Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 103)
The Parent visa (subclass 103) lets parents live permanently in Australia if they have a child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia.
Most applicants need to be sponsored by their child. Your sponsor needs to have settled lawfully in Australia for the two years before the application is lodged.
Parent (non-contributory) visas were closed to new applications from 2 June 2014. If you applied prior to this date, you will be queued and can expect an approximate 13 year wait after your queue date has been allocated. If you are lodging a new application you can expect to wait approximately 30 years.
Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 143)
The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) lets parents live permanently in Australia if they have a child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia.
Most applicants need to be sponsored by their child. Your sponsor needs to have settled lawfully in Australia for the two years before the application is lodged.
You can lodge an application for this visa in or outside Australia. If you are in Australia, you can apply only if your temporary visa allows you to apply for another visa while you are in Australia.
Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
This visa lets parents live in Australia for up to two years if they are the parents of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia.
You can apply separately for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) to stay in Australia permanently.
Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa (from subclass 173 to subclass 143)
This visa is for holders of a temporary Contributory Parent visa (subclass 173), who want to apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143).
Who qualifies?
Any parent who has at least half their children residing in Australia or have more children residing in Australia than any other country may apply. If you are over the retirement age (65 for men, 63 for women) then the application is for the Contributory Aged Parent Visa otherwise it is for the Contributory Parent Visa.
What is the contribution?
The contribution is currently AUD$43 600 per applicant, this amount is normally revised on the 1st July each year (at the start of the Australian financial year). If you apply for the permanent visa then full payment is made just prior to grant of visa.
Otherwise, the first payment is made just prior to the grant of the temporary visa and the second payment made when you convert the temporary visa to permanent.
In addition an Assurance of support will also be required. Details of what this will entail can be found on the Department Of Immigration website under Fact Sheet Assurance of Support and on the Centrelink website under Assurance of Support.
These visas are subject to an annual quota (approximately 5900 per year) and the current waiting times for a Contributory Parent visa, you can expect to wait 12 to 24 months before visa grant consideration.
Interim Visa Option
Based on current planning levels if you are a Contributory Parent visa applicant, you can expect to wait 12 to 24 months before visa grant consideration, depending on your circumstances. Due to the lengthy processing times, you can apply to visit Australia for up to 3 years if you intend to apply for a Contributory Parent visa or have already applied and your visa is processing.
If you would like to know about your Parent visa options please contact us on 0208 996 0120 or by completing our contact form below.