Parent Visas

Concept Australia has been successfully assisting parents to live in Australia with their children and grandchildren for more than 20 years.

When you contact Concept Australia, an experienced staff member will provide you with an honest appraisal of your potential eligibility to be granted a parent visa for Australia. If you would like to know how we can assist you in obtaining your parent visa, please telephone Concept on 0208 315 6700 or scroll down to the bottom of this page to complete and submit the confidential enquiry form to Concept Australia.     

Am I eligible to apply for an Australian Contributory Parent visa?

A Contributory Parent visa enable parents to live permanently in Australia with their child(ren) who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen settled in Australia. To be eligible you must satisfy the Balance of Family test which requires you to have at least half of your children living in Australia permanently or more children living in Australia permanently than any other country. You must also be sponsored by your child who is settled in Australia.

The most Frequently Asked Questions we receive from Parent visa applicants are:

1.    What children are counted in the balance of family test?
2.    Is my son or daughter in Australia eligible to sponsor me?
3.    Can I visit Australia whilst my application is being processed?
4.    Would the new temporary parent visa (subclass 870) be a better option?

What visa classes can I choose from?

Your visa options will be determined by your age, your financial position and whether you meet the Balance of Family test.

Offshore visa - sub-classes 143/173

The Contributory Parent visa subclass 143 is a permanent visa but you also have the option of applying for a Contributory Parent (Temporary visa) – subclass 173, which provides a two-stage pathway, allowing the costs to be staggered. If you select the temporary option the the DHA Visa Application Charge will be more expensive and you will need to apply for permanent residence within 2 years from the date of your arrival in Australia.

Onshore visas - sub-classes 864/884

If you are old enough to qualify for an Age Pension in Australia you have the option to apply for an Aged Contributory Parent visa. Parents who select this visa option must be in Australia when the visa application is lodged and decided. Parents selecting onshore visa options should think carefully of the risk of selling property and shipping household goods prior to undergoing health checks.

Am I eligible to apply for an Australian Temporary Sponsored Parent visa?

Temporary Sponsored Parent visa (Subclass 870)

A total of 15,000 visas will be made available in each programme year which is twice the number currently allocated to Contributory Parents. The cost for applying for the visa will be AUD5,000 for a 3 year visa and AUD10,000 for a 5 year visa with the sponsor having to pay AUD420 to lodge their sponsorship. Parents can stay for a period of up to 5 years but must depart Australia for 90 days to be eligible to apply for a further stay of 5 years.

The approximate processing timetable for this visa is 4 months.

Parents applying for a subclass 870 visas:

•    Must lodge their application within 60 days of the sponsorship being approved;
•    Can stay in Australia for up to 5 years without departing;
•    Can apply for a further stay of 5 years after departing Australia for 90 days;
•    Can stay in Australia for a cumulative maximum 10 year period;
•    Cannot apply for a further subclass 870 visa after 10 years;
•    Are not subject to the Balance of Family Test;
•    Cannot work in Australia;
•    Must arrange and maintain private medical insurance for their entire stay in Australia;
•    Must satisfy health and character requirements;
•    Need to be outside Australia when applying (unless permission is given by the DHA);
•    Can be inside or outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Sponsor

Only 2 parents per household can be sponsored for a subclass 870 visa at a time.

Sponsors must:

•    Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand citizen;
•    Have usually been resident in Australia for at least 4 years;
•    Have their sponsorship approved before their parent’s visa application is lodged;
•    Meet a minimum household income threshold of A$ 83,454.80 in the most recent tax year;
•    Have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia;
•    Accept liability for any outstanding public health debt their parent accrues in Australia;
•    Provide police clearances as evidence of good character;
•    Provide financial support and accommodation for their parents if needed.

What services can I expect to receive from Concept Australia?

Our services include:

•   A personal or SKYPE appointment to assess your eligibility and to answer your questions
•   Certification of your documents by the Registered Migration Agent
•   Electronic completion of application and sponsorship forms
•   Liaising with your son or daughter (sponsor) in Australia
•   Advice on health and character issues (if applicable)
•   Management of your application at the Parent Visa Centre (PVC) throughout the visa process

Why should I only use an agent registered with MARA?

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) is managed by the DHA who is responsible for monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents both in and outside Australia. MARA approves continuing professional development activities of all registered agents to ensure they maintain up-to-date knowledge of migration law and procedure so that only the highest level of advice and assistance is provided to prospective applicants.

The DHA strongly advise that if you need assistance with the visa process that you should only appoint an agent who is registered with the MARA. A person who is not registered cannot offer you legal protection and you run the risk of being exposed to migration fraud by someone who has limited knowledge on immigration procedures and who is not accountable for his/her actions.

How much does it cost to apply for a Contributory Parent visa?

The costs associated with Parent visas are expensive as parents will generally be more frequent users of the health services in Australia. DHA visa costs vary depending on whether a parent applies for a permanent or temporary visa. A husband and wife applying for a permanent visas will pay combined Visa Application Charges of AUD92,755 but if the 2 stage option is selected will pay AUD101,790 in total in order to be granted permanent residence. Parents also have to arrange an Assurance of Support which attracts a payment of AUD10, 000 for the primary applicant and AUD4, 000 for the spouse.

Concept Australia charges a total fee of £1,300 to manage your application until your visa is granted which is payable in 2 equal instalments:

1.    Payable on engagement of our services
2.    On lodgement of your application with the Parent Visa Centre (PVC) in Perth

How long will it take for my Parent visa to be granted?

• Subclass 143 and 864 applications lodged in May 2016 are being processed by the PVC;
• Subclass 173 and 884  applications lodged in May 2016 are being processed by the PVC;
• Subclass 870 - approximately 4- 6 months
  
  

Contact us for an initial confidential assessment

If you would like to know how we can assist you in obtaining a parent visa for Australia, please complete the Enquiry form below and submit your details to Concept Australia or send an email to info@conceptoz.co.uk or telephone 0208 315 6700.