Parent Visa

And the one thing that Parents of Australians – will need for this to happen is a Parent Visa. 

WHAT DOES A PERMANENT RESIDENCY ACHIEVED THROUGH A PARENT VISA OFFER?

• Indefinite stay in Australia 

• The ability to travel in and out of Australia with no limits or restrictions

• Entitlement to Medicare 

• Work rights with no limits or restrictions

• The ability to apply for Australian citizenship after meeting residency requirements

HOW DOES A PARENT VISA WORK?

If you are a parent of an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or an eligible citizen of New Zealand, you’re eligible to apply for a Parent Visa. There are a few tests to pass, including the balance of family test, and you’ll have to be sponsored by at least one of your children who reside in Australia.

If you’d like to apply as a parent, then your child must either be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or an eligible citizen of New Zealand. There are three different types of Parent Visa, which include:

• Non-contributory parent visa

• Contributory parent visa

• Sponsored parent visa (temporary)

Basic Eligibility – parent VISA 

You may be eligible for a Parent Visa if you are the parent or stepparent of an ‘eligible child’. 

How does the Australian government define an eligible child?

An Eligible Child is:

• An Australian citizen or
• An Australian Permanent Resident or
• An eligible New Zealand Citizen

The visa options depend on the Balance of family (BoF) test.

 

do i fulfil the bOF test?

You fulfil the BoF test if:

• At least half of your children and stepchildren are eligible children
• Or there are more eligible children than (non-eligible) children living in other single country

parent VISA OPTIONS IF YOU FULFIL THE BOF TEST

Permanent Visa options:

• 103 – Parent Visa: The processing time for the visa can take up to 30 years. For this reason, it is best suited for young parents.

• 143 – Contributory Parent visa: The processing time  for this visa type can take up to 7 – 8 years. This visa has a very high 2nd visa application charge (VAC), that is payable just before the grant of the visa. The current 2nd VAC is $43,600 per parent. The VAC generally increases every year on 1st July.

• 804 – Aged Parent Visa: You are eligible for the visa if you fulfil the ‘aged’ definition, which is currently applicable to parents aged 66 years and over. It is expected to change on 1 July 2021 to 66 years 6 months. The processing time for the visa can take up to 30 years but when you apply onshore you get a Bridging Visa A that lets you live in Australia till the time the visa is processed.
• 864 – Contributory Aged Parent visa: You are eligible for the visa if you fulfil the ‘aged’ definition, which is currently applicable to parents aged 66 years and over. As above, it is expected to change on 1 July 2021 to 66 years 6 months. And since it is a Contributory visa, a high 2nd VAC needs to be paid. The current 2nd VAC is $43,600 per parent. VAC generally increases every year on 1st July.

 

Temporary Visa Options:

• 173 – Contributory Parent (Temporary): This is a temporary visa that is granted for 2 years. The Contributory Parent must be sponsored by an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian Permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand citizen**. It is also important to note that  they must not have a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa when applying for this visa.

• 884 – Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary): This is a temporary visa that is granted for 2 years. It is important to note that the applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when they apply for this visa and when the Australian Government makes their decision.

visa options if you do not fulfil the bof test

• 870 – Sponsored Parent Visa: Under this visa type, parents can visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa. It is essential to note that the applicants must have an approved Parent Sponsor before they can lodge an application for this visa. They also need to lodge their visa application within 6 months of the sponsorship approval.
• Long-term Visitor Visa
• Aged Dependent visa
• Remaining relative visa

So, which parent visa type applied best to your situation?

As you can tell, there are multiple options for those considering applying for a Parent Visa. Knowing which one to apply for requires a great deal of experience and expertise in this field. Doing it alone, can result in a frustrating experience and potentially in undesirable outcomes. 

Remember, applying for a Parent Visa is not a D-I-Y (Do-It-Yourself) project. 

Our migration agent will understand your migration goals and suggest you the best option suited to your requirements.

You can book a 20-minute – Zoom consultation with our ‘Registered Migration Agent’ to discuss your case.

 

SOME OTHER POINTS:

Health, character and Police requirements

A. A health examination is required as part of the visa application. Our immigration experts will let you know in advance on what tests will be a part of the health examnination. It’s also worth noting that you will be required to provide police clearances from every country you have been a resident of over the past 10 years if you have lived there for more than 1 year.

Assurance of Support

All parent visa application (except for 870 visa) needs to provide an Assurance of Support (AoS) before the grant of the visa. By signing the AoS, the assurer agrees to repay social security payments claimed by the migrant. An AoS bond also needs to be paid before the grant of the visa.

Health & Character Requirements

All parent visas need to fulfil the health and character requirements. If you have a health or character concern, do contact us so we can help you to understand the implications.

Aged Parent visas and Brisdhing visas

You can apply for a Parent Visa while you’re in Australia, provided that you meet the ‘Aged Parent’ requirements. However, your existing visa for entering Australia cannot have an 8503 condition attached to it.

If you’re applying for an Onshore Aged Parent Visa, you’re provided with a bridging visa until the application is processed. If the applicant is from a country that has reciprocal arrangements for health with Australia, they are eligible for Medicare.

An alternative route is to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent Temporary Visa. This grants temporary residence in Australia for up to 2 years. Afterwards, you can apply for a permanent Contributory Aged Parent Visa.

Processing times

There are different timescales for Parent Visas, depending on the type you apply for. A non-contributory visa takes much longer to process than a contributory visa, so this is worth bearing in mind.

For non-contributory visas: There is a very long wait time for these types of visas upto about 25-30 years.

For contributory visas: Although they’re much faster than the non-contributory visas, they can also take up 6-7 years for processing.

The visa with the quickest turnaround can be the 870 visa with processing times currently at an average of 6 months.

Onshore or offshore applications

• All parent visa applications may be applied onshore.
• For 870 visa – permission to apply onshore is required.
• When you apply for the Aged parent visas, a Bridging Visa A is provided. The Bridging Visa A lets parents stay in Australia while their application is in progress.
• Onshore application is dependent on the conditions of your current visa. For example, if there is a ‘No Further Stay’ on your current visa, then an onshore application for a Parent visa cannot be applied. In some circumstances, a waiver of the ‘No Further Stay’ may be possible.

*Parents visa applicants are not eligible for Medicare and other welfare payments. After the visa grant, the eligibility depends on the visa subclass. Please do get in touch with us so we can provide a complete answer.

WHY SEE AN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT FOR A PARENT VISA APPLICATION?

As you can see, there are lots of different visa applications to consider depending on your circumstances. 

At Ten Heads Immigration, we provide professional advice as Parent Visa consultants to help you find the best solution for your situation. Our legal experts are available to guide you through the process, take the stress out of the application stage and find the best outcome for you. Our services provide the following:

• Professional, tailored legal advice from our highly experienced immigration experts

• Guidance to help demonstrate suitability for visa applications and finding sufficient evidence 

• Working closely with you to address any concerns 

• A streamlined process and close handholding