If you are settled in Australia and want to bring your parents to live with you temporarily, they will have to apply for an 870 Visa. Before that, you have to submit a request to learn whether you meet the requirements to be a sponsor in the first place.
Please note that the Subclass 870 Visa does not lead to permanent residence for your parents.
What is the Australian Subclass 870 Visa?
The Australian Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870) is a temporary visa that is issued to the parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents, allowing them to live in Australia with their children for a maximum of ten years.
To be able to sponsor your parent for an 870 visa, you have to fulfill the following conditions:
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, who has been resident in Australia for at least four years.
- You must be the legal child of your parents (biological, adoptive, or step-child). You may also sponsor your spouse or partner’s parents
- You must not have been unlawfully living in Australia during the last four years.
- You must not have held a bridging visa other than the bridging visas A, B or C during the last four years.
- You (and your spouse/partner) must have a joint income of at least AUD 83,454. If you do not have a spouse/partner, you must meet the income requirements yourself.
- You must not have any debts to the Australian government.
Who Can I Sponsor to Australia for the 870 Visa?
You can sponsor your parents or your parents-in-law (your spouse’s or partner’s parents), but not both parties simultaneously. So, one household can sponsor only two parents at a time, as such:
- One or both of your parents, or;
- One or both of your parents-in-law, or;
- One of your parents and one of your parents-in-law.
What Does It Mean to Be a Sponsor for the Parent Visa 870?
As a sponsor to your parents, you are legally required to fulfill the following obligations:
- You must provide your parents with financial support and accommodation for the duration of their visit. You are not required to support them in this manner if they switch to a permanent visa.
- You must notify the Immigration Authorities if there is any change in your or your parents’ situation. For example, if you are arrested and charged or if one of the parents passes away.
- If your parents incur any debts to the Australian state, you have to pay it back. This obligation does not end if your parents leave Australia.
If you do not fulfill these obligations, your parents’ visas will be cancelled along with your sponsorship.
Requirements for the Parent Visa 870
The documents required for the 870 Visa from both sponsor and parent include:
- Valid passport. Both the parent and the sponsor must have a valid passport at the time of application.
- Passport size picture of the applicant, in line with Australian photo requirements.
- Proof that the applicant meets the required character conditions to be in Australia.
- Health check of the applicant (if required by the Immigration).
- Proof that the sponsor meets the minimum income requirements (at least AUD 83,454/year).
- Proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residence of the sponsor.
- Proof of family relationship, such as birth certificate, adoption certificate, or family register.
- Any other documents required by the Australian Immigration Authorities.
Document guidelines:
- The documents submitted have to be electronic copies of the original
- If the applicant has to submit any documents on paper, they must be certified by someone who is eligible.
How to Apply for the Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa? (Step-by-Step)
The Sponsored Parent Visa application is divided into two main steps:
- Step 1: You apply to become a Sponsor.
- Step 2: Your parents apply for the Temporary Parent Visa (Subclass 870).
Step 1: Sponsorship Application
Before your parents can apply for their 870 Visa, you have to apply for the right to sponsor them in the first place. To apply for sponsorship, you have to:
- Log in to your ImmiAccount.
- Complete the electronic application form for Sponsorship for a Family Member (870).
- Attach the required documents.
- Pay the Sponsorship application fee (AUD 420).
- If your parents are already in Australia, you have to request Permission to Apply in Australia.
- Wait for the application to be processed. In the meantime, the Immigration Authorities will notify you if you need to submit additional documents or information.
After your application for sponsorship has been approved, you will receive an email which states the following information:
- Your Sponsorship Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
- Your obligations as a sponsor.
- The date of sponsorship approval. Within six months of this date, your parents have to apply for the visa. If they are in Australia already, they have 60 days to apply.
Step 2: Visa 870 Application
Within six months after your application for sponsorship is approved, your parents must apply for a Parent-Sponsored Visa. All Australian visa applications are submitted online, through an ImmiAccount. For an 870 Parent Visa, your parents may apply from inside or outside Australia:
- If they are outside Australia, they have to submit the application within six months of your sponsorship approval.
- If they are inside Australia, they have to submit the application within 60 days of sponsorship approval.
How Much Does the Parent Visa 870 Cost?
The cost of the 879 Visa depends on its validity:
- 3-year 870 Visa: AUD 5,000
- 5-year 870 Visa: AUD 10,000
In addition to the visa fees, you also have to pay the AUD 420 sponsorship application fee along with all health insurance expenses for your parents.
How Long Does it Take to Process the Application?
It takes several weeks to several months to process an application for the Temporary Parent Visa 870. According to the Immigration Authorities, most visas are processed within 53 days, but some may take up to 69 days or longer as well.
The processing time for a visa will be longer if the Immigration Authorities require additional documents and information. It will be much shorter if everything is in order.
How Long Can My Parents Stay In Australia With an 870 Visa?
The Temporary Sponsored Visa allows your parents to stay in Australia up to ten years. It is originally issued either for three or five years and your parents can renew the visa again, for another three or five years, for a maximum duration of ten years.
To extend their stay in Australia for longer than ten years, your parents must apply for another type of visa once this one expires. They cannot extend the 870 Visa.
Does the 870 Visa Lead to Permanent Residency?
No, the 870 Visa does not lead to permanent residency in Australia. In fact, holding this type of visa makes it very difficult -if not impossible – for your parents to obtain any of the Permanent Parent Visas, such as Subclass 103, Subclass 143, or Subclass 804. They would have to wait until the 870 Visa expires, leave Australia, and then apply for the appropriate permanent visa, wait for it to be processed, and finally come to live with you permanently – provided that they meet the requirements.
Can I Get a 10-Year Parent Visa in Australia?
The 870 Visa is not issued for ten years from the start, but it can be “extended” to allow your parents to stay in Australia for a maximum of ten years, in periods of three or five years. Before your parents’ current visa expires, they must apply for a new one and you must re-apply for the right to sponsor them. In your sponsorship application, you must request the right for your parents to apply from within Australia and you must pay for the visa again, either AUD 5,000 or AUD 10,000.
After five years, they must leave Australia and are not allowed to apply for a different parent visa until their Visa 870 has expired.
Is Balance of Family Test Required for the 870 Visa?
No, you do not need a Balance of Family Test for the 870 Visa. This test measures the family ties of a parent to their children in Australia and is one of the most important requirements for permanent parent visa applications.
Since the 870 Visa is temporary, the Immigration does not ask you to provide this test.
Can Parents Work With an 870 Visa?
No, your parents will not be able to work in Australia with an 870 Visa.