Australia's New Temporary Parent Visa (subclass 870)

- Posted in Australia by Kimberleyon 18 March 2019

The highly anticipated Australian Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa will be available from 17 April 2019.

Overview

The proposed visa will allow parents of Australian permanent residents or citizens to live in Australia for a continuous period of up to 5 years. After this 5 year period, there will be a single opportunity to renew the visa for a further 5 years. Once both visas have been used then parents will have to leave Australia.

The Australian Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa will be processed in two stages, whereby the child must be an approved sponsor before their parents can apply for the visa. From 17 April 2019, children will be able to lodge sponsorship applications in preparation for their parents lodging their visa applications from 1 July 2019.

The cost per person of this new parent visa is AUD$ 5,000 for a 3 year visa, AUD$ 10,000 for the 5 year visa and a further AUD$ 10,000 for the 5 year extension.

There will be 15,000 places available each year under this visa category. Given this visa is cheaper and quicker to obtain than other existing parent visas, we anticipate the places will be filled extremely quickly. Furthermore, parents do not have to meet the traditional balance of family test, meaning more people are eligible for this visa subclass.

Sponsorship requirements

Similar to existing parent visas, parents will be sponsored by their child residing in Australia. The child must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who has been primarily resident in Australia for a minimum of 4 years prior to lodgment of the visa.

The child will act as a financial guarantor for the time their parents remain in Australia. This means the child is legally responsible for any debts to taxpayers as a result of any medical emergencies. The purpose of the guarantor is to protect Australian Government public health debts and cover aged care fees. Furthermore, there is a requirement for parents to hold Australian private health insurance.

As the processing time and cost for long-term parent visas continue to increase, this new parent visa could offer a quicker and more affordable option for parents to spend time in Australia with their children and grandchildren. However, it is important to note that this is a temporary visa, meaning you can never settle permanently in Australia.

If you would like to discuss your parent visa options with a Registered Migration Agent, you can complete our Parent Visa free online assessment: