Now that borders have reopened, how can I bring my parents to Australia?
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It’s been almost two years since Australia’s borders were slammed shut. Even parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents were banned from entering the country. This all changed on 1 November 2021, when parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents were able to apply for a travel exemption to enter Australia. Here are the different ways you could bring your parents to Australia and make up for some of the precious moments we all missed with our families during the pandemic.
Bringing your parents to Australia for a visit
One of the quickest ways for parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents to travel to Australia is to apply for a visitor visa and a travel exemption to enter Australia.
There are three main subclasses of visitor visas. The country of your parents’ passport will determine which visitor visa they can apply for.
Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601)
Valid for 12 months
Permits visits of up to 3 months on each visit
Passport holders from eight eligible countries can apply for this visa: Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States.
Application fee is $20 AUD
In most cases, this visa is granted almost immediately after lodgement.
e-Visitor Visa (Subclass 651)
European passport holders can apply for this visa
Free to apply
Valid for 12 months
Visa holders can enter Australia on multiple occasions and are permitted to stay for up to 3 months on each visit
Current processing times are between 30 days to 7 months.
Visitor Visa (Subclass 600)
Parents holding passports from countries other than those listed in the two visa subclasses above will need to apply for a standard visitor visa (Subclass 600).
This visa can be granted for a period of 3 months to more than 12 months.
It may also be granted for a single entry or multiple entries.
These conditions would be at the discretion of the case officer and would be determined on a case by case basis.
The Department of Home Affairs is currently prioritising applications for those who have been approved travel exemptions.
Travel exemption
Parents would also need to apply for a travel exemption if they are seeking to travel to Australia. The processing times for travel exemptions range from a few days to over a week. Recent reports are that visitor visa applications for parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents are being prioritised if a travel exemption has been approved.
Thinking about bringing your parents to Australia?
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Bringing your parents for an extended stay (up to 5 years)
If you are looking for your parents to stay in Australia temporarily but for a longer period than that offered by one of the visitor visas, then you might want to consider the temporary sponsored parent visa (Subclass 870). This visa allows parents of an approved sponsor to enter and stay in Australia for either 3 or 5 years. This visa is particularly attractive for those who would like their parents to stay in Australia and help care for grandchildren.
There are two steps involved with this visa. The first step is to become an approved sponsor and the second step is the visa application. The sponsorship must be approved before your parents can apply for the visa. To be an eligible sponsor, a person must be the child of the applicant or the child’s partner and:
Be at least 18 years of age
Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who has been usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years
Not owe any money to the Australian government
Meet character requirements
Have a taxable income of at least $83,454.80 in the most recent financial year (can be combined with your partner or another eligible child of the applicant)
A travel exemption is currently required for Subclass 870 visa holders to travel to Australia. As the case with the visitor visas, there has been evidence that applications for this visa are being prioritised if a travel exemption has been approved.
Parent visas for permanent residency
You might find that the short visits and temporary visas don’t suit you or your parents’ needs or circumstances. In this case, it may be worth considering a more permanent visa pathway for them. There are several visas that will allow you to bring your parents to Australia permanently including:
Contributory parent visa (Subclass 143) - processing time of 5-6 years
Contributory aged parent visa (Subclass 864) - processing time of 5-6 years
Parent visa (Subclass 103) - processing time of 30 years
Aged parent visa (Subclass 804) - processing time of 30 years
The key criteria for all the parent visas is called the “Balance of Family Test”. A parent meets the Balance of Family Test if:
at least half their children and stepchildren are either Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens usually residing in Australia, or
there are more Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen children usually residing in Australia than children living in any other single country
Need help to bring your parents to Australia?
If you are looking to bring your parents to Australia and would like to know more about how to get the process started, you can book a consultation with us. We can give you advice about what is required, assess your eligibility or we can completely take the stress away from you by managing it for you.
Want us to help reunite your family?
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About Peter Chang
Peter Chang is a registered migration agent based in the Western Sydney hub of Parramatta, Australia. He is the co-founder of Titan Migration, a consultancy specialising in providing Australian immigration advice and visa assistance services.
