Australian parent visas — the truth about wait times, the ~AUD 50,000 cost, and the alternatives

“I want to sponsor my parents to Australia” is one of the questions we hear most — and one of the topics the internet sugar-coats most. This post does the opposite: real numbers and real timeframes, so your family can decide based on facts.

The short version: the permanent residence pathways for parents are currently either very expensive (close to AUD 50,000 per parent) or very slow (30+ years) — often both. But there are lawful, practical ways for parents to spend many consecutive years with you, if you plan correctly.

The big picture: why the queues are so long

The parent program is capped — in recent years around 8,500 places per year across all parent visas, most of them allocated to the contributory stream. Meanwhile the queue holds hundreds of thousands of applications. An application lodged today joins the back of that queue — simple division produces wait estimates that sound like jokes but are the Department’s own official figures.

Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent) — paying for a “shorter” queue

The contributory stream: pay a high charge to join a significantly shorter queue than the standard stream.

The real cost (2026–27 rates, per parent — the first instalment rose in the 1 July 2026 indexation):

• First instalment: ~AUD 6,300 at lodgement.
• Second instalment: ~AUD 43,870, payable before grant.
• Total: ~AUD 49,900 per parent — roughly AUD 99,800 for a couple in government charges alone, before medicals, police checks, translations, and the Assurance of Support (a bonded financial guarantee running 10 years).

The real timeframe: as at early 2026, the Department is processing 143 applications lodged around late 2018 — meaning today’s lodgement faces a queue in the order of 12–14 years at the current rate. The “4–6 years” figure was true once and still circulates widely — it no longer reflects the actual queue.

A key criterion: parents must pass the balance of family test — at least half their children permanently in Australia, or more children in Australia than in any other single country. A family with three children and only one in Australia does not pass.

Subclass 103 (Parent) — far cheaper, with a generational queue

Much lower charges (first instalment ~AUD 6,600; the second instalment is modest compared with the 143). The trade-off: only ~1,700 places per year for the non-contributory stream.

The real timeframe: the Department currently estimates new 103 applications may wait around 31 years or more. At the time of writing, applications queued in 2013 are being released for processing. For parents already in their sixties, the 103 is not, in substance, a reunion plan — some families still lodge it as a place-holder while using other solutions, but it should be understood for what it is.

Subclass 870 (Sponsored Parent, Temporary) — the most pragmatic option today

Not permanent residence, but the fastest, most stable lawful way for parents to live near their children for years at a time:

• Granted for 3 or 5 years at a time, up to a 10-year total.
• Fees (2026–27 rates, raised in the 1 July 2026 indexation — check the Department’s page): the first instalment is ~AUD 1,515 per parent; the total for the 3-year and 5-year terms rose with the indexation — significant, but still a fraction of the 143.
• No balance of family test — families who fail that test for 143/103 can still use the 870.
• Processed far faster than the PR streams (typically months).

The trade-offs to know upfront:

• No work rights; no direct path to PR.
• The sponsoring child must meet a household income threshold and be approved as a sponsor.
• Private health insurance is mandatory for the entire stay — typically AUD 1,000–1,500 per person per year, rising with age.
• Conditions apply around gaps between consecutive visas and where you must be when applying — check the current rules when planning a renewal.

Visitor visa 600 (Sponsored Family / Frequent Traveller arrangements) — flexible, low cost

For regular visits: the 600 can be granted for up to 12 months at a time, and in some cases as a long-validity multiple-entry visa (especially for parents of Australians — with stays typically capped at 12 months in any 18). The cheapest option of all.

The limits: it is not a visa to live in Australia — overly dense stays can lead to the next application being refused as de facto residence; an 8503 (No Further Stay) condition may be imposed, blocking onshore applications; and there is no Medicare, so travel insurance is needed.

So what strategy makes sense?

No universal formula, but the patterns we see most:

1. “Hold the queue + live in the meantime”: lodge the 143 (accepting the long queue) to hold a place, while using the 870 or 600 so the parents actually spend the waiting years with the family. The most expensive but most complete option.
2. “870 only”: drop the PR goal and use the 870 (5 + 5 years) for the years while parents are healthy. Pragmatic for families who fail the balance of family test or don’t want to sink ~AUD 100,000.
3. “Rhythmic 600”: parents still rooted in Vietnam, visiting seasonally (a new grandchild, summers) — a 12-in-18-months visitor pattern is sufficient and cheap.

Variables to weigh before choosing: the parents’ age and health (870 insurance climbs steeply with age; PR-stream medicals get harder later), how many siblings there are and where they live (balance of family), family cash flow, and whether the parents actually want to live in Australia long term — the question most often skipped.

The bottom line

Parent reunion in Australia is a long-term planning problem, not a single form. The real numbers: ~AUD 49,900 per parent and a decade-plus queue for the 143; 30+ years for the 103; up to 10 temporary years with the 870. Families who internalise these numbers early choose the right combination — and avoid both extremes: believing promises of “fast parent PR”, or giving up while good options remain.

Want to map the options for your family? Book a free assessment with VisaAffairs.

References

• Department of Home Affairs — Parent visas: queue release dates and processing — official queue release dates, updated periodically.
• Department of Home Affairs — Contributory Parent visa (143) — official criteria and fees.
• Department of Home Affairs — Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (870) — sponsor requirements and insurance.

This article is general information current at publication; fees are indexed every 1 July and queues move with each release round. Check the date and contact VisaAffairs before relying on it for your own case.