Parent Visas (Subclass 103, 143, 173 & 870)

Which parent visa — and what they really cost and take

Australia offers permanent parent visas — the contributory 143 (faster, expensive) and the non-contributory 103 (cheaper, a generational wait) — plus the temporary Sponsored Parent visa 870 (3 or 5 years at a time, no PR). The honest numbers, verified against the Department of Home Affairs on 18 August 2026: a new 143 waits about 15 years; a new 103 waits about 33 years — the Department's own published estimates. Choosing a parent pathway is financial and family planning first, migration paperwork second.

At a glance (updated 18 August 2026)

Additional charges apply for extra applicants, and an Assurance of Support with a refundable bond ($10,000 for one adult on the 10-year contributory AoS; $14,000 for two) is required for the 103 and 143 — but not for the 870. Figures change; confirm on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodgement.

The balance-of-family test (103 and 143)

Both permanent visas require that at least half of the parent's children live permanently in Australia, or more in Australia than in any other single country. Step-children count in the calculation. There is no discretion to waive it — if the family maths fails, the permanent pathways are closed and the 870 becomes the realistic option. The 870 has no balance-of-family test and no Assurance of Support.

The contributory 143: what $50k buys

The 143 buys queue position — roughly 15 years against 33 — and full permanent residency at the end: Medicare, unrestricted stay, and eventual eligibility to sponsor. Full costs, queue detail and FAQs on the dedicated Contributory Parent 143 guide. The second instalment (about $43,600 per parent) is payable near grant, not at lodgement, which matters for planning: the money must still be there years later, for each parent.

The 173 two-stage route (temporary 173 first, then 143) splits the contributory component — about $29,130 at the 173 stage and $19,420 at the 143 stage — trading a higher total for staged payments and earlier time onshore.

The 103: honest words about a 33-year queue

The 103 is capped and queued. The Department is currently releasing applications lodged in 2014, and its own estimate for a new application is about 33 years. For most families the 103 functions as a legacy queue position, not a plan — a parent lodging at 60 would be past 90 at the front of the queue. We say this plainly because competitors often do not: if time matters, the 103 alone is not a strategy. Full detail, costs and FAQs on the dedicated Parent visa 103 guide.

The 870: the pragmatic middle

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 gets parents here without the queue: 3 or 5 years per visa, renewable to a maximum 10 years total, 15,000 grants a year. The constraints, verified:

• No work rights (study is fine informally; the visa is for family time)

• No family members on the application — each parent applies separately

• An approved parent sponsor first (the child), with a household income test and a limit of one sponsorship covering at most two parents

• The trap: an 870 holder cannot apply for a permanent parent visa while holding the 870 — using the 870 and queueing for a 143 needs sequencing advice, not assumptions

Sponsorship applications are currently processing at 50% in 73 days and 90% in 5 months; the visa at 50% in 7 months and 90% in 10 (tool, 20 Aug 2026). Full rules and FAQs on the dedicated Sponsored Parent 870 guide.

Where your application sits in the family order (Ministerial Direction 117)

From 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 117 sets the order in which the Department processes family visa applications. It replaced Direction 102. Capping and queuing are a separate thing, and Direction 103 sets the queue date order for capped and queued family visas, so for a 103 or a 143 your queue date is what mainly drives your case. Within Direction 117, the highest priority goes to applications made while the primary applicant was in Australia, for a visa that can be granted onshore. Applications made while the applicant was outside Australia, or that must be granted while the applicant is outside Australia, sit lower. Inside each of those two location groups, the published order is:

1. cases referred for ministerial intervention
2. partner and dependent child
3. orphan relative
4. contributory parent and contributory aged parent
5. carer
6. parent, aged parent, remaining relative and aged dependant relative

Most parent applicants are outside Australia, so they usually sit in the lower location group and near the bottom of the category order. An application can be prioritised where there are special circumstances of a compassionate nature and compelling reasons to depart from the order. This is an order, not a timeframe — a higher place on the list does not tell you how long a decision will take.

Figures current as at 16 September 2026; confirm with the Department of Home Affairs before lodgement.

Which pathway fits which family

• Money available, time matters → 143 (or 173→143 staged), lodged as early as possible — the queue only grows

• Balance-of-family fails → 870 cycles, with the 10-year cap planned from the start

• Parents want years here now, PR later → 870 first is possible, but the no-concurrent-application rule means the 143 queue position and 870 time must be sequenced deliberately

• No urgency, modest budget → 103, lodged with eyes open about the queue

Where parent visa plans go wrong

1. Balance-of-family miscounted — step-children and overseas children change the maths

2. Second-instalment planning ignored — ~$43,600 per parent due years after lodgement

3. 870 treated as a stepping stone without sequencing the permanent application around the no-concurrent-application rule

4. Assurance of Support surprises — the assurer's income and the bond are assessed near grant, when circumstances may have changed

5. Waiting to lodge — in a queue measured in years, every month of delay is a month at the back

Parent visa planning — Australia-wide and from overseas

Migration Vision plans parent migration for families across Australia and parents applying from overseas — online consultations wherever you are, or at our Brisbane office — the balance-of-family audit, the 143-vs-870 sequencing decision, AoS and second-instalment financial planning, and lodgement done properly the first time. We advise in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the contributory parent visa 143 cost in 2026?

About $49,900 in government charges for a single parent, paid in two instalments — $6,300 at lodgement and about $43,600 closer to grant — plus the refundable Assurance of Support bond ($10,000 for one adult). Professional fees and health checks are extra.

How long is the parent visa queue in 2026?

On Home Affairs' own published estimates: about 15 years for a new contributory (143) application and about 33 years for a new non-contributory (103) application. The Department is currently finalising 143 applications lodged in late 2018 and 103 applications from 2014.

What is the balance-of-family test?

At least half of the parent's children must live permanently in Australia, or more in Australia than in any other single country. It applies to the 103 and 143 but not to the temporary 870.

Can parents work on the 870 visa?

No. The 870 carries no work rights. It allows 3 or 5 years per visa, renewable to a maximum of 10 years in total, and has no balance-of-family test and no Assurance of Support.

Can we hold an 870 and queue for the 143 at the same time?

No — an 870 holder cannot apply for a permanent parent visa while holding it. Families wanting both need to sequence the applications deliberately; get advice before lodging either.

Is the Assurance of Support refundable?

Yes. The bond — $10,000 for one adult or $14,000 for two on the 10-year contributory AoS — is held by the Commonwealth and returned after the AoS period if no recoverable social security payments were made.

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Updated 18 August 2026 — costs, queue estimates and processing figures verified against the Department of Home Affairs website (queue pages updated 9 July 2026; pricing 1 July 2026; processing-times tool 4 August 2026) and Services Australia. This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.