Parent Visa (Subclass 103)
The Parent visa allows an eligible parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to move to Australia permanently.
Subclass 103 is capped and queued. Demand greatly exceeds annual places, resulting in very long processing periods; applicants must maintain separate lawful visa arrangements while waiting.
What is the Subclass 103 Parent Visa?
Subclass 103 is a permanent, non-contributory Parent visa. It generally has lower visa charges than contributory Parent pathways, but substantially longer queue-based processing.
When granted, the holder can live in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare, sponsor eligible relatives and apply for Australian citizenship when eligible.
Key benefits
Key eligibility requirements
The applicant must have an eligible sponsor, usually a child who is settled in Australia and is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. If the child is under 18, another eligible relative or community organisation may be able to sponsor.
The applicant must pass the Balance of Family test and satisfy health, character, Australian Government debt and values requirements. The applicant cannot use this pathway in circumstances where they have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870).
The Balance of Family test
You pass if at least half of your children and stepchildren are eligible children in Australia, or if more eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country. Children in Australia only on temporary visas are not eligible children for this test.
The test considers relevant children of the applicant and partner, including certain stepchildren and adopted children. It cannot be waived even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.
How the Subclass 103 process works
Map the family
List every relevant child and stepchild, their country and Australian citizenship or residence status.
Check sponsor eligibility
Confirm the child's settled status, relationship and ability to meet sponsorship obligations.
Prepare and lodge online
Submit the current Subclass 103 application through ImmiAccount with family and sponsor evidence.
Queue assessment
The Department assesses core criteria and, if satisfied, assigns a queue date for future processing.
Complete final requirements
When released from the queue, complete updated health, character, Assurance of Support and payment requirements.
Sponsorship and Assurance of Support
The sponsor supports the application and provides evidence of their status, residence, relationship and settlement in Australia. Sponsorship approval does not remove the applicant's obligation to meet the other visa criteria.
Before grant, an Assurance of Support is generally required. It is a legal commitment that the applicant and included family will not rely on specified government assistance during the assurance period and can involve a financial bond.
Application and decision location
The applicant and included family can generally be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying. Standard applicants must be outside Australia when the Department decides the visa.
An onshore Subclass 103 application generally does not provide an associated bridging visa unless the applicant qualifies under the limited Retirement visa pathway. Applicants in Australia must independently maintain lawful status and should not assume the Parent application permits them to remain.
Queueing and processing expectations
Parent visas are subject to annual capping and queueing. Applications meeting core criteria receive a queue date and are released for final processing in queue-date order when program places become available.
Published queue dates demonstrate that waits can be extremely long. Family circumstances, health, passports, addresses and contact details should be kept current throughout processing, and applicants should consider whether another Parent visa option better matches their goals.
Important Subclass 103 Considerations
- Have an eligible settled child and approved sponsor.
- Pass the Balance of Family test, which cannot be waived.
- Plan for very long capped and queued processing.
- Do not rely on the application for an onshore bridging visa.
- Be outside Australia for the standard visa decision.
- Provide an Assurance of Support when requested.
- Keep family and contact information updated during the queue.
Including family members
Eligible members of the family unit can be included. All family members must be declared even if they are not migrating, and migrating or non-migrating family may need to meet health and character requirements.
Documents commonly required
Documents may include passports, birth and marriage records, evidence linking parent and children, each child's location and immigration status, sponsor status and settlement evidence, family composition documents, police certificates, health examinations, Assurance of Support and dependent-family records.
How Echoes Global Education can assist
Our migration team can assess sponsor and Balance of Family eligibility, map complex family structures, explain queue and location implications, prepare a personalised checklist and assist with the online Subclass 103 application.