The sponsored parent visa grants parents a temporary stay period of 3-5 years in Australia to live with their children who are usually their sponsors for this visa.
Parents can apply for this visa again when it expires and live a total of maximum 10 years in Australia. This visa does not lead to permanent residency for parents unlike the contributory and non-contributory parent visas.
Benefits of the Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870)
- Live in Australia with children.
- Choose how long parents can stay in Australia, either 3 or 5 years initially.
- Apply again for this visa when it expires and stay longer.
- Live 10 years maximum in Australia by re-applying for this visa consecutively.
- Parents can be sponsored by their childrenโs partners as well.
- Apply for this visa outside or after arriving in Australia.
- No requirement for โbalance-of-family testโ or โAssurance of Supportโ.
Before parents can apply for a Sponsored Parent Visa, their children must apply to become eligible sponsors. After the sponsorship application is approved, only then parents can lodge their Sponsored Parent Visa application.
Eligibility & Requirements for Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870)
Sponsor Eligibility
Sponsorship applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible sponsors.
- Be a legal child of the parent and aged above 18 years.
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
- At least 4 years of permanent residency (PR) in Australia or New Zealand before sponsorship application.
- Spouse or de facto partners can also sponsor their partner’s parents if their partner meets all the above requirements.
- Pass the income test.
Parentโs Eligibility
- Parents must have an eligible sponsor among their child or their childโs partner.
- Must be a parent of their sponsor biologically, legally (includes adoption), or a step-parent or a parent-in-law to their sponsor.
- Must apply for the Sponsored Parent Visa within 6 months of sponsorship approval. Or, apply within 60 days of sponsorship approval after arriving in Australia after receiving โPermission to Apply in Australiaโ
- Have true intentions to stay only temporarily in Australia.
- Apply for health insurance.
- Have good character.
Stay Period with the Sponsored Parent Visa
The stay period with each subclass 870 sponsored parent visa is 3 to 5 years. With re-application, parents can ensure further stay (but no more than 10 years in total).
| Duration | Description |
|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | After consecutive re-application of this visa, a parent may enjoy a combined stay period of maximum 10 years. |
Parents can choose the amount of time they wish to live in Australia on a Sponsored Parent Visa. The stay period on this visa is initially either 3 years or 5 years and depends on the cost of the visa.
Re-application for Sponsored Parent Visa
This visa does not offer extension, however, parents can re-apply consecutively for another sponsored parent visa and live in Australia until all their stay periods add up to 10 years.
Cost of the Sponsored Parent Visa
| Cost | Description |
|---|---|
| AUD 5,050 for 3 years stay | Paid in 2 instalments: 1st instalment while lodging application. 2nd instalment upon request by the DHA |
| AUD 10,180 for 5 years stay |
Processing Times
3 months โ 50 % visa approved within this time.
5 months – 75 % visa approved within this time.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) mentions the submission of incorrect information and wrong documentation as the main cause for lengthy processing times.
Contact us and our expert processing team will make sure that yourย documents are valid and correctly organized without any error to avoid unnecessary delays for your Sponsored Parent Visa grant.