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Australia · Visa guide

Australia Parent & Family Visa

Parent visas and child / family-relative visas — to reunite parents and close family with relatives settled in Australia.

  • ProcessingParent visas have lengthy processing times
  • Visa categoryParent & Family Visa
  • Your guideOne consultant
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Australia Parent & Family Visa — overview

Australia offers several routes to reunite parents and close family with a relative who is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. For parents these include the Parent visa (subclass 103), the faster Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), the onshore Aged Parent visa (subclass 804), and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for visits of up to 3 or 5 years. The Child visa (subclass 101) lets a dependent child join a parent in Australia.

Parent visas are in high demand and processing times are long — the contributory routes are considerably faster but carry a much higher cost. Choosing the right route for your family's situation and budget matters.

Lifeset Overseas assesses honestly which family route fits, prepares the sponsorship and relationship evidence, and sets clear expectations on cost and timelines.

7 items

Documents you need

  • An eligible relative in Australia

    A settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen — a child for a parent visa, a parent for a child visa.

  • Sponsorship

    A sponsorship or assurance of support from the eligible relative in Australia.

  • Relationship evidence

    Apostilled birth, marriage and family documents proving the relationship.

  • Balance-of-family test (parents)

    For parent visas, evidence that meets the balance-of-family test.

  • Identity documents

    Passport and identity documents for each applicant.

  • Health requirement

    Each applicant must meet the Australian health requirement.

  • Character requirement

    Each applicant must meet the character requirement; police certificates are required.

5 steps

How the process works

Typical processing: Parent visas have lengthy processing times — demand greatly exceeds the places available each year. Contributory routes are considerably faster.

  1. Step 1

    Free eligibility & route review

    We assess honestly which family route fits — and set clear expectations on cost and the long parent-visa queues.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare sponsorship & relationship evidence

    Sponsorship, assurance of support and apostilled relationship documents are prepared and verified.

  3. Step 3

    Apply via ImmiAccount

    The application is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs.

  4. Step 4

    Assessment & the queue

    The Department assesses the file; parent visas are then placed in a queue until a place becomes available.

  5. Step 5

    Second instalment & visa grant

    A second instalment is paid before the visa is granted — the contributory routes are faster but cost considerably more.

Transparent

Costs & fees

Item

Amount

Parent visa (subclass 103)

Over two instalments for a single applicant. Long queues apply.

From AUD 7,345

Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

Over two instalments — much faster than the subclass 103 route.

From AUD 48,640

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

For temporary visits, not permanent residence.

AUD 6,070 (3 years) / AUD 12,140 (5 years)

Child visa (subclass 101)

For a dependent child joining a parent in Australia.

From AUD 3,235

Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.

3 answers

Frequently asked questions

Q.Why do parent visas take so long?
Demand for parent visas is far greater than the number of places available each year, so non-contributory routes such as subclass 103 have very long queues. The Contributory Parent visa (143) is much faster but costs considerably more.
Q.What is the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa?
Subclass 870 lets a parent visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, up to a maximum of 10 years. It is a temporary visit visa — it does not lead to permanent residence.
Q.Can my child join me in Australia?
Yes — the Child visa (subclass 101) lets a dependent child outside Australia move to Australia permanently to live with a parent who is a citizen or permanent resident.

Why it matters

Going it alone vs filing with us

On your own

  • Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
  • Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
  • No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
  • Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
  • A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.

With Lifeset Overseas

  • An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
  • A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
  • Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
  • Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
  • 1,200+ approvals, handled by one licensed consultant end to end.

Refused before?

A refusal isn't the end

Refused applicants often win the second time — once the real reason is fixed. If a Australia visa has been refused, we:

  • Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
  • Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
  • Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
  • Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
  • Rebuild a stronger application — same fixed fee, refusal or first try.
Get refusal support

Your next step

Ready to start your Australia Parent & Family Visa?

A visa file is won or lost on the small things — a mismatched date, a thin financial trail, a document formatted wrong. We go deep into your profile, build every document properly, and give you an honest verdict before you commit. If your case isn't ready, we'll tell you — and tell you exactly how to fix it.

  • Free, honest assessment

    We read your full profile and tell you straight whether your case is ready — before you pay anything.

  • Your file, built right

    Every document prepared, apostilled, translated and stress-tested the way the embassy expects.

  • One consultant, end to end

    The same person handles your case from the first call to the visa decision — no hand-offs.

  • We handle the process

    VFS appointment, biometrics, submission and follow-up — we manage the moving parts for you.

licensed (No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024)Fixed fees agreed upfrontWe won’t take a case we believe will fail

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