Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa Australia Guide - Prem Goel - Gautam Kapil

Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa: How to Bring Your Parents to Australia for up to 10 Years

Bringing parents to Australia is one of the most emotional and significant milestones for migrants who have built a life far from home. While permanent parent visa options exist, waiting periods stretching into decades and stringent criteria often create painful separations. In an insightful session on Radio Haanji's Immi Talk show, host Gautam Kapil sat down with migration expert Prem Goel to break down the mechanics, eligibility criteria, costs, and strategic advantages of the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.

Understanding the Subclass 870 Visa

The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa is a temporary visa pathway designed to allow parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to reside in Australia for extended periods. Unlike standard visitor visas that typically cap stays at three, six, or twelve months, the Subclass 870 visa permits continuous stays of either 3 years or 5 years per grant, up to a cumulative maximum of 10 years.

A major advantage of this pathway is that it bypasses the Balance of Family test completely. Under permanent parent visa streams, at least half of the applicant’s children must permanently reside in Australia. For families unable to satisfy this requirement, Subclass 870 serves as an accessible and reliable solution to reunite without navigating the balance test.

How the Two-Step Application Process Works

The Subclass 870 application process operates in two distinct, sequential stages:

Sponsorship Application: The child in Australia must first apply to become an approved parent sponsor.

Visa Application: Once the Department of Home Affairs approves the sponsorship, the parent submits their visa application.

The visa application is generally lodged offshore. While onshore lodgement requests can be submitted during the sponsorship phase under compelling and compassionate circumstances—such as documented medical limitations or high-risk pregnancies—standard processing assumes parents apply while outside Australia.

Eligibility Criteria for Sponsors

To sponsor a parent under Subclass 870, the sponsor must satisfy key statutory obligations:

Status: Must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Income Threshold: The sponsor must show a minimum taxable income of 83,454 AUD. If an individual sponsor does not meet this threshold independently, combined income with a spouse or de facto partner can be utilized. Single applicants may also combine income with an eligible sibling who is also an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Character Checks: Sponsors must clear Australian Federal Police checks and relevant overseas police clearances.

Household Limit: A maximum of two parents per household can be actively sponsored at any given time.

Sponsorship Obligations: Approved sponsors take full financial responsibility for their parents, ensuring accommodation, living costs, and medical care so that no public debt is incurred.

Fees and Processing Timelines

The visa fee structure is split into two installments:

Sponsorship Fee: 420 AUD per sponsorship application.

3-Year Visa: Total visa charge of 6,370 AUD (First installment: 1,515 AUD; Second installment prior to grant: 4,855 AUD).

5-Year Visa: Total visa charge of 12,440 AUD (First installment: 1,515 AUD; Second installment prior to grant: 10,925 AUD).

Sponsorship approval generally takes between 4 to 5 months, followed by an additional 8 to 10 months for the visa application itself. Applicants should plan around an overall timeframe of 12 to 15 months from start to grant.

Health Insurance and Medical Requirements

Maintaining comprehensive private health insurance is a mandatory visa condition. Australia does not extend public Medicare coverage to temporary parent visa holders. Given the heightened health vulnerabilities associated with older age, sponsors should secure policies that meet Department requirements throughout the parent's entire stay.

Parents must also clear standard immigration health examinations. While manageable, common age-related conditions like diabetes or treated hypertension generally pass review, severe or high-cost chronic conditions can lead to visa refusals.

Work Rights and Visa Limitations

The Subclass 870 is strictly a visitor and family-reunion visa and carries no work rights. Working in Australia on this visa constitutes a direct breach of visa conditions and risks visa cancellation.

Additionally, once a parent holds a Subclass 870 visa, they cannot apply for a permanent parent visa from onshore. For families planning a long-term permanent settlement strategy, migration experts recommend lodging the permanent parent visa application offshore first, followed by the Subclass 870 visa, enabling parents to spend the long waiting years living comfortably in Australia.

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