Seven parent visas.Three of them fit most families.The pathfinder tells youwhich three.
You are choosing between money, time and being together. The contributory visas cost $49,900 per parent and take about 15 years. The non contributory visas cost $8,665 and take about 33 years. The 870 takes months, buys up to ten years of visits, and can close the permanent door behind it. Eight questions below sort your family into the visas that are actually open.
The numbers that decide it
- Parent visa places, 2026 to 2027down from 8,500; every parent visa shares the pool7,060
- Contributory queue, new application143, 173, 864, 884; Department estimate at 31 May 202615 years
- Non contributory queue103 and 804; applications from early 2014 being released now33 years
- Contributory charge, per parent$6,300 at lodgement, $43,600 at release$49,900
- Non contributory charge, per parent$6,600 at lodgement, $2,065 at release$8,665
- Sponsored Parent 870, five yearsplus $420 sponsorship; no work, no Medicare$12,440
Checked against the Department of Home Affairs on 8 September 2026. Charges change every 1 July. General information, not advice on your family.
Under 67 and overseas, it is the 143. In Australia and over 67, it is the 864. Everything else is a trade off you choose on purpose.
A parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen has seven visas to pick from. Six of them need the balance of family test and a settled sponsor, and all six sit in a capped queue. The 143 is the default permanent route at $49,900 per parent and about 15 years. The 864 is the same visa for a parent already here and over 67, with a bridging visa for the wait. The 103 and 804 cost a fifth of that and take about 33 years. The 173 and 884 split the contributory charge over two stages. The 870 skips the queue and the family test, but is temporary and, on the Department's stated position, bars the permanent visas afterwards.
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).
Eight questions. A verdict on all seven visas, with the reason.
It is a sorting tool, not a decision. The Department decides on the full facts, and two of the rules have exceptions we can only test in a consultation.
All seven, one row each.
Main applicant charges from 1 July 2026. A second parent on the same application pays about half of the first instalment and the full second instalment. Tap a subclass to open its guide.
| Subclass | Where lodged and granted | Wait | Charge, both instalments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 Parent | Outside Australia for both. Any age. Balance of family test. | About 33 years | $8,665 |
| 143 Contributory Parent | Lodge in or out, granted outside unless holding a 173. Any age. No bridging visa. | About 15 years | $49,900 |
| 173 Contributory Parent (Temporary) | Lodge in or out, granted outside. Two years, then the 143 at about $19,920 more. | About 15 years | $33,375 |
| 804 Aged Parent | In Australia for both, aged 67+. Bridging visa, no Medicare while waiting. | About 33 years | $8,665 |
| 864 Contributory Aged Parent | In Australia for both, aged 67+. Bridging visa for the wait. | About 15 years | $49,900 |
| 884 Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) | In Australia for both, aged 67+. Two years with Medicare, then the 864. | About 15 years | $35,430 |
| 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | Outside Australia unless invited. Any age. No family test, no work, health cover compulsory. | Months | $6,370 or $12,440 |
Assurance of Support bonds are extra and refundable: $10,000 for ten years on contributory visas, $5,000 for two years on the 103 and 804, plus $4,000 or $2,000 per adult dependant. Health checks and police clearances are extra.
Every dollar, and the year it leaves your account.
Charges are half the story. Add the refundable bond, health and police checks, and the private health cover a parent may need for years on a bridging visa. Change the assumptions and the total moves.
Our professional fee is fixed, quoted in writing after the consultation, and not included. Health and police figures are typical 2026 costs, not quotes. The Assurance of Support is a security lodged with Services Australia before grant and returned at the end of the period if no recoverable payments were made.
How old will your parent be on release day?
Type their age, pick the visa. The marker uses the Department's own estimate for a new application, published 31 May 2026. It moves with each year's planning levels, so read it as a horizon.
Read the guide to the visa the pathfinder gave you.
Each guide carries the same structure: the decision it suits, the tests, every charge and when it falls due, the timeline, and the questions we get asked.
- 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.
- 103Open
Parent 103
Cheapest permanent route, 33 years on the Department's estimate.
- 804Open
Aged Parent 804
Onshore, pension age, bridging visa for a 33 years queue.
- 864Open
Contributory Aged Parent 864
Onshore, pension age, permanent in about 15 years.
- 884Open
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) 884
Two years with Medicare, then a cheaper 864.
- 870Open
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870
Three or five years, no queue, no residence.
- MethodOpen
How a parent visa matter runs
Five phases from strategy to grant.
Six corrections we make in almost every first meeting.
None of these are obscure. All of them cost families years or money when missed.
- 01
The 173 is not faster than the 143
Same queue, same release dates. It splits the charge into two stages and gives two years onshore with Medicare between them. Across both stages it costs a little more than a direct 143.
- 02
Lodging a 143 in Australia does not let the parent stay
No bridging visa comes with a 143 or 173. The parent leaves when the current visa expires and must be outside Australia at grant unless they hold a 173 by then.
- 03
No further stay means invalid, not refused
Condition 8503 on a visitor visa makes an onshore 804, 864 or 884 application invalid. A waiver needs compelling and compassionate circumstances that arose after grant and were outside the parent's control.
- 04
The 870 can close the permanent door
Home Affairs states that a parent who has already applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 or 884. Decide about residence before lodging it, not after.
- 05
The big instalment is paid at the end
The $43,600 second instalment on a 143 or 864 is requested when the file is released from the queue, around 15 years after lodgement. Plan for it; you do not need it today. Same for the bond.
- 06
A bridging visa is not Medicare
A parent waiting here on an 804 or 864 can usually live and work, but has no Medicare unless from a reciprocal health care country or after holding an 884. Over 15 or 33 years, private cover is a real line in the budget.
Parent visas, answered plainly.
Which parent visa is the fastest way to permanent residence?
The contributory visas: the 143 for a parent outside Australia or under 67, and the 864 for a parent already here and over 67. Home Affairs estimates about 15 years for a new application. The 870 is faster but is temporary only.
Can both parents be on one application?
Yes. One parent is the main applicant and the other is included as a partner. The second parent pays a lower first instalment and the full second instalment, and both must pass health and character.
What if my parents fail the balance of family test?
The six permanent and contributory visas are closed. The 870 has no balance of family test and is usually the only parent visa left, so it is worth testing the count properly first, because some children are excluded from it.
Is the onshore aged parent route about to close?
During 2026 there has been reporting of a proposal to stop family visa applications being lodged from a visitor visa, which would close the 804, 864 and 884 in practice. As at September 2026 nothing has been legislated. A parent who is here and eligible should lodge properly rather than wait.
Do I need the $43,600 in the bank now?
No. The second instalment and the Assurance of Support bond are requested when the application is released from the queue, which on current estimates is around 15 years after lodgement.
Can my parents visit while the application is in the queue?
Usually, on visitor visas. The risks are a visitor visa granted with condition 8503, and a pattern of long stays that looks like residence. We plan the visits around the application.
Bring the pathfinder result to one consultation.
We confirm eligibility, choose the pathway, map the costs by year and give you a fixed fee in writing. Phone, video or in person in Melbourne.