Contributory parent visas let the parents of an Australian citizen or permanent resident migrate to Australia. While Subclass visa 173 is a temporary visa, Subclass 143 is a permanent visa. You can apply for the temporary visa first and apply for the permanent visa within two years or you can directly apply for the permanent visa.

In order to apply for these visas, you need to be sponsored. The sponsor could be your child, who is a permanent resident or an Australian citizen or an eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia. Your child's spouse or de facto partner can also sponsor you. If your child is not 18 years old yet, their guardian or a relative can be the sponsor. The department of home affairs should approve the sponsor for you to be sponsored by them.

Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 173) (Temporary)

As mentioned above, this is a temporary visa and to be eligible for this visa, you must meet the following requirements.

• You must be sponsored by an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian Permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
• You should meet the balance-of-family test
• You should not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa 

You meet the balance of family test when

• at least half of your children and step-children are eligible children, or
• there are more eligible children living in Australia than any other single country

When you have this visa

• You can live in Australia for up to two years
• You can work and study in Australia but you will not receive government support
• enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• You can apply for the permanent contributory parent visa Subclass 143

The current cost of this visa for the single applicant is around AUD 31,980 and there is an additional charge for each family member who applies with you.

Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143) (Permanent)

As mentioned earlier, you can either apply directly for this visa or after obtaining the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) first. The one most important condition to note is that you should not have already applied for or hold a sponsored parent visa (Subclass 870) when applying for this visa.

The current cost of this visa for a single applicant is around AUD 47,825 however the cost is lower for those who are applying after obtaining the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173). The eligibility criteria for this visa is almost similar to that of temporary visa.

• You should have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway
• You should meet the balance-of-family test unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway or hold a Subclass 173 visa
• You should have an Assurance of Support unless you are applying for the Retirement Pathway
• You should not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (Subclass 870) visa 

Here are the privileges that come along with this permanent visa.

• You can move to or stay in Australia as a permanent resident
• You can work and study in Australia
• You can enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• You can sponsor your family members to come to Australia
• You can apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible

Are you looking to apply for one of these visas or do you want to bring your parents to Australia on these visas? Make it hassle-free by talking to one of our registered migration agents today and apply with their friendly guidance and support.

Found it helpful? We can help you take it further. Contact us and get all your queries on PR, visas, migration, scholarships, and others answered today!