Parent Permanent Visa
For parents of eligible sponsors, there are various permanent and temporary visa options.
The eligible sponsors shall be:
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A child of these parents who is:
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An eligible New Zealand citizen
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An Australian citizen
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A permanent resident of Australia
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Or the child is younger than 18 years old (in a specific and exceptional situation) and an eligible relative or a community organization
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The main criteria for receiving a permanent parent visa are as follows:
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The parent shall pass the family balance test
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Be old enough to receive an age pension in Australia if applying for an onshore parent visa
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Satisfy the health and character requirements
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Present an eligible Australian to pay the refundable bond
There are also other parent visas including two stages. First, a temporary visa is granted and the parent can apply for a permanent visa when the additional visa application fee is paid within two years.
Processing time and application charges may vary depending on the visa pathway.
The table below summarizes the key aspects of parent visa options that lead to permanent residency.
In some cases, individuals holding a Subclass 405 Investor Retirement Visa or a Subclass 410 Retirement Visa as of May 8, 2018 (and no other visas from that time) may apply for a parent Permanent Visa.
They are not required to:
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Have an eligible Sponsor;
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Meet the balance of family tests;
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Have reliable support.
Parent Temporary Visa
Sponsored Parent temporary visa subclass 870 lets parents stay in Australia for three or five years. This route requires a second installment payment of $5,000 or $10,000, depending on whether the parent is applying for a 3-year or 5-year Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
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The temporary parent visa, unlike the permanent one, does not require accomplishing the family balance test.
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An eligible parent shall meet the following requirements for the Australia Temporary Parent Visa:
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Shall be sponsored by an Australian citizen who is settled, an eligible New Zealand citizen living in Australia indefinitely, or a permanent resident;
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Fulfill character and health requirements as well as special return and public interest requirements for the Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
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Not having any remaining debt to the public health in Australia
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Holding and keeping health insurance from an Australian health insurance provider for the time they remain in Australia under the Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
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An eligible sponsor shall meet the following requirements for the Australia Temporary Parent Visa:
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Receive previous approval from the immigration department
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Be legally responsible for any remaining public medical debt that parents may have in Australia under the Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
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Fulfill the income test required by the government
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Fulfill other sponsorship responsibilities, such as providing information to immigration authorities when specific events take place for the Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
An eligible sponsor is not allowed to sponsor more than two parents for each household at the same time. A parent may need to apply for several subclass 870 visas to stay in Australia for up to 10 years using the Australia Temporary Parent Visa.
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Please consider that this visa does not give the parents any working or Medicare rights.
There are several other inexpensive temporary visas available for parents:
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Subclass 600 allowing you to stay for up to 12 months
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Subclasses 601 (ETA) and 651 (e-Visitor) visas, allowing you to stay for up to 3 months.
The best visa option depends on the parents' circumstances and purposes.
