Australia’s New Parent Visitor Visa

The Australian government is in the process of implementing a new temporary sponsored visa for parents of Australians. This change is part of the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and other Measures) Bill 2016 (the Bill), which is currently before the Senate. The new visa brings good news to children and their parents.

If it is passed in Government, the visa will be introduced as early as November this year.

The Parent Visitor Visa does not replace the current Parent category. It is meant to recognise the social and cultural benefits for Australians with foreign-born parents who are not living with them. The new visa will also address some of the concerns of the long processing times for other categories.

Criteria for the Parent Visa

The Balance of Family Test used in other categories is not applicable for the new Parent Visa.

Some of the criteria the parent must meet include:

• Be the biological, adopted or step-parent of an Australian​
• Have an Australian child as a sponsor​
• Meet all identity, health and character requirements​
• Must not have any existing health debt in Australia​
• May be required to buy private health insurance from an Australian insurer for the duration of their stay

Some of the criteria a child must meet to be an eligible sponsor include:

• Be a biological, adoptive or step child​
• Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen​
• Be over 18 years of age​
• Have lived in the country for at least 4 years​
• Meet identity, household income, and character requirements​
• Accept legal liability for any outstanding health debt incurred

Duration of the Parent Visa

The new Parent Visa is valid for 3 years or 5 years. The price of each visa is A$5,000 and A$10,000 respectively. Sponsors can apply more than once for their parent but the maximum duration of stay is 10 years total.

The government has yet to release full information about the new Parent Visa. If you are planning to sponsor your parent in their migration to Australia, it is important you get in touch with a local migration agent who can answer all your questions and keep you updated on the latest changes to the regulations. Migrate With Us is a leading migration agent from Perth. We have successfully helped many families