Visa Details

This visa allows parents to migrate to Australia permanently, to join their children who are living in Australia.

This visa requires that you be sponsored by your child, or another eligible sponsor, in Australia.

This visa is for you if you are a parent of a child (natural, adopted or step child) who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident or settled eligible New Zealand citizen and:

• at least half of your children are permanently resident in Australia or
• you have more children living permanently in Australia than in any other country

Your spouse and other family members may be included in your application if they meet certain requirements.

This visa allows you, your accompanying spouse and dependent family members to live as permanent residents in Australia.

You can also:

• work and study in Australia
• receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• sponsor people for permanent residence (subject to waiting periods

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this visa are summarised in the table below.

Person	Responsibility
Sponsor	Must give a written undertaking to provide support, accommodation and financial assistance for the applicant, and the applicant’s accompanying spouse and dependent family members, for their first two (2) years of residency in Australia.
Applicant	Complete and lodge the application including the application charge and all supporting documentation.
Assurer of Support (can be the sponsor or another person)	Be prepared to: provide financial assistance to the applicant and the applicant’s accompanying spouse and dependent family members so they do not need to rely on any government forms of support for ten (10) years repay any recoverable social security payments made to the applicant or their accompanying spouse and dependent family members in the first ten (10) years of residency in Australia.

Note: You must not lodge an Assurance of Support until it is asked for. Details of how to provide an Assurance of Support will be sent to the applicant after the visa application has been received.

Government benefits

If you are granted this visa you will have a waiting period before you are eligible to receive most social security payments.

Waiting periods are generally two (2) years for most social security payments and ten (10) years for age pension payments (exemption may apply).

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible for this visa you must meet the following requirements.

Child in Australia

You must be the parent of a child who is settled in Australia and is one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen

Eligible sponsor

You must be sponsored by an eligible sponsor. Usually, your child will sponsor you. If your child is under 18 years you may also be sponsored by one the following:

• your child’s spouse
• a close family relative or guardian of your child
• a close family relative or guardian of your child’s spouse
• a community organisation

Assurance of Support

You must have a commitment by a person prepared to provide you with an Assurance of Support.

Balance of family test

The balance of family test requires that:

• half your children must be permanently resident in Australia or
• you have more children permanently resident in Australia than any other single country

There is more information to help you understand the balance of family test.

Health requirements

You, your spouse and all dependent family members must meet certain health requirements and will need to undergo a health examination.

Character requirements

You, your accompanying spouse and all dependent family members aged sixteen and above must meet the character requirements.

Debts to the Australian Government

Before you can be granted this visa, you must repay, or have made arrangements to repay, any outstanding debts to the Australian Government, before a decision can be made on your application.

Limitations on applications

If you are in Australia, you may be prevented from applying for this visa if, for example:

• you do not hold a substantive visa (which is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa or an enforcement visa) and have had a visa cancelled or refused since you last arrived in Australia
• your last visa was granted on the condition that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you remain in Australia
• you hold a sponsored visitor visa
• you are in immigration detention
• you have previously applied for a protection visa

If any of the above circumstances apply, contact your nearest departmental office before making an application.

Family Member Eligibility

The following family members can be included in your application:

• your spouse
• your dependent child
• other dependent relatives

These family members must meet the following requirements to be eligible for inclusion in this visa application.

Spouse

Your spouse must be the person you live with as husband or wife, either legally married or in a de facto relationship.

Dependent child

Your child (natural, adopted or step-child) is considered a dependent when they are one of the following:

• under 18 years of age
• aged 18 years or over and have been wholly or substantially reliant on you for a substantial period for their basic needs (food, clothing and shelter)
• of any age and is incapacitated for work due to a total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions (whether or not they migrate with you)

A child of any age is not considered dependent if they are married, engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship.

Other dependent relatives

Your other relatives may be considered dependent if they are all of the following:

• wholly or substantially reliant on your financial support for their basic living needs (food, shelter and clothing)
• more reliant on you for support than on any other person or source
• have been reliant on you for a substantial period

Details of each dependent 18 years or older, whether migrating or not, must be completed on Form 47A.

Health requirements

You, your spouse and all dependent family members must meet health requirements.

Character requirements

Your accompanying spouse and all dependent family members aged sixteen and above must meet the character requirements.

Sponsor Eligibility

Generally, your child must sponsor you. However if your child is under 18 years of age, another person (aged 18 or over) or a community organisation may be the sponsor.

If your child is 18 years of age or over

Your child (natural, adopted or step-child) is eligible to sponsor you if they are settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen

Your child’s spouse (aged 18 or over) is also eligible to sponsor you if they live with your child and are settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen

If your child is aged under 18 years of age

The following may be considered eligible sponsors:

Your child’s spouse (aged 18 or over) is eligible to sponsor you if they live with your child and are settled in Australia as one of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen

A close family relative or guardian (aged 18 or over) of your child or your child’s spouse is eligible to sponsor you if they are settled in Australia as of the following:

• an Australian citizen
• an Australian permanent resident
• an eligible New Zealand citizen

A community organisation is eligible to sponsor you if they are:

• able to establish there is a relationship between their organisation and your child
• prepared to make an official written commitment to support the application (generally a statutory declaration signed by a senior member)

Settled eligible New Zealand citizens who want to sponsor must meet health and character requirements.

Assurer of Support Eligibility

Obligations

If the visa is granted, the following requirements must be met.

Applicant and Family members

You, your accompanying spouse and dependent family members must comply with all Australian laws as permanent residents.

Sponsor

Your sponsor must continue to help you and your accompanying spouse and dependent family members settle in Australia by providing:

• support
• accommodation
• financial assistance

The sponsor must comply with these obligations for the first two (2) years of residency in Australia.

Assurer

The assurer must:

• provide financial support to you so you do not have to rely on any government forms of support
• repay the Australian Government for any recoverable social security payments made by Centrelink to you and any others covered by the Assurance of Support
• pay a refundable bond when the visa is granted

The Assurance of Support must remain in place for you and any accompanying family members for ten (10) years from the date of:

• entry into Australia, if the application was lodged outside Australia or
• visa grant, if the application was lodged in Australia

Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 143)

Charge Type	Charge Amount
1st instalment 2nd installment 2nd installment for applicants under 18 years	$1420 $32 725 $1415