The 143:$49,900 per parent,about 15 years,permanent.
If your parent is under 67, or outside Australia at any age, this is the permanent route. You pay $6,300 now and $43,600 when the queue releases the file, which the Department currently puts about 15 years out. There is no bridging visa, so the wait is spent overseas with visits in between.
Subclass 143, the numbers
- First instalment, main applicantat lodgement$6,300
- Second instalment, each applicantat release, shortly before grant$43,600
- Second parent, first instalmentapproximate, confirmed at lodgement$3,150
- Assurance of Support bondten years, refundable, plus $4,000 per adult dependant$10,000
- Wait, new applicationDepartment estimate at 31 May 202615 years
As at 1 July 2026. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing after the consultation.
Pay $6,300 now, wait about 15 years, pay $43,600 at the end, then permanent residence.
The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is a permanent visa for a parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who passes the balance of family test. It can be lodged in or outside Australia but is granted only while the parent is outside Australia, unless they hold a subclass 173 at the time. The government charge is $49,900 per parent across two instalments, and a $10,000 Assurance of Support bond is lodged before grant. Home Affairs estimates about 15 years for a new application.
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 143 the right visa? 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: parents under 67
The aged onshore visas are closed to them, so the 143 is the permanent route.
- 02
Suits: parents outside Australia
The visa is granted offshore in any case, so nothing is lost by lodging from home.
- 03
Suits: families who can plan for $43,600 in about 15 years
Nothing beyond $6,300 is due now.
- 04
Not for: a parent already here and over 67
The 864 costs the same, takes the same time, and comes with a bridging visa to stay.
- 05
Not for: families who need the parent here now
The 143 gives no bridging visa. Look at the 173 for two years onshore, or the 870.
- 06
Not for: anyone who has applied for or holds an 870
Home Affairs treats it as a bar to the 143.
Six things the 143 requires.
Each has detail and exceptions. These are the ones that decide most applications.
- 01
A settled sponsor
Usually the child, aged 18 or over, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, lawfully resident around two years. If the child is under 18, their partner, a relative or a community organisation can sponsor.
- 02
The balance of family test
At least half of the parent's children are Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident here, or more live here than in any other single country. All children of the parent and their current partner count, including step and adopted children, with narrow exclusions.
- 03
Health and character
A panel medical, police clearances from every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last ten years, and the usual character rules. Health is checked at queuing and again before grant.
- 04
An Assurance of Support
A security with Services Australia before grant: $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 per adult dependant, held ten years and returned if no recoverable welfare payments were made. The assurer passes an income test.
- 05
No 870 on the record
Home Affairs: the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa when applying.
- 06
Outside Australia at grant
Unless holding a 173 when the 143 is decided. Lodging onshore is allowed, but no bridging visa follows.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| First instalment, main applicant | Lodgement | $6,300 |
| First instalment, second parent | Lodgement, approximate | $3,150 |
| Second instalment, each applicant | Release, about 15 years later | $43,600 |
| Assurance of Support bond | Before grant, refundable after ten years | $10,000 |
| Health and police checks, per person | Queuing and again at release | $600 to $900 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, staged across lodgement and release | On request |
The bond is $4,000 more per adult dependant. Second instalments are per applicant, children included.
How a 143 runs, from lodgement to grant.
Typical for an application lodged in 2026 on the Department's current estimate.
Weeks 1 to 8: strategy and lodgement
Balance of family, sponsor and budget confirmed, then lodged in ImmiAccount with the first instalment. Acknowledged in about four weeks.
Months 1 to 6: queue date
The Department checks the core criteria, health included, and assigns a queue date. The file now waits for a place under the cap.
Years 1 to 14: the queue
Overseas, with visits on visitor visas. Address, passport, relationship and sponsor changes must be reported. We review the file every year.
Final 12 months: release
Fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support and the $43,600 second instalment, usually on short deadlines.
Grant
Outside Australia at grant, then entry by the initial entry date. Medicare and the ten year bond period start from arrival.
Government charges for one or two parents.
Set the second parent 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. Bond, health, police and our fixed fee are extra.
The 143, answered plainly.
How much does the 143 cost in 2026?
$6,300 at lodgement and $43,600 at release, $49,900 for the main applicant. A second parent pays a lower first instalment, about $3,150, and the full second instalment. The $10,000 bond is refundable. Our fee is fixed and separate.
How long does the 143 take?
About 15 years for a new application on the Department's estimate at 31 May 2026. Files with a queue date up to November 2018 are being released now. With 7,060 parent places for 2026 to 2027, the estimate can move.
Can my parent stay in Australia while the 143 is processed?
No. Lodging onshore is allowed, but no bridging visa is granted and the visa is only granted while the parent is outside Australia, unless they hold a 173. Parents usually visit on visitor visas during the wait.
When is the $43,600 paid?
Only when the application is released from the queue and is about to be granted, around 15 years after lodgement on current estimates. It is not required at lodgement.
Does an 870 affect a 143?
Yes. Home Affairs states the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa when applying for the 143.
Where this visa connects.
- 173Open
Contributory Parent (Temporary) 173
Same queue as the 143, cost split across two stages.
- 864Open
Contributory Aged Parent 864
Onshore, pension age, permanent in about 15 years.
- 103Open
Parent 103
Cheapest permanent route, 33 years on the Department's estimate.
- All 7Open
Parent visas compared
The pathfinder, the cost stack and the queue timeline.
Is the 143 the right one, or is the 864 open?
One consultation confirms the balance of family count, the sponsor and the timing of the second instalment, and ends with a fixed fee in writing.