If you have children who are permanent residents or citizens of Australia, and you would like to relocate to Australia and live with them, you can apply for a Parent Visa. However, in order for your application to be a success, you have to meet certain requirements. And, for your children to be able to sponsor you, they must have stayed in Australia for not less than two years. There are different types of visas to choose from as well. If you want to know how to bring your parents to Australia, the following information will be helpful.

The Subclass 143 Contributory Parent Migrant Visa

In order to qualify for this visa, the applicant must be below the age of 66 years, and he or she must satisfy the following requirements:

• You must be the father or mother of a child (biological, adopted, or stepchild) who is a permanent inhabitant, a citizen of Australia, or a qualified citizen of New Zealand.
• If you have more than two children, most of them should be permanent residents of Australia. If most of your children live outside Australia, you will not be eligible.
• As a minimum, half of your children must be permanent inhabitants of Australia.
• You must be in a position to settle the expensive contributory amounts.

With the contributory visa, the applicant, the applicant’s spouse and other dependants will be allowed to do the following:

• Get employment and get an education in Australia.
• Stay in Australia permanently for an unlimited period.
• Apply to be a citizen of Australia, providing you meet the residency application requirements.
• Sponsor more family members for permanent residence.
• Get subsidised medical aid cover such as Medicare.
• Visit other countries within a period of five years, from the day you receive your visa.

As the applicant, you will also be required to have an Assuror of Support. This is someone, in most cases the child, who should be in a position to assist you, your spouse or any family members financially. The Assuror of Support is expected to carry all your financial burdens for a period of 10 years. If for some reason, within that 10-year period, the government makes social security payments on behalf of the applicant, his or her spouse or other dependants, the Assuror must refund any amounts that can be recovered to the Australian government.

It takes about 18 months to process this type of visa; the reason why the processing period is relatively short is due to the expensive contributory amount which is paid by the applicant. Otherwise other types of visas take a longer period of time.

The Subclass 173 Contributory Parent Temporary Visa

The temporary visa permits you to stay in Australia for a period of two years. In order for an applicant to qualify for the visa, the requirements below must be satisfied:

• You must not be a resident of Australia.
• You must have the capacity to pay the mandatory expensive contributory amounts. You will make two distinct payments for the 143 and 173 applications
• You have to be the mother or father of a biological, adoptive or stepchild who is a permanent inhabitant, a settled citizen of Australia, or a citizen of New Zealand.

As the name suggests, this visa is temporary and there is no offer for an extension. Upon arrival in Australia, you are required to make an application for the Contributory Parent Migrant Visa (Subclass 143) within a period of 2 years if you want to remain in the country permanently. Once granted, the aspirant will be given permanent resident status. If you have any intentions to live in the Australian nation permanently, make sure that you apply for the permanent visa before the temporary one expires.

With this visa, the applicant, the applicant’s spouse, and other dependants will be allowed to do the following:

• Get employment and get an education in Australia.
• Stay in Australia temporarily for 2 years.
• Receive medical aid assistance from Medicare.

The Subclass 103 Parent Migrant Visa

For the applicant to qualify for this visa, the requirements below must be satisfied:

• You have to be the mother of the father (biologically or in terms of the law) of a child who is a permanent inhabitant, a citizen of Australia, or a settled citizen of New Zealand.
• Most of your kids should be permanent residents of Australia.
• Half of your children must be permanent inhabitants of Australia.

If you choose this visa, you have to be prepared to wait for up to twenty years or more before it is approved. This is because a very limited number of applications are accepted and granted every year.

The Contributory Aged Parent Visa

In terms of requirements, most of them are similar to the Contributory Parent Visa elaborated on above. The only difference is that with this one, you will have to be above the age of 66 years. But, if you are above 66 years and your spouse is below that age, they will be eligible as a secondary candidate.

Health Requirements

You will also have to satisfy certain health requirements. This entails undergoing a medical exam; including an HIV test and chest x-ray. If you choose the Non-Contributory visa, this requirement is a must before the visa application is approved.

Visa Application Costs

• For a Contributory Parent/Aged Parent Visa, you are required to pay a base application fee of AU$3,855 and a contribution fee of AU$43,600
• For the Subclass 804 Aged Parent Visa, you are required to pay an application fee of AU$4,350, as well as the second instalment of AU$2,065
• The Assuror of Support is also expected to lodge a bond worth AU$10,000 for a single applicant and AU$4,000 for every adult dependant. This money can be given back after the 10 years have passed.

In the future, the Australian government is likely to do away with the Non-Contributory Visa applications. This cancellation was attempted a couple of years ago. Although the government didn’t succeed, chances are that it might someday.