Australia is among the few advanced economies whose visa system explicitly allows the parents of citizens or permanent residents. The routes are not always quick, the move is rarely simple, but the destination is the same one your children have already chosen, and the welcome at the end of it, by every measure that matters, is truly worthwhile.
At Sterling Migration, we understand, as parents, how much we miss our children and grandchildren when they leave us. We want to be close to help them and remain a part of their lives. With a variety of parent visas available for Australia, it is possible for parents who meet the qualifying criteria as laid out in Australian law to emigrate.
We advocate daily for parents who wish to emigrate and have assisted thousands of families in reuniting. Our endeavours are focused on building successful cases and helping our clients mitigate potential risks posed by the immigration system to their short and long-term plans.
Last year, we maintained our 99% success rate
Compared to less than 20% of cases submitted by UK parents
Over 80% of our clients today were referred by existing or former clients
This is a permanent visa for older parents of settled Australian citizens and permanent residents. At least one applicant must be 67 years or older.
Although the processing time for this visa is 30+ years, onshore visa applicants can obtain bridging visas, which would permit them to remain in the country during processing. If parents are not concerned about permanent residence but seek long-term permission to remain in Australia, this pathway can be a cheap alternative to the more expensive Contributory Parent pathways.
Similar in nature to the Subclass 173, however, this option permits parents to attain permanent residency status in Australia. It is the most expensive parent visa option but affords the most comprehensive array of benefits.
This temporary visa lets a parent of an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident, visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. A parent can apply for further visas to visit up to a maximum period in Australia of 10 years and does not contain work rights.
Today, you may be just a few clicks away from starting your emigration to Australia. If your emigration plans are important to you, let us help.
All communications are strictly confidential.
Aged parents living overseas first approached Sterling after hearing that their daughter, an Australian permanent resident in Brisbane, was expecting her first child. They had a matter of months to be present for the birth. They wanted to remain in Australia afterwards, for the early years, and indefinitely.
We completed the substantive paperwork before they travelled, so that nothing in the file would later jeopardise the plan.
The balance of family was confirmed; the sponsoring child’s residence and capacity to sponsor were documented; medical and character evidence were assembled in advance. Both parents were above the Australian Aged Pension age. Sterling then placed the family on a defined Aged Parent strategy that has, over twenty-five years, become a quiet feature of our practice.
The strategy is not set out on these pages; it is the substance of the conversation we have with each family at the beginning of an Aged Parent matter.
The grandparents were present at the birth. They are present today, settled near their daughter, enrolled in Medicare, and known to their granddaughter from her first week of life.
There are six types of parent visas. Four provide permanent residency, while two only offer temporary residency.
Permanent Parent Visas:
Temporary Parent Visas:
The processing time for a Non-Contributory Parent visa is currently 31 years. For those over 67 years old, it is possible to apply once you have arrived in Australia and remain on a bridging visa. While holding a bridging visa, your Aged Non-Contributory Parent Visa is being processed.
AUD 5,280 Initial Applicant
AUD 2,640 Partner
AUD 2,065 2nd instalment due when the visa is approved per person
The sponsoring child must have been lawfully Resident in Australia for over 2-years and hold PR or citizenship.
AUD 5,000 for a Single Parent
AUD 2,000 for an additional Parent
Police Report approx. AUD 200
Medical Report approx. AUD 500
The processing time for a Contributory Parent Visa is currently fifteen years.
For those over 67 years old, you can be in Australia when applying for an Aged Contributory Parent Visa and remain in Australia on a bridging visa until the case is complete.
For those under 67 years, you will apply off-shore. During this time you are able to visit Australia, or subsequently apply for a temporary parent visa to stay for up to 10 years while your application is being processed.
AUD 5,040 Initial Applicant
AUD 2,515 Partner
AUD 43,650 per parent. Which is payable when the visa is approved.
The sponsoring child must have been lawfully Resident in Australia for over 2-years and hold PR or citizenship.
Your child must be over 18 and have held PR for over two years.
AUD 10,000 for a Single Parent
AUD 4,000 for an additional Parent
AUD 43,650 as a single person
AUD 65,450 with a spouse or partner
An additional income of AUD 2,665 is required per child they have under 18 years old.
Police Report approx. AUD 200
Medical Report approx. AUD 500
The processing time is 74-150 days for the initial sponsorship application to be completed.
The sponsoring child must have been lawfully Resident in Australia for over 4-years and hold PR or citizenship.
AUD 43,650 as a single person
AUD 65,450 with a spouse or partner
An additional income of AUD 2,665 is required per child they have under 18 years old.
AUD 420
Once the sponsor (Your child) has been approved, we may file for the Temporary Parent Visa, which takes approximately 7-12 months to complete.
AUD 1,215 Initial Government fee – per person
AUD 4,855 On approval of the visa – per person
AUD 1,215 Initial Government fee – per person
AUD 10,925 On approval of the visa – per person
Police Report approx. AUD 200
Medical Report approx. AUD 500
Parents are supposed only to work a fortnight per month. Parents should not take employment away from local residents.
Currently, non-contributory parent visas take approximately 31 years to process. This can be a disincentive for many parents.
Currently, the contributory parent visas take approximately fifteen years to process.
You can apply for an Aged Parent Visa starting from the age of 67. The aged Parent Visas have certain advantages over the Parent visa streams. However, they do not expedite the process.
Everything indicates that Australia would prefer to abolish the Parent visa stream as they deem Parents as liabilities and possible burdens on the public purse who have paid their income taxes to another country.
Therefore, the benefits of issuing parent visas are outweighed by the risks.
However, if you receive your invitation to emigrate prior to any potential changes, any new laws will not affect you retrospectively.
Yes, it is important that parents budget for medical insurance. The Australian Medicare system will not provide adequate cover as the parent would not have paid into the system.
Temporary Parent Visas are issued for three or five years, you are able to apply for a temporary visa several times, but the limit is capped at ten years. They are designed to allow a grandparent residency in Australia during the formative years of their grandchildren’s lives.
Once the children have grown, or the visa expires, the grandparents are expected to return to their country of origin.
There may be ways to extend beyond that time period based on the current law. However, there is no way to foresee what the policy will be like in ten years or even three.
To be eligible for a Permanent Residency class Parent visa, a parent must have 50% or more of their children living in Australia while holding a Permanent Residency visa for at least two years.
This includes stepchildren and adopted children.
There is no family test to be eligible for a Temporary Parent visa. However, your child must have held Permanent Residency for at least four years.