Sponsoring Mum Dad on Parent Visa Australia

How to prepare Australian Parent Visa Application with checklist

There are several different types of parent visas, with various time frames and requirements. Let’s take a look at all six scenarios involving parent visas that can lead to bringing both or one of your parents over to Australia, for a family sponsorship.

Australian Parent category visas

If you meet the requirements below, you might be eligible to apply for a parent visa:

• you have a child who is an Australian permanent resident, Australian citizen or an eligible New Zealand citizen
• your child has been living lawfully in Australia for the last 2 years before your visa allocation was lodged
• you have a sponsor (most likely your child)
• you must meet the criteria for the Balance of Family test (explained more below)
• you can meet the health and character requirements

How long can you stay in Australia on a parent category visa?

It will depend of the subclass of parent visa you apply for, but a parent category visa can allow you to, either :

1. be a temporary resident in Australia for up to 2 years
2. get you Australian permanent residency

Family Sponsorship Australia information

You must have a sponsor to apply for a parent category visa to live in Australia as a permanent or temporary resident. Your sponsor needs to be an Australian permanent resident, Australian citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen who:

• is 18 years old or over
• has resided in Australia legally for at least 2 years prior to the parent lodging their visa application
• There are special preparations for a sponsor under the age of 18. If your child or step-child has not yet turned 18, someone else may act as a sponsor as long as they are 18 years old or over and are a settled Australian permanent resident, Australian citizen or an eligible New Zealand citizen. These could include:
• the live-in partner (or spouse) of your child or step-child
• someone who is a relative or guardian of your child or step-child
• someone who is a relative or guardian or the live-in partner (or spouse) of your child or step-child
• a community organization

Balance of family test

If you are a parent applying for a parent category visa, you must meet the balance of family test. This test was designed to determine the degree of your links to Australia.

You will meet the requirements for the balance of family test if:

1. at minimum half of your children live permanently in Australia
2. you have more children living in Australia than anywhere else

Your visa options for family sponsorship to Australia via Parent Visa

How do you figure out which visa option is right for you?

The following scenarios should help you decide which parent category visa to apply for, given your current circumstances.

Are you applying outside or in Australia? If you answered outside Australia:

SCENARIO 1

• You are currently outside Australia
• You have a child who currently lives in Australia
• You wish to become a permanent Australian resident
• Your visa option for these circumstances: Parent Visa (subclass 103)
• In order to apply for the Parent Visa (subclass 103) a parent must:
• have a sponsor
• be able to meet the balance of family test requirements
• must meet health and character requirements

Time frame

could take up to 30 years for processing

• You are currently outside of Australia
• You have a child who is currently in Australia
• You want to reside in Australia as a temporary resident for up to 2 years
• You must be prepared to pay a higher visa application charge for quicker processing
• If you have these circumstances, you should apply for: Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173)
• In order to apply for the Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173), a parent must:
• Be able to meet the requirements for health and character
• Have a sponsor
• Can meet the balance of family test requirements

For the next scenario, you can be in or outside of Australia:

SCENARIO 3

• You are currently residing in or out of Australia
• You have a child currently residing in Australia
• You wish to become an Australian permanent resident
• You must be prepared to pay a higher visa application charge for quicker processing
• The visa option for this scenario is: Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143)
• In order to apply for the Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), a parent must:
• Have an approved sponsor
• Be able to meet health and character requirements
• Can meet the balance of family test
• Have an assurance of support (will be explained below)

Time frame

The subclass 143 visa applications are assessed in date of lodgment order and according to the planning levels that are set in the Migration Programme each year. Since there is an ongoing strong demand for this visa, processing times could change between each programme year. If you currently hold the Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173) and you wish to stay in Australia on a permanent basis, you can apply for the Permanent Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143) prior to your temporary visa expiring.

SCENARIO 4

Are you currently in Australia? The options mentioned below are for parents currently in Australia.

• You are currently outside of Australia
• You have a child who is currently in Australia
• You want to reside in Australia as a temporary resident for up to 2 years
• You must be prepared to pay a higher visa application charge for quicker processing
• If you have these circumstances, you should apply for: Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173)
• In order to apply for the Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 173), a parent must:
• Be able to meet the requirements for health and character
• Have a sponsor
• Can meet the balance of family test requirements

SCENARIO 5

• You are currently in Australia
• You have a child currently residing in Australia
• You wish to live in Australia in Australia as a temporary resident for up to 2 years
• You meet the age requirements
• You are prepared to pay a higher amount for visa application charges so you can have quicker processing
• Do these suit you? If so, you should apply for the: Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 884)
• In order to apply for the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 884), a parent must:
• Currently meet the age requirements
• Can meet the balance of family test
• Has an approved sponsor (child)

SCENARIO 6

• You are currently in Australia
• You have a child currently residing in Australia
• You wish to become an Australian permanent resident
• You currently meet the age requirements
• You are prepared to pay a larger sum for your visa application charges
• Are you able to meet this criteria? Then apply for the: Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864)
• In order to apply for the Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864), a parent must:
• Have a sponsor (their child most likely)
• Meet the requirement for age
• Can meet the balance of family test
• Is able to prove health and character requirements
• Can obtain an assurance of support

Do you currently hold a Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864)?

Do you wish to stay in Australia on a permanent basis? You can apply for the Permanent Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864) before your current temporary visa expires.

1. Assurance of support (as previously mentioned above)

An assurance of support will be required for any applicants applying for a permanent Parent category visa. This assurance is a legal commitment from an individual or organisation stating that they will give you financial support so you do not have to solely rely on social security payments. This assurance will include you and anyone else included in your visa application (such as, family members).

2. Who exactly can give an assurance of support?

This can be your sponsor (person or organisation) or someone else currently an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. A joint assurance of support can be given, with up to three people included to assist you in your family migration to Australia.

3. Capping and queuing

There might be a limit set by the Minister of Immigration and Border Protection for how many people can receive a certain type of visa each year. This limiting of visas is referred to as capping. The Parent and Aged Parent category visas are subject to capping at this time. The Contributory Parent category visas are not currently capped. If you apply for a visa that has reached its capping limit, you must wait in a queue until more places for this visa become available. You might be waiting in the queue for many years, but you must still meet all the visa requirements during this time.

The age requirement was mentioned in some of the Parent category visas above, so let’s look at what the age requirement will be.

This requirement to be an “Aged Parent” is only needed for the main applicant for an onshore parent category visa. An “Aged Parent” is one who is old enough to qualify for an Australian age pension. To apply for a parent visa which includes the word “Aged” in the title, only one parent has to meet the age requirement.

PLEASE NOTE: This does not mean you will be granted the age pension in Australia if you are an aged parent. There will be a waiting period of 10 years before you can receive the pension (unless there is a reciprocal agreement with another country which will pay you the pension). This period of 10 years will continue even if you become an Australian citizen.

4. Assurance of support (as previously mentioned above)

An assurance of support will be required for any applicants applying for a permanent Parent category visa. This assurance is a legal commitment from an individual or organisation stating that they will give you financial support so you do not have to solely rely on social security payments. This assurance will include you and anyone else included in your visa application (such as, family members).

ONE derland Consulting has extensive experience dealing with different type of visas and complex cases, to find further information on your options and eligibility for family sponsorship to Australia for a parent visa please contact our office on (+61) 089477-5831 or email: [email protected]