Family & Parent Visa

Family Visa

Australia recognises the importance of keeping families together and supports the migration of dependent family members through its family migration scheme. This scheme allows eligible family members and close relatives to join their families in Australia on a permanent or temporary basis. Family visas make up a significant portion of the total visas issued by the Australian government each year. However, both the applicant and the sponsor must meet the eligibility criteria depending on the specific visa being applied for.

There are various visa options available to facilitate bringing family members to Australia. If you are migrating to Australia, you can bring your family on a dependent visa. Alternatively, if you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, you can sponsor your children, partner, parents, or fiancés to join you in Australia.

The family stream visas aim to reunite Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens with their family members. The sponsor must provide support for the applicant for up to 2 years, provide a written undertaking, or offer an Assurance of Support (AoS). Additionally, the applicant must meet the eligibility criteria for the specific visa, including the balance-of-family test, biometric identification, and health and character requirements.

Family-sponsored visas include the Child Visa (subclass 101), Parent Visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent visas, Aged Parent visas, and more.

If you need assistance with a free assessment and advice, BM's expert consultants can provide reliable and high-quality migration services across Australia.

The Australian immigration department introduced family visas to bring family members together in Australia. These visas allow partners, parents, children, and other family members to migrate to the country, subject to certain conditions. Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens can sponsor their family members for these visas.

  • Partner Category Visa: This visa allows spouses, fiancés/fiancées, or de facto partners to immigrate to Australia. Initially, the visa provides temporary settlement, followed by permanent residency after a couple of years. The partner category includes married partners, fiancés/fiancées, and willing partners, including same-sex partners. The sponsoring partner must be a permanent resident, citizen of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

  • Parent Visa: Parents with eligible children who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens can apply for this visa. The sponsorship for this category of visa must come from the child residing in Australia. Parent visas are available for both working and aged parents. Some parent visas are initially granted for temporary settlement, with the possibility of transitioning to permanent residency. The "Contributory Parent Visa" is an option that offers faster processing, albeit at a higher cost. However, there is a limited number of parent visas issued each year, resulting in a waiting period.

  • Child Visa: Child visas are available under different subclasses. A parent who is a permanent resident, Australian citizen, or eligible New Zealand citizen must sponsor the child for this visa. If the child is already in Australia, they can immigrate as a permanent resident, dependent child, or orphaned relative. If the child is offshore, they can apply for a dependent child visa, adoption visa, or orphaned relative visa.

  • Other Family Members: Brothers, sisters, dependent relatives, and carers can also immigrate to Australia on temporary visas that can later be changed to permanent residency. These family visas require sponsorship from Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens.

It's important to note that the number of Parent Visas issued each year is limited, resulting in a waiting period for applicants.For more information and assistance, BM's expert consultants can help with assessments and provide reliable migration services throughout Australia.

Parent Visa

Parent visas fall under the family visa category in Australia. There are two main types of parent visas depending on whether you are inside or outside Australia.

If you are currently in Australia, there are options such as the Aged Parent visas (currently closed for applications) and the Contributory Aged Parent visas. The Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) visa is a permanent option that is more expensive but generally has a faster processing time. There is also a temporary Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa, which can later be converted to a permanent visa.

If you are outside Australia, the main option is the Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa. This permanent visa is for parents with children living in Australia. It has a higher cost but is usually processed faster. There is also a temporary Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa, which can be followed by an application for the permanent Contributory Parent visa.

Certain visas, such as the Aged Parent (Residence) visa and Parent (Migrant) visa, are no longer accepting new applications. However, family members of applicants who applied before June 2, 2014, may still have the opportunity to be added to the application.

To bring your parents to Australia, you can seek the assistance of BM, a reliable and registered migration agent. They have up-to-date knowledge of the government regulations and visa processes, ensuring a smooth experience for your parents. Parent visas can be obtained if your child is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen.

Parent visas are divided into offshore and onshore applications. Offshore applications include the Parent Visa (Subclass 143 or 173), which require the parent to be under 65 years of age, meet the "Balance of family" test, and make a non-refundable deposit to the Australian government. The processing time for these visas is approximately 24 months or more.

On the other hand, onshore applications include the Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804) and Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864). The Aged Parent Visa has a long processing time of over 25 years and allows parents to stay in Australia while the decision is pending. The Contributory Aged Parent Visa is a permanent option that grants the parent the ability to stay indefinitely, study or work in Australia, enroll in Medicare, sponsor eligible family members for permanent residency, and travel to and from Australia for up to 5 years.

For eligibility assessment and assistance with parent visas, it is recommended to contact BM to ensure a hassle-free process for you and your parents.