Parent visas allow parents to migrate to or stay in Australia permanently to settle with their children who are living in Australia.

The application must be sponsored by a child who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen, who is permanently resident and settled in Australia.

To be eligible to apply for a Parent Visa the applicant must meet the Balance of Family test where:

• At least half of their children living lawfully and permanently in Australia, or
• More children living lawfully and permanently in Australia than in any other single country overseas

Parent visa is usually applied from overseas unless the applicant meets the definition of ‘aged parent’, an aged parent is a parent who is old enough to be granted an Australian age pension. For men this is currently 65 years of age and for women this is currently between 60 and 65 years of age, depending on their date of birth. Aged parent will usually be entitled to a bridging visa that will allow them to remain in Australia.

There are 2 types of parent visas:

• Standard Parent Visa
• Contributory Parent Visa

The main differences between the standard parent visa and the contributory parent visa are the processing time and application costs where standard parent visa is slow but cheap; contributory parent visa is fast but expensive.

The Department is currently advising that standard parent visa applicants can expect to wait approximately 15 years for their application to be finalised; while contributory parent visa applicants can expect their applications to be finalised in between 1 and 2 years.

The other substantial difference between standard parent visa and contributory parent visa is the cost of applying for the visa. A standard parent visa fees for two parents (main applicant and spouse) is $6,680 compared with $87,530 to a contributory parent visa for two parents (main applicant and spouse). The cost of security bonds for assurances of support, police checks and medical checks will be in addition to the visa application fees.

Our Service

We provide detailed advice in relation to the most suitable visa option available for your family members and their eligibility to meet the relevant legislative requirements for the visa grant. We assist in simplifying the visa application process so you and your family members can be reunited sooner.