The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) lets a parent of an:
- Australian citizen
- Australian permanent resident
- Eligible New Zealand citizen
visit Australia for up to 3 years or 5 years at a time.
This visa is designed to help parents reunite with their children and grandchildren in Australia without creating extra costs for Australian taxpayers.
Key features
What this visa allows
- Stay in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa
- Stay for long periods without departing
- Travel to and from Australia while the visa is valid
- Apply for visitor visas and/or permanent Parent visas separately (if eligible)
What this visa does NOT provide
- It is a temporary visa only
- It does not lead to permanent residence
- Visa holders will generally have a “no work” condition
Number of places available (cap)
Up to 15,000 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas may be granted each program year (1 July to 30 June).
If the cap is reached in a program year:
- No further visas will be granted until the next program year begins on 1 July
Process (two-stage)
Step 1: Sponsorship approval
- The child (sponsor) applies for sponsorship first
- Once approved, the parent can apply for the visa
Step 2: Parent visa application
- The parent applies for the subclass 870 visa
- The visa application must be lodged within 6 months of sponsorship approval
Parent eligibility
To be eligible, the parent must be:
- The biological parent, adoptive parent, or step-parent of the sponsor
- Sponsored by an approved sponsor
- At least 18 years old
- Able to meet health, character, and national security requirements
Sponsor eligibility
Sponsors must meet the following requirements:
Basic requirements
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Have been usually resident in Australia for 4 years
- Meet any prior sponsorship obligations
- Have no adverse information (unless it is reasonable to disregard)
- Have no debts to the Commonwealth or public health debts (unless repayment arrangements exist)
Relationship requirements
- The parent must be the sponsor’s biological, adoptive, or step-parent
- A step-parent can only apply if they are still in a married/de facto relationship with a biological parent of the sponsor
Income requirement
Sponsors must have a taxable income of at least:
- $83,454.80 (can be combined income of partners)
Police checks
Sponsors must provide police clearances for any country where they have spent:
- More than 12 months cumulatively in the last 10 years
Information sharing
Sponsors must authorise information to be shared with the visa applicant.
Sponsorship limits
Only two parents per household can be sponsored for this visa at the same time.
This is designed to:
- Allow more households to sponsor parents
- Reflect the potential costs sponsors may need to meet
Sponsorship obligations
A sponsor must agree to obligations including:
Financial support and accommodation
- Provide financial support and accommodation for the parent while in Australia
Record keeping
- Keep records and provide them if requested (such as income evidence)
- This obligation ends 2 years after the person stops being a sponsor
Reporting changes
- Notify the Department of certain events (for example if charged with a crime)
- This obligation ends the day after the person stops being a sponsor
Public health debts
- Pay outstanding public health debts incurred by the parent in Australia
- This obligation continues even after the parent departs Australia if debts remain unpaid
Consequences of breaching obligations
If an obligation is breached, the Department may:
- Cancel the sponsorship
- Bar the sponsor from sponsoring further parents for a period of time
If public health debts are unpaid, the party owed the debt can pursue the sponsor through the Courts.
When sponsorship stops
A parent sponsorship ceases if:
- The sponsor’s permanent visa is cancelled
- The sponsor dies
- The sponsor withdraws the sponsorship
- The sponsored parent does not apply for the visa within 6 months of sponsorship approval
- The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa ceases
Some obligations continue even after sponsorship ends (especially health debts).
Sponsorship cost
Government sponsorship application fee
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| IMMI Sponsorship Fee | $420 |
Visa eligibility (parent applicant)
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa applicants must:
- Be sponsored by an approved sponsor
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be outside Australia (unless invited in writing to apply by the Department)
- Be outside Australia for at least 90 days if they currently hold or previously held a subclass 870 visa
- Not have engaged in payment for visas conduct
- Provide evidence of access to funds
- Provide evidence of health insurance
- Not have an outstanding public health debt (unless repayment arrangements exist)
- Meet health, character, and national security requirements
Balance of family test (important)
Unlike permanent Parent visas, subclass 870 does NOT require a balance-of-family test.
This means:
- You do not need half of your children living in Australia
How long you can stay
Maximum stay per visa
- Up to 5 years at a time
Re-applying rule
To apply for another subclass 870 visa:
- The parent must be outside Australia for at least 90 days
Total maximum time
Parents can hold subclass 870 visas up to a total of:
- 10 years cumulative stay
After reaching 10 years:
- The parent must depart Australia or apply for another visa
- They cannot be granted another subclass 870 visa
Visa costs
Professional fees (VisaEnvoy)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| VisaEnvoy Professional Fee (Sponsor + Visa Application) | $3,000 to $4,000 + GST |
Government fees and charges
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| IMMI Sponsorship Fee | $420* |
| IMMI Lodgment Fee (time of lodgment) | $1,215* (each parent) |
| 5-year visa payment (time of approval) | $10,925* (each parent) |
| 3-year visa payment (time of approval) | $4,855* (each parent) |
Other typical costs
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Health Assessment | Approx $350–$450 |
| Police Clearances | Varies |
*Immi lodgment fees incur a credit card surcharge of 1.4% for Amex, Visa and MasterCard.
Payment structure
The visa application charge is paid in two instalments:
- One payment at time of application
- The remainder paid before visa grant
Processing times
Processing times vary depending on:
- Number of applications lodged
- Whether the applicant provides all required documents at lodgement
