The 870:no queue, no family test,no work, no residence,and it can close the door.
Three or five years per visa, ten years in all, decided in months rather than decades. The price is that the parent cannot work, must hold health cover for the whole stay, and, on Home Affairs' stated position, cannot apply for the permanent or contributory parent visas once they have applied for or hold an 870. It is the right visa only for a family that has decided residence is not the goal.
Subclass 870, the numbers
- Visa charge, three years$1,515 at lodgement, $4,855 at grant$6,370
- Visa charge, five years$1,515 at lodgement, $10,925 at grant$12,440
- Sponsorship applicationpaid by the child, decided first$420
- Sponsor's taxable incomelast financial year, partner's income on conditions$83,455
- Capgrants each program year15,000
As at 1 July 2026. Health cover for the whole stay is extra and compulsory.
Long visits, quickly, for families who have decided against permanent residence.
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) lets a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen stay for up to three or five years at a time, to a maximum of ten years in total. There is no balance of family test and no multi year queue. The parent cannot work and must hold health insurance for the whole stay, the sponsor must pass an income test of $83,455, and Home Affairs states that a person who has applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the permanent or contributory parent visas.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs visa pages and the Parent visas queue release dates page (as at 31 May 2026).
Is the 870 the right call? A 30 second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Who it is for, and who should look elsewhere.
Most wrong choices happen here, before any form is filled.
- 01
Suits: families who want long stays soon and have ruled out residence
A decision in months.
- 02
Suits: parents who fail the balance of family test
The only parent visa without it.
- 03
Suits: retired parents who do not need to work
No work is a condition.
- 04
Not for: any family that may want a permanent parent visa later
Home Affairs treats a prior 870 as a bar.
- 05
Not for: parents who need to work or rely on Medicare
Neither is available.
- 06
Not for: sponsors earning under $83,455
The income test fails.
What the 870 requires.
Different gates from every other parent visa, because the sponsor is approved first.
- 01
An approved parent sponsor first
The child applies to be a Parent Sponsor before any visa application: a citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, 18 or over, usually resident in Australia at least four years, no outstanding public health debts, character checks.
- 02
Sponsor income of at least $83,455
Taxable income for the last financial year. A partner's income can be combined, but the sponsor must earn at least half of the threshold alone. Indexed.
- 03
Health insurance for the whole stay
Condition 8501. Adequate cover held and maintained throughout.
- 04
Health and character
Standard examinations and police clearances, and no outstanding public health debts.
- 05
Lodged within six months of sponsorship approval
Or within 60 days if the Department has permitted an onshore application.
- 06
A genuine temporary stay
No work, departure at the end of the visa, no pathway to residence.
What it costs, in the order the money leaves.
Main applicant, from 1 July 2026. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Health, police and translation costs are extra.
| Item | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship application | First, paid by the sponsor | $420 |
| Visa charge at lodgement | Per parent | $1,515 |
| Visa charge at grant, three years | Per parent | $4,855 |
| Visa charge at grant, five years | Per parent | $10,925 |
| Health insurance, per parent per year | Every year of the stay | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Health and police checks, per person | Before grant | $600 to $900 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, covering sponsorship and visa | On request |
A five year 870 for two parents is $12,440 each plus five years of cover each. The cost stack on the parent visas page adds it up.
Sponsor first, then the parent.
Typical for an 870 started in 2026.
Weeks 1 to 4: sponsorship application
Income, residence and character evidence prepared so it is decided once.
Months 1 to 6: sponsorship decided
Once approved, the visa must be lodged within six months.
Weeks after approval: visa application
Lodged from outside Australia with health cover evidence, the medical and police clearances.
Months: grant
Granted while the parent is outside Australia, for three or five years, subject to the cap of 15,000 a year.
Years 3 to 10: further visas
A further 870 up to ten years in total. After that the parent must leave, and the permanent parent visas are not available to them.
Government charges for one or two parents.
Set the second parent line to 1 for a couple. Use the cost stack on the parent visas page for bonds, checks and health cover.
As at 1 July 2026. Health cover for every year of the stay, checks and our fixed fee are extra.
The 870, answered plainly.
Does the 870 lead to permanent residence?
No. It is temporary only, and Home Affairs states that a person who has already applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the Parent, Contributory Parent, Aged Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visas.
How much does the 870 cost?
$6,370 for three years or $12,440 for five, paid as $1,515 at lodgement and the balance at grant, plus a $420 sponsorship application. Health cover for the whole stay is extra.
What income does the sponsor need?
Taxable income of at least $83,455 in the last financial year. A partner's income can be combined, provided the sponsor earns at least half of the threshold.
Can my parent work on the 870?
No. The visa carries a no work condition. Parents who need to work should look at the 173 or 884.
Is there a balance of family test for the 870?
No. It is the one parent visa without it, which makes it the only option for parents whose children are mostly outside Australia.
Where this visa connects.
- 143Open
Contributory Parent 143
Permanent. $6,300 now, $43,600 at release, about 15 years.
- 173Open
Contributory Parent (Temporary) 173
Same queue as the 143, cost split across two stages.
- 804Open
Aged Parent 804
Onshore, pension age, bridging visa for a 33 years queue.
- All 7Open
Parent visas compared
The pathfinder, the cost stack and the queue timeline.
Decide about residence before you decide about the 870.
One consultation tests the balance of family count, the sponsor's income and the family's real goal, then gives you a fixed fee for the route you choose.