How to Bring My Parents to Australia: Start Here
If you've started looking into this, you've probably already found it's confusing, and full of long waits and big costs. Let's cut through it. The right visa comes down to a couple of simple questions about what your family actually wants. Answer those, and the path gets clear.
Start With One Question
Before you look at a single visa subclass, ask yourself this: do you want your parents here permanently, or do you mainly want them here, a lot, without necessarily becoming permanent residents? Your honest answer to that points you straight at the right group of options. Here's how it breaks down.
If You Want Permanent Residence, and Can Invest in It
The contributory parent visas are your fastest route to permanent residence. They cost a lot more, but the wait is years rather than decades. If your parents are overseas, that's the 143 contributory parent visa. If they're already in Australia and old enough for the age pension, it's the 864 contributory aged parent visa, which lets them stay on a bridging visa while it's processed.
If You Want Permanent Residence, and Cost Is the Priority
The non-contributory parent visas cost far less, but you need to go in knowing the wait runs into decades. For parents overseas, that's the 103 parent visa. For aged parents already here, the 804 aged parent visa has a real advantage, your parents can usually stay onshore on a bridging visa during that long wait, so being together doesn't have to wait at all.
If You Mainly Want Them Here, Not Necessarily Permanent
This is the option most families overlook, and it's often the best one. The 870 sponsored parent visa lets your parents stay for years at a time, processes far faster than the permanent visas, and skips the balance of family test. If your goal is simply to have your parents around, watching the grandkids grow up, this can get them here far sooner than chasing permanent residence.
If You Just Want Them to Visit for a While
For shorter stays, a visitor visa may be all you need, and it's the quickest, simplest way to get your parents over for a holiday or a special occasion. Many families use visitor visas while a longer-term plan is sorted out in the background.
One test to check early: the balance of family test. Most permanent parent visas require, broadly, that at least half your parents' children live in Australia, or more than in any other country. If your parents have several children spread around the world, this can rule out the permanent visas, which is exactly when the 870 becomes so valuable, because it doesn't apply that test.
How We Help
We sit down with you, work out what your family actually wants, and tell you honestly which path delivers it, including the costs and the real waits. There's no one-size-fits-all answer here, and anyone who gives you one isn't being straight with you. Once we've found the right fit, we prepare and manage the application so your parents actually get here.
The Main Paths, Side by Side
Contributory Parent
Permanent residence in years, not decades. Costs more, and for many families it's worth every cent.
About 143/173 No PR WaitSponsored Parent (870)
The overlooked option. Have your parents here for years, fast, without the permanent visa queue.
About the 870See Every Parent Visa
Want the full comparison of cost, wait and outcome? The parent visa hub lays it all out.
Compare them allBringing Parents Over, Answered
What's the fastest way to get my parents here?
If you mean here at all, the 870 sponsored parent visa or a visitor visa are usually the quickest, because they don't involve the permanent visa queues. If you mean permanent residence specifically, the contributory parent visas are the fastest, in years rather than decades. The honest answer depends on whether speed of arrival or permanence matters most to you, which is exactly what we'll help you work out.
What's the cheapest way?
The non-contributory parent visas, the 103 and 804, have the lowest charges, but you pay for it with a wait that runs into decades. A visitor visa is cheap for short stays. The 870 sits in the middle, with moderate ongoing costs like health insurance, but no huge contribution. Cheapest and best are rarely the same thing here, so it's worth weighing the real trade-offs.
Can my parents work once they're here?
It depends on the visa. The permanent parent visas allow work once granted, since they lead to residence. The 870 sponsored parent visa does not permit work, as it's designed for staying with family rather than employment. We'll make sure you understand what each option does and doesn't allow before you choose.
My parents have children in several countries. Does that matter?
It can. Most permanent parent visas apply the balance of family test, which broadly needs at least half your parents' children to live in Australia. If most live elsewhere, the permanent visas may be closed to you, and the 870, which doesn't apply that test, becomes the key option. We'll check this early so you're pointed at a path that's actually open.
Let's Find the Right Path for Your Family
There's no single best way to bring your parents to Australia, only the best way for you. Tell us what your family wants and we'll give you the honest answer and the next step.