Bring your parents to Australia with the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa

To qualify for the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa, the following criteria must be met:

• Approved sponsor: You must have an approved Parent Sponsor before your visa application can be lodged
• Relationship: You must be the parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
• Location: You must be outside Australia when you apply, unless you have been granted Permission to Apply in Australia
• Health insurance: You must hold adequate health insurance from an Australian-regulated provider for the whole visa period
• Financial capacity: You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself while in Australia
• Genuine temporary stay: You must genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily
• Health and character: You must meet the health and character requirements
• No outstanding debt: Any debt to the Australian Government must be repaid or subject to a repayment arrangement

The key difference is permanency:

Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa:

• Lets you stay for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, to a cumulative maximum of 10 years
• Does not lead to permanent residence
• You cannot work in Australia while you hold the visa
• Requires an approved Parent Sponsor who passes an income test
• No balance of family test applies

Permanent parent visas (such as Subclass 103 and 143):

• Grant permanent residence, with work rights and Medicare access
• Require the balance of family test to be met
• Involve very long queues, and much higher charges for contributory streams

You cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa while you have applied for, or hold, a Subclass 870 visa. Many families use the 870 as a way to spend extended time together while a permanent option is considered.

The Subclass 870 involves two separate government charges:

• Parent Sponsor application: AUD $420, payable by the sponsoring child when the sponsorship application is lodged.
• Visa application charge: from AUD $6,370 for a visa of up to 3 years, or from AUD $12,440 for a visa of up to 5 years. This is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply and the second when the Department asks for it (check the official website for the latest figures).
• Other government costs: health examinations, police certificates and biometrics are charged separately.
• Professional Fees: Our firm generally requires payment of professional fees upon signing the service agreement. This ensures we can dedicate the necessary resources to your case.
• Payment Methods: We accept credit cards for both government and professional fees.

The Subclass 870 is a two-stage process, so the overall timeline depends on both applications:

• Stage 1 – Parent Sponsor application: the sponsoring child applies first and the sponsorship must be approved before any visa application can be lodged.
• Stage 2 – Visa application: once sponsorship is approved, the visa application must be lodged within 6 months (or 60 days if Permission to Apply in Australia has been granted).
• Current estimates: the Department publishes indicative processing times for both stages in its visa processing time guide, and these change regularly.
• What slows things down: incomplete forms, missing documents, requests for further information, and delays in health or police checks.

We keep your matter moving by preparing a complete, decision-ready application and by responding promptly to any departmental correspondence.

Budgeting for a Subclass 870 means allowing for more than the visa charge alone:

• Sponsorship charge: AUD $420 for the Parent Sponsor application.
• Visa application charge: from AUD $6,370 (up to 3 years) or from AUD $12,440 (up to 5 years), paid in two instalments (check the official website for the latest figures).
• Health insurance: you must hold adequate health insurance from an Australian-regulated provider for the whole visa period, which is an ongoing cost.
• Health, police and biometric checks: charged separately and vary by country.
• Professional Fees: these depend on the complexity of the sponsorship and the visa application. We provide a fixed fee proposal after your initial assessment so you know the cost up front.

These are estimated costs; your circumstances will influence the final amount.

The parent must be sponsored by an approved Parent Sponsor, who must:

• Be the child: the sponsor is the child of the prospective applicant, or that child’s spouse or de facto partner, and must be at least 18 years of age.
• Hold the right status: be an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who has been usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years.
• Pass the income test: taxable income for the most recent completed income year must be at least AUD $83,454.80. Income can be combined with a partner or another child of the applicant, provided the sponsor’s own taxable income is at least 50 per cent of that amount.
• Meet character requirements: including police checks where required.
• Have no outstanding government debt: or have a repayment arrangement in place.
• Accept sponsorship obligations: including agreeing to share information with the Department where necessary.

One sponsorship applies per household at a time and it can cover up to 2 parents. A new sponsorship cannot be lodged until the current approved sponsorship ends.

Once granted, the Subclass 870 gives you a long, flexible period of time with your family in Australia:

• Extended stay: you can stay for up to 3 or 5 years, as specified in your visa grant letter.
• Unlimited travel: you can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you like while the visa is valid.
• No work rights: you cannot work in Australia while you hold this visa.
• Ongoing conditions: you must maintain adequate health insurance and comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.
• Digital visa: your visa is linked digitally to your passport, so there is no label.
• Renewal: further Subclass 870 visas can take your total stay to a cumulative maximum of 10 years. A further visa must generally be applied for from outside Australia, and you must have been outside Australia for at least 90 consecutive days since your relevant departure day.
• No permanent pathway: this visa does not lead to permanent residence, and it ends if your sponsor withdraws sponsorship and you do not find a new Parent Sponsor.

The Subclass 870 has two linked applications and several strict requirements, making professional assistance valuable:

• Income test evidence: proving the sponsor’s taxable income, or correctly combining income with a partner or another child, is the single most common reason sponsorships fail.
• Sponsorship first: the sponsorship must be approved before the visa can be lodged, and the visa must then be lodged within 6 months (or 60 days with Permission to Apply in Australia).
• Genuine temporary stay: your intention to stay temporarily must be documented persuasively.
• Health insurance: the policy must meet the Department’s requirements and be held with an Australian-regulated provider.
• Health and character: older applicants often face closer scrutiny of health examinations, and waivers are limited.
• Documentation: compiling birth certificates, identity documents, tax records, insurance policies and financial evidence in the right format.

An immigration lawyer experienced with family migration ensures your sponsorship and visa applications are consistent, complete and lodged in the right order.