Australia offers a range of visa options for parents of settled Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens to reunite with their children in Australia. This includes both temporary and permanent visa options.

Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143/173)

The Subclass 173 temporary visa allows parents to live in Australia for up to two years and then apply for the Subclass 143 permanent stage. These contributory parent visas have higher application fees and reduced processing times, compared with non-contributory parent visas. The applicants need to meet the balance of family test and assurance of support requirements.

Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 884/864)

The Subclass 884 temporary visa lets aged parents live in Australia for up to two years while the Subclass 864 permanent visa can be applied for after a certain period of residing on the temporary visa. This pathway is available for parents who meet age requirements (eligible to receive the age pension in Australia). The applicants need to meet the balance of family test and assurance of support requirements.

Parent Visa (Subclass 103/804)

These are non-contributory parent visas. Parent visa (Subclass 103) and Aged Parent (Subclass 804) are other permanent parent visa options with lower application fees but with significantly longer processing times compared to the contributory options. The applicants also need to meet the balance of family test and assurance of support requirements.

Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870)

This is a temporary parent visa for parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents to visit and remain in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. A sponsorship is required for this visa, but the balance of family test does not apply. The maximum stay is up to 10 years but all subsequent visa applications for this visa must be applied for from outside Australia.