Eligibility to apply for this visa is restricted to the parents of Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents who have at least half of all of their children living permanently in Australia, or have more of their children living permanently in Australia than in any other country.
The Parent Visa is now called a Contributory Parent Visa. The many characteristics of this visa are:
- Applicants for the Contributory Parent Visa applicants are required to make a significant contribution to their future health and welfare costs. This is paid once the application is approved but prior to grant. This is currently AUD 42,220 per applicant over 18 years old.
- The number of visas granted each year is capped. Once the cap is reached visa grants will stop until the immigration year, which runs from 1 July to 30 June each year. The waiting period is between 1 and 2 years.
Who Can Sponsor?
Parents who meet the Balance of Family Test can be sponsored by their children living in Australia. The children must have normally lived in Australia for at least 2 years to be considered as settled.
There are 4 visas in this category, Contributory Parent Visa, Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary) and Aged Contributory Parent Visa and Aged Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary)
The Contributory Parent Visa lets eligible parents live permanently in Australia. When the application has been processed to the stage where it is ready for approval, the second visa application charge, representing a significant contribution to the applicant’s health and welfare costs is requested. Once this is paid the visa is granted.
The Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary) lets eligible parents live in Australia for up to two years prior to applying for a Contributory Parent Visa. This visa allows you to spread the costs of the Contributory Migration over a number of years.
The Aged Contributory Parent Visa lets eligible older parents live in Australia. To be eligible applicants need to meet the Balance of Family Test and be at least 65 years of age. This visa can be applied for in Australia as long as the visa you have when you apply allows you to apply for another visa in Australia. Applicants will be granted a bridging visa allowing them to stay in Australia while their application is processed.
The Aged Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary) lets eligible older parents live in Australia for up to two years prior to applying for a Contributory Parent Visa. This visa allows you to spread the costs of the Contributory Migration over a number of years. Applicants need to meet the same conditions as for the permanent Aged Contributory Parent Visa.