Do you want to bring your parents to Australia?

We understand. Australia is a wonderful country. And it’s very common for migrants to move here and miss their parents. You want them here for the big milestones!

So, where do you start? How do you know if your parents are eligible?

There are several different types of Australian Parent visas, with varying time frames and eligibility requirements. 

But what they have in common is – they all require sponsorship.

 

Visa Options for Parents

Let’s start by outlining the different options you have, to bring your parents to Australia.

Parent Visa 

Parents of Australian permanent residents/ citizens who meet the Balance of Family test may be eligible to apply for a permanent residence visa.

Processing time, however, can be more than 10 years!

Contributory Parent Visa 

You can fast-track your parents application for residence through payment of a financial contribution. This brings the processing time down to approximately 4 years. 

Sponsored Temporary Parent Visa

This visa allows an initial three- or five- year stay. An important distinction for this visa is – parents do not have to meet the balance of family requirement or provide an assurance of support bond. 

[There is another option available, but it doesn’t fall directly into the Parent visa category. If you wish to have your parents here as soon as possible, you may wish to enquire about a Tourist visa. They may be permitted to stay for up to 12 months.  Whilst there is a Sponsored Tourist visa category, we are not referring to the Tourist visa in this blog.]

 

The Role of a Sponsor

For the Contributory Parent, Parent or Sponsored Temporary Parent visas, there is one factor in common – in each case the visa applicant must be sponsored by a settled Australian citizen / permanent resident / eligible New Zealand citizen child or his/her partner who is over the age of 18 years.

A sponsor is responsible for the welfare of the visa applicants in terms of the basics of food, clothing and shelter.

Whilst there is no obligation on the sponsor to have the parent(s) living with them, if they are not, then the sponsor must ensure that the parents have access to appropriate accommodation. This may be funded by the parents themselves, but the sponsor must be there for back-up.

The same goes for food and clothing. Mum and Dad may well be able to support themselves but, if they cannot, the sponsor must provide the funding or the items required. 

This obligation to provide for the parent, where necessary, extends for a period of time from visa grant. In the standard Parent visa categories, the sponsorship period is two years. For the Contributory Parent it is ten years and for the Sponsored Temporary Parent visa it is for the duration of the visa.

In order to determine whether a person would be an appropriate sponsor, therefore, the Department of Home Affairs will require evidence of assets and income. 

Whilst there is no minimum income level required (Parent / Contributory categories only), the Department will consider the sponsor’s own obligations – for example the presence of dependent children, whether the sponsor’s spouse is also working – to determine if the income is likely to be sufficient. 

Further, the Department will consider whether the sponsor is renting or owns their accommodation. Both are acceptable however the Department will consider whether the sponsor has ‘room’ to accommodate the visa applicants, if required, or if there would be a cost to supplying accommodation to the parents.

There are, therefore, many factors to consider when determining which person (if you have more than one to choose from!) may be the most appropriate sponsor.

And the sponsor must meet the sponsorship criteria both at the time of lodgement of the visa application & sponsorship and at the time of decision.

 

Sponsored Temporary Parent – Sponsorship Criteria

The Sponsored Temporary Parent visa works a little differently from the Parent and Contributory Parent categories and the sponsorship criteria and obligations are more stringent.

For a start, the sponsorship must be applied for and decided, prior to the parent lodging the visa application. So timing is very important to consider.

Then, the sponsor has additional criteria to meet as follows:

  • Usually lawfully resident in Australia during the preceding four years and did not hold a bridging visa during that period
  • Must not have three sponsored parents onshore in Australia
  • Meet at least 50% of minimum household income of $83 454.80 – the balance may be met by the sponsor’s partner
  • No debts to the Commonwealth or public health debts
  • Criminal history disclosable to parents

Finally, upon approval of the visa application, the sponsor will be liable for any public health expenditure, including care arrangements, incurred by the parents for the duration of the visa.

We Can Help Bring your Parents to Australia

At Aspire Australia, we work with many people who are living their dream here in Australia – but they want their parents here to be part of it.

With 30 years of experience and 99% success rate, your parent’s future in this wonderful country is safe in our hands.

Everyone’s story is different, and each situation demands a unique strategy. To obtain your very own step by step MAP: Migration Action Plan, we invite you to book an Appointment with our Migration SuperHero, Sarah Gillis. 

Or if you’d like more information about bringing your parents to Australia, download our guidebook Reunite With Your Parents – and receive bonus material that will walk you through the process, step-by-step.

We look forward to helping you reunite your family.