• Parent Visas
• Contributory Parent Visas

You may apply for one of the parent categories inside Australia if you meet the age requirements (and do not have a condition on your visa of entry which prohibits further visa applications from being made onshore); or from outside Australia.

All Parent visa applicants must meet the following criteria:

• they must have more children permanently resident in Australia than any other country,
• they must be sponsored by a settled Australian permanent resident/citizen child,
• they must have arranged an Assurance of Support (‘AOS’) from Australian citizen/permanent resident. An AOS is a legal undertaking made by the Assurer to provide financial support to the applicant and repay the Australian Government any social security benefits claimed by the applicant for a specified period of time. The Assurer must also arrange payment of a security bond for the applicant. The amount of the bond varies depending on the parent, or contributory parent visa applied for, and
• they must meet health and character requirements

Parent Visas

Parents who meet the above criteria may apply for a Parent Visa. As the number of Parent Visas granted per year is capped; generally, Parent Visa applicants must wait many years for the visa to be granted.

In order to lodge a Parent Visa application in Australia an applicant must:

• in the case of male applicants, be over 65 years of age;
• in the case of female applicants, depending on date of birth, be of an age eligible to receive the age pension in Australia; usually between 60 and 65 years and above;
• have entered Australian on a visa which does not have a condition which would prevent the applicant from making further visa applications in Australia.

Please note that parents seeking to lodge a Parent Visa application in Australia will not be entitled to a bridging visa for the duration of visa processing unless they meet the age requirement (ie, they are ‘aged parents’).

Contributory Parent Visas

Contributory Parent Visas, unlike Parent visas require:

• a large financial contribution from the applicant/s for their ongoing health care in Australia;
• payment of a significantly larger security bond by an Assurer; and
• a much shorter processing period.

In order to lodge a Contributory Parent Visas application in Australia applicants are required to meet the age requirement. Applicant’s who have lodged their applications onshore and who meet the age requirement will also be entitled to a bridging visa for the duration of processing.

Contributory Parent Visas are either permanent or temporary, the difference being that for a permanent visa an applicant will be required to pay all fees required prior to grant. The temporary visa enables applicants to stagger the fees payable over two installments, with the second installment due two years after grant, after which the applicant will receive permanent residence.