is applying from inside Australia.
What This Route Allows
If granted, a permanent Parent visa gives Australian permanent residence. It can allow work, study, Medicare access if eligible, family sponsorship later if eligible, and a possible citizenship pathway after residence and presence rules are met.
What This Route Is Not
This is not the same as the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa. The temporary route can allow longer visits but does not grant permanent residence or work rights.
Next Steps
- Confirm the child's status and settled residence in Australia.
- Check the balance-of-family test.
- Compare contributory and non-contributory streams.
- Review costs, wait times, Assurance of Support, and health issues before applying.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs - Parent visa (Subclass 103) - permanent non-contributory route.
- Department of Home Affairs - Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143) - permanent contributory route.
- Department of Home Affairs - Aged Parent visa (Subclass 804) - onshore aged-parent route.
- Department of Home Affairs - Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864) - onshore contributory aged-parent route.