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Australia · Parent visa

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.

Processing
Parent visas have lengthy processing times: demand greatly exceeds the places available each year
Support
Your own consultant

Your journey with Lifeset

Australia visitor visa, from first message to passport back.

  1. 1Day 0Tell us your planWhatsApp or a call. A consultant asks the right questions and says plainly whether a Australia visitor visa is realistic for you.
  2. 2Same dayYour tailored checklistA document list for your case, not a generic one. You collect; we answer every "which one?" on WhatsApp.
  3. 3As documents arriveReview and refusal checkEvery paper is checked. Gaps in funds, ties or travel history are flagged and fixed before anything is submitted.
  4. 4Within 3 working daysFile ready, appointment bookedForms and cover letter done; your the visa centre appointment is booked, subject to the slots the centre has open.
  5. 5Appointment dayBiometrics and submissionYou attend the visa centre with a file assembled in the order the officer reads it.
  6. 6DecisionDecision receivedWe track the file to the decision. Approved: your passport comes back with the visa. Refused: our professional fee comes back under the Refund Policy and we plan the reapplication.

Side by side

Three ways to file your Australia parent & family visa. Here is what each one includes.

  • Government licence you can verify

    Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024, District Magistrate Patiala

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • One fixed, all-in fee quoted upfront

    GST included; embassy and centre fees at cost

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Professional fee back if refused

    Under the published Refund Policy

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Refusal-trigger check before filing

    Funds, ties and history checked against the refusal reasons we see most

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Cover letter written for your case

    Not a template

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Appointment or interview booked for you

    VFS, BLS or consulate, at your nearest centre

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • Named consultant on WhatsApp till decision

    The person who reads your file is the one who answers

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

  • GST invoice from a registered Pvt Ltd

    Pro Lifeset Overseas Pvt Ltd · GSTIN 03AAOCP3999C1Z5

    Yourself
    Agent
    Lifeset

“Varies” means it depends on the agent; ask for their licence number and refund terms in writing. The full, sourced comparison

Australia Parent & Family Visa — overview

Start here

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.

Australian parent visas for Indian parents

Australia's parent visa family, per the Department of Home Affairs catalogue, comprises: subclass 103 Parent; 804 Aged Parent; 173 and 143 Contributory Parent (temporary and permanent); 884 and 864 Contributory Aged Parent (temporary and permanent); and 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary). The permanent routes are capped and queued for years; the 870 is the practical route for parents who want long stays with children settled in Australia.

  • Stay

    Official position
    "Up to 3 or 5 years" per visa

  • Cost

    Official position
    "Up to 3 years AUD6,370.00"; "Up to 5 years AUD12,440.00"

  • Maximum

    Official position
    you "can apply for further visas to visit up to a maximum period in Australia of 10 years"

  • Sponsor

    Official position
    you must "have an approved Parent Sponsor before you can lodge an application for this visa"

  • Timing

    Official position
    "lodge your visa application within 6 months of the sponsorship approval, or 60 days if we give you permission to apply in Australia"

The visa is applied for online; processing times come from the Home Affairs processing-time guide tool, "a guide only and not specific to your application". The charge is paid to the Australian Government and is not refunded on refusal. The Home Affairs page was last updated 24 September 2026.

The sponsor's side

The child in Australia applies first to become an approved Parent Sponsor and must meet income and residence requirements; the Knowledge Base notes the sponsor income pathway is assessed on official tax evidence, and "a sponsor's bank balance is not automatically an annual-income certificate". Health insurance for the parent is a condition of the 870.

Shorter visits

Parents who want to visit for months rather than years usually use the Visitor visa (subclass 600), which Home Affairs may grant for more than 12 months to parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents, capped at 12 months in any 18.

Official sources

Quotations checked against the Home Affairs page on 30 September 2026 (page last updated 24 September 2026). Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails.

Documents you need

7 items

  • 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

    Birth, marriage and family documents proving the relationship, with English translations where needed.

  • 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.

How the process works

5 steps

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 relationship documents, with English translations, 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.

Costs & fees

Transparent

Item

Amount

Parent visa (subclass 103)

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

Confirmed at booking (Home Affairs fee estimator)

Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

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

Confirmed at booking (Home Affairs fee estimator)

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

For temporary visits, not permanent residence.

AUD 6,370 (3 years) / AUD 12,440 (5 years)

Child visa (subclass 101)

For a dependent child joining a parent in Australia.

Confirmed at booking (Home Affairs fee estimator)

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

Frequently asked questions

3 answers

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Going it alone vs filing with us

Why it matters

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.
  • Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.

A refusal isn't the end

Refused before?

A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. 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.

Visa refused? Our consultancy fee is refunded under the Refund Policy. Embassy and VFS fees are never ours to refund. Read the refund policy

Get refusal support Ask about my refusal

Your Lifeset team

Licensed in Punjab · Based in Patiala

Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll help you understand your options and the fee before you decide.

Call the teamWhatsApp

Choose your level of support

Free tools, document help or full filing

Your next step

Start small. Go as far as you need.

Every price is all-in with GST included. Embassy and VFS fees are paid to them, at cost.

  1. / 01Free

    Free readiness check

    A few questions, a plain score. See where your Australia file is weak before you spend anything.

    Open
  2. / 02₹499

    Visa File Readiness Report

    A consultant reads your actual papers and writes down what is missing and what an officer will doubt.

    Open
  3. / 03Priced per fix

    Fix one problem

    Checklist, cover letter, financial proof, SOP or a slot — buy only the piece you need.

    Open
  4. / 04From ₹7,499

    Full filing, done for you

    Every form, every document, VFS booking and tracking until the decision — one consultant end to end.

    Open

Australia guides & insights

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Other Australia visas

Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · DM Patiala

Talk to a licensed consultant before you spend a rupee.

Tell us your destination and situation. We will say plainly whether the visa is realistic, what it costs all-in, and what could get it refused. Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM.

WhatsApp a consultant Call +91 91155 80911