Subclass 870 Parent Visa — Requirements, Costs and the 10-Year Strategy

If you have already done the maths on permanent parent visas — close to AUD 50,000 per parent for the subclass 143 and a queue measured in decades — the subclass 870 (Sponsored Parent, Temporary) visa is almost certainly next on your list. We covered the big picture in our overview of parent visa costs and waiting times; this article goes deep on the 870 — currently the most pragmatic option for keeping parents close to their children and grandchildren for years at a stretch.

The short answer first: the 870 visa allows parents to stay in Australia for 3 or 5 years per grant, up to a maximum of 10 years in total, with no balance of family test, and it is generally processed far faster than the permanent options. The trade-offs: no work rights, no pathway to permanent residence, the sponsoring child must be approved as a sponsor with a household income of at least AUD 83,454.80 per year, and parents must hold private health insurance for the entire stay.

What the 870 visa is — and what it is not

The 870 is:

• A long-stay temporary visa specifically for the parents (biological, adoptive or step-parents — check the current definition) of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
• Granted in blocks of 3 or 5 years, renewable up to a lifetime maximum of 10 years.
• An option for families who fail the balance of family test — the criterion that stops many 143/103 applications before they start (how it is calculated here).

The 870 is not:

• Permanent residence, and it does not automatically lead to permanent residence.
• A visa with work rights — 870 holders cannot work in Australia.
• A visa with Medicare — as temporary residents, parents must hold mandatory private health insurance.

The two-step process: sponsor approval first, visa second

This is the key structural difference from most other visas — and the easiest place to get the order wrong:

1. Step 1 — the Parent Sponsor application: the child in Australia applies to the Department of Home Affairs to be approved as a sponsor. This application is assessed separately: the child’s residence status, background checks, and the income threshold (next section). It must be approved first.
2. Step 2 — the parent’s visa application: once sponsorship is approved, the parent lodges the 870 visa application within the timeframe stated in the approval letter (check the letter and current guidance for the exact window).

Lodging the visa before the sponsorship is approved is a process error — do not lose fees and time by lodging out of sequence. If several siblings live in Australia, decide early which one should sponsor, based on income and circumstances.

The household income threshold: AUD 83,454.80 — how it works

The most commonly misunderstood requirement:

• The sponsor must show an annual household income of at least AUD 83,454.80 (the figure at the time of writing — check the current threshold on the Home Affairs website, as thresholds are adjusted periodically).
• The income of the sponsor’s spouse or partner can be combined, but the primary sponsor must contribute at least 50% of the total declared income.
• Income is typically evidenced through tax records (notices of assessment) — have your tax paperwork in order before applying.

Example: a couple earns AUD 90,000 a year combined, with the sponsoring child earning 50,000 and their partner 40,000 — this passes both the total and the 50% rule. If the primary sponsor earned only 30,000 of that 90,000, the application would fail the ratio test even though the total is sufficient.

The real costs: visa fees plus private health insurance

Insurance is the variable most families forget to model: a 75-year-old parent pays very different premiums from a 62-year-old, and premiums keep rising with each renewal year. Get quotes for the full 10 years you are planning, not just year one.

Renewing up to 10 years — and the “gap” to plan for

The lifetime cap on the 870 is 10 years — commonly structured as 5 + 5 years, or 3 years followed by further grants. Plan for these from the start:

• The rules for the next 870 visa have their own conditions — in some situations parents may need to spend time outside Australia between visas, depending on total time already held. The details change with current regulations — check before locking in renewal plans; do not assume “5 years ends, just apply again”.
• The sponsor must meet the requirements again at the next application — household income needs to stay stable.
• Many families lodge a 143 application in parallel to hold a place in the permanent queue while the parents actually live in Australia on the 870 — see the combination strategies in our parent visa overview.

870 vs 600 vs 143 — choose by objective

A simple rule of thumb: seasonal visits → the 600 visitor visa; living near the family for years without needing PR → the 870; full permanent residence with both the cost and the queue accepted → the 143.

Summary

The 870 visa is the pragmatic answer to “parents living near their children” when the permanent pathway is too expensive, too slow, or blocked by the balance of family test. Three numbers to remember: AUD 83,454.80 sponsor household income, AUD 1,515 first instalment (with the per-term total at 2026–27 rates — check the Department’s page), and 10 years maximum total stay. Plan the full 10 years — including age-driven insurance costs and renewal conditions — before lodging the first grant.

Want to check whether your family meets the sponsor requirements, and whether 3+3 or 5+5 suits you better? Book a free assessment with VisaAffairs.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) — official requirements, fees and insurance rules.
• Department of Home Affairs — Parent visas: queue and processing — context on the permanent parent visa queues.
• Department of Home Affairs — Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) — for comparing the permanent option.

This article is general information current at publication. Australian migration rules change regularly — check the date and contact VisaAffairs before relying on it for your own case. Book a consultation for advice on your specific circumstances.