How Can I Bring My Parents to Australia with a Parent Visa?

Every expat experiencing life in Australia, at some point, wishes to bring his parents over for a temporary or a permanent stay. There are several ways to bring your parents over to live with you in Australia if you have the required documents.

About half of all Australians are either born overseas or have one parent who was. This means that many Australians have parents and relatives living outside Australia. That’s why the Australian parent visa is very in demand, and the processing time can take a while. Doing extensive research about this subject matter is necessary for everyone who wants to bring his parents over to experience a good quality of life in Australia.

Different types of Australian parent visa

There are several different parent visa applications that you can use according to your need. Some expats just want to bring their parents over for a short visit, some want to bring their parents over for a few years, and some want to relocate their parents to Australia for a permanent stay.

• Aged Parents Visa (Subclass 804/103)

• Contributory Parent visa (subclass 173 and 143)

• Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 884 and 864)

• Parent Visa – Subclass 885 (Temporary)

• Temporary Parent Visa Subclass 870

• Visitor Visa

Each of the above visas has different rules and applications, but in this article, we’ll explain how to bring your parents over to live in Australia with a contributory parent visa 143.

What is contributory parent visa?

The contributory parent visa (subclass 173 and 143) is suitable for those parents who look to live in Australia for at least two years (subclass 173), but if they extend their visa and live permanently in Australia, they have to apply for the contributory parent visa (subclass 143) within two years living in Australia on a contributory parent visa (subclass 173). Parents need to have an eligible child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

While visa 173 will allows you to live up to two years on Australian soil, the contributory parent visa 143 can extend that period to a permanent stay. This type of visa is useful for those who wish to bring their parents to live with them permanently in Australia.

Contributory parent visa (subclass 173)

The contributory parent visa (subclass 173) gives you the chance to live on Australian soil for up to two years if you have an eligible child living in Australia and are willing to become your sponsor. This visa is considered the pathway toward obtaining a permanent stay with the contributory parent visa 143. In addition to that, the contributory parent visa normally takes less time than the permanent visa 143.

What does visa 173 offer you?

with this visa, you can:

• Live on Australian soil for up to 2 years.

• You have the chance to work and study in Australia. (Without government support; meaning that you have to pay for your tuition fees or find a job yourself)

• Apply for the permanent contributory parent visa (subclass 143) within the period of those two years.

Find out if you are eligible for the contributory parent visa (subclass 173) (temporary)

There are a few boxes that you need to tick first before you can apply for this visa. The following is required from you in order to be considered for a parent visa 173.

• You need to be sponsored by an eligible child who lives in Australia as a citizen or a permanent resident/ eligible New Zealand citizen.

• Meet the balance of family test.

• Pass all visa conditions and follow all Australian laws.

• You must not hold or have already applied for sponsored parent (temporary)(subclass 870) when you’re applying for the 173 visa.

The processing time for the contributory parent visa subclass 173

Applying for the temporary contributory parent visa subclass 173 requires a fee of $2,850 for the first applicant and $1,425 for a spouse. But before this visa is actually granted, the applicants or their sponsor must pay the second instalment of $29,130. The visa subclass 173 processing time takes approximately about 3 to 3.5 years to be processed. After that, the applicants with this visa are allowed to live for two years in Australia, and within the period of this visa, if they wish to live permanently in Australia, they must apply for the permanent contributory parent visa subclass 143.

Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143)

The holder of this visa has already gone throw obtaining the visa 173 subclass and, within two years of his or her stay, applied for a permanent stay with the visa 143 subclass. With this visa, you can live indefinitely in Australia, but you need to pay a significant amount of money (AUD43,600) to the Australian government if you are found eligible. This is why these types of visas are called “contributory”.

What does visa 143 offer you?

The holders of the permanent contributory parent visa subclass 143 can:

• Live for as long as they want in Australia.

• Become a sponsor for eligible family members to move to Australia.

• Apply for Australian citizenship if they meet the required conditions.

• Work and study in Australia. (Without government support; meaning that you have to pay for or find a job yourself)

Find out if you are eligible for the contributory parent visa (subclass 143) (permanent)

There are certain conditions you need to meet before you become eligible for the contributory parent visa subclass 143, and they are as follows:

• You need an eligible child who is willing to sponsor you.

• Meet the balance of family test

• Have an assurance of support

• Pass the health character test

The processing time for the contributory parent visa subclass 143

The subclass 143 visa is a permanent version of the contributory parent visa. In this visa, a fee of $4,225 is required for the first applicant and another $1,425 if they bring a spouse. The second instalment for each applicant is a significant amount of $43,600. The processing time on this visa is about 3.5 to 4.5 years.