If you have one or more children living in Australia, you might be eligible to apply for an Australian Parent visa (subclass 103).
This visa is suitable for the parent (or parents) of a child/step-child who is a:
- Settled Australian citizen
- Settled Australian permanent resident
- Settled eligible New Zealand citizen
If granted, this visa allows you to permanently migrate to Australia to join your children.
Whether you qualify depends on factors such as:
- Your child(ren)’s residence status in Australia
- How long your sponsoring child has lived in Australia
- Whether you meet the balance of family test
- Whether you meet health and character criteria
Important notes (before you apply)
Processing time warning
- There can be long waiting times of up to 30 years before this visa is approved.
No bridging visa (key point)
- If you are in Australia and your current temporary visa is about to expire, you will not be eligible for a bridging visa to stay in Australia.
- This is because you must be outside Australia when a decision is made on your application.
Parent visa benefits
A Parent visa allows you, your partner, and dependent family to live in Australia permanently.
Key entitlements include
- Work or study in Australia
- Access to Medicare (subsidised healthcare)
- Ability to sponsor eligible family members for permanent residency (waiting period applies)
- Social security access (waiting period applies)
Parent visa eligibility requirements
For applicants of a Parent (subclass 103) visa, there are multiple criteria that must be met.
THE APPLICANT
To be eligible, the applicant must have a child who is:
- An Australian citizen
OR - A permanent Australian resident
OR - An eligible New Zealand citizen
THE SPONSOR
Your sponsor is usually your child.
If your child is not an eligible sponsor, you may be sponsored by:
- Your child’s partner
- Guardian or family member of your child
- Guardian or family member of your child’s partner
- A community organisation
Health & character requirements
A health check is required for:
- All applicants
- Any accompanying family members
- Your partner
- Any dependent family members
Outstanding debts to the Australian Government
Any debts you have to the Australian Government must be repaid before the visa can be granted.
If you are in financial difficulty, you may need to arrange a repayment scheme.
Visa application limitations (if inside Australia)
If you are inside Australia, in certain cases you may be prohibited from applying for this visa, such as if:
- Your previous visa had a condition preventing you from being granted a substantive visa while in Australia
- You do not currently hold a substantive visa and have had a visa refusal or cancellation since you last arrived
- You currently hold a sponsored visitor visa
- You are held in immigration detention
Balance-of-family test
The balance-of-family test measures your ties to Australia.
You meet this requirement if either:
- At least half of your children live permanently in Australia
OR - More of your children live permanently in Australia than in any other country
You must meet this requirement to be granted this visa.
Important
This requirement cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.
Balance-of-family test examples
| Total number of children | Living in Australia | Living outside Australia | Meets balance of family test |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Yes |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Yes |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | No |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | No |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | Yes |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | No |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | No |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | No |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | Yes |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | Yes |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | No |
How children are counted in the test
Immigration does not assess the relationship quality
They do not assess the nature of your relationship with your children.
If you don’t know where your children are
They are considered to be in the country where they were last known to live.
To be counted as living in Australia, your children must be:
- Australian citizens
- Australian permanent residents who usually live in Australia
- Eligible New Zealand citizens who usually live in Australia
If your children are in Australia on a temporary visa (such as a Student visa), they are counted as usually living outside Australia.
Which children are included?
Your and your partner’s children (including stepchildren and adopted children) are counted unless they:
- Are deceased
- Were removed from their parents’ legal custody by adoption or court order
- Are registered as refugees by UNHCR and live in a UNHCR camp
- Live in a country where they suffer persecution or human rights abuse and cannot be reunited with their parents elsewhere
Stepchild definition
A stepchild is either:
- Your current partner’s child
OR - Younger than 18 years old and the legal responsibility of you or your partner and:
- The child of your former partner, or
- The child of a former partner of your current partner
Important
Stepchildren born from polygamous or concurrent relationships are not recognised in Australia and cannot be counted in the balance-of-family test.
Sponsor obligations
As the sponsor, you must assist your family members and help them settle in Australia by providing:
- Moral support
- Adequate accommodation
- Financial support
For the first two years of residency, it is crucial that the sponsor complies with these obligations.
Assurer of Support (AoS)
The assurer must:
- Provide sufficient financial support so you (and any accompanying family members) do not rely on government support
- Reimburse the Australian Government for any recoverable social security payments (including Centrelink payments)
- Pay a refundable security bond before the visa is approved
How long does AoS last?
The Assurance of Support must remain in place for:
- 2 years from the date you (and any accompanying family members) arrive in Australia
What is AoS?
An Assurance of Support (AoS) is a legal undertaking by:
- The sponsor
- A family relative
- An organisation
- Another eligible person
to repay certain social security payments paid to the visa applicant during the AoS period.
Subclass 103 visa costs
Government visa charges (AUD)
| Visa subclass | Base application charge | Additional applicant (18 and over) | Additional applicant (under 18) | Non-internet application charge | Subsequent temporary application charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent visa (subclass 103) | $5,280.00 | $2,640.00 | $1,325.00 | N/A | N/A |
