Subclass 870 visa: Sponsored Parent

870 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa page:

• Relationship. The applicant is the biological, legal (including adoptive) parent, step-parent or parent-in-law of the Parent Sponsor.
• Age. At least 18.
• Approved Parent Sponsor. The sponsor must be approved before the visa application can be lodged.
• Previous visa obligations. Any previous visa obligations have been met.
• Health. The applicant must meet the health requirement.
• Character. The applicant must meet the character requirement.
• Enough money. The applicant has, or has access to, enough money to support themselves in Australia.
• Genuine temporary stay. The applicant intends to stay only temporarily and do only what the visa allows.
• Health insurance. Adequate health insurance from an Australian provider for the whole stay.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government, including a public health debt, has been paid back or there is an arrangement to pay it back.

Home Affairs says there is no balance of family test or Assurance of Support requirement for this visa.

Parent Sponsor requirements

Home Affairs' sponsor tab says the Parent Sponsor must:

• be at least 18 and be the child of the applicant, or the child's spouse or de facto partner
• be an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years
• not have been unlawful, or held a bridging visa other than a Bridging A, B or C visa, in the last 4 years
• pass the income test: taxable income of at least AUD 83,454.80 for the most recent completed income year before lodging the sponsorship application
• meet the character requirement, have no debt to the Australian Government, and have met any previous sponsorship obligations
• agree to share information and to comply with sponsorship obligations

If the sponsor's own income is at least 50 per cent of the income test amount, it can be combined with their partner's or another eligible child's income. When sponsoring a partner's parents, the partner must also be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Sponsor obligations include financial support and accommodation for the parent while in Australia, and paying back any public health debts the parent incurs in Australia, even after the parent leaves.

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' 870 page, the visa lets the holder:

• reunite with their children in Australia
• visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa
• travel to and from Australia as many times as they want while the visa is valid
• apply for further 870 visas, up to a total of 10 years in Australia

Holders cannot work in Australia. The visa does not lead to permanent residence, and holders cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa. The visa ends on the date in the grant letter, if it is cancelled, or if the sponsor withdraws and no new Parent Sponsor is found.

Applying for another 870

A further 870 must be applied for from outside Australia, unless Permission to Apply in Australia is given. When applying from outside Australia, the applicant must have been outside Australia for at least 90 consecutive days since their relevant departure day. No further 870 can be granted after the 10-year total.

Family members and cost

Family members cannot be included in an 870 application. A household can hold one sponsorship at a time, covering up to 2 parents.

The visa is paid in 2 instalments. Home Affairs' Visa Prices table lists:

A lower cost applies from 1 July 2026 to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics cost extra.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tabs of Home Affairs' 870 page.

Before you apply

1. The child (or their partner) applies online to become an approved Parent Sponsor and pays AUD 420.
2. Check that the parent meets the visa requirements and has a valid passport.
3. Anyone giving immigration assistance must be a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.

Apply

1. Apply online in ImmiAccount within 6 months of sponsorship approval, or within 60 days if Permission to Apply in Australia was given.
2. Attach documents and pay the first instalment. Home Affairs does not process the application until it is paid.

After you apply

1. Home Affairs may ask for more information, health examinations or biometrics.
2. Pay the second instalment when invoiced. If it is not paid, the application is refused.
3. Home Affairs gives its decision in writing. The charge is not refunded if the visa is refused or the application is withdrawn.

Applying in or outside Australia

Applicants must be outside Australia when they apply, unless Home Affairs gives Permission to Apply in Australia (but not in immigration clearance). Home Affairs approves this only in exceptional circumstances, for example a serious illness or accident with medical evidence, or a natural disaster preventing travel home. Applicants can be in or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when the visa is decided (870 page). The sponsor can be in or outside Australia when lodging the sponsorship application.

870 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: Australian parent visas