Parent Visa

Contributory Parent Visas - Subclass 173,143,884 & 864

If you are a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident who would like to sponsor your parents to join you in Australia, one of these visas could be the visa for you. However, before you apply you need to be aware that there are considerably high visa application fees associated with this visa.

For a parent visa with a much longer waiting time but a much lower application fee, see non-contributory parent visas (link).

Contributory parent visa application process

The main premise of the contributory parent visa is that you pay a significant fee (currently approximately $45,000) for each applicant. You have two options for structuring this process:

1. Apply directly for the permanent contributory parent visa
2. Pay a visa application charge of approximately $3,700
3. Pay a second instalment of approximately $43,000 per applicant
4. Receive permanent visa

OR

1. Apply for the temporary contributory parent visa
2. Pay a visa application charge of approximately $2,500
3. Pay a second instalment of approximately $29,000 per applicant
4. Receive temporary visa
5. Within two years, apply for the permanent contributory parent visa
6. Pay visa application charge of approximately $300
7. Pay second instalment of approximately $19,500 per applicant
8. Receive permanent visa.

Please note that the second instalment must only be paid just before the visa is granted and the current processing time for contributory parent visas is approximately 3 years.

Aged parent visas

There are two types of contributory parent visa. One is for parents under the pension age in Australia (currently 65 years old) and the other is for parents over the pension age. The difference is that the aged parent visa (subclass 864 for permanent, subclass 884 for temporary) can be applied for within Australia, which means you can be granted a bridging visa that will let you stay in Australia while your application is in the queue.

Applicants under the pension age must apply from outside Australia and will not receive a bridging visa.

Eligibility Requirements for Contributory Parent Visas

Criteria to be eligible for a contributory parent visa include:

• Your sponsor is settled in Australia
• You have more children living in Australia than in any other one country
• You or your family are prepared to compensate the government for any social services that you use in your first few years in Australia after visa grant
• You satisfy the health requirement both when applying and when your visa is about to be granted.

Common problems for applicants

• You will need to provide evidence that your sponsor is settled in Australia
• If you change your mind and apply for a non-contributory parent visa (link) after lodging a contributory parent visa, you will need to withdraw your parent visa application first.
• You must be prepared to make the second instalment payment when required to, before the visa is granted
• If you are granted a contributory parent visa, you cannot sponsor a partner or spouse on a partner visa (link) for five years.
• Always be aware of your current visa’s expiry date and conditions. Letting a visa expire without applying for a new one can have severe consequences, even if you try to apply the next day.

Contributory parent visa application FAQ