Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)

Sponsor and Assurer: Who Does What?

Two different roles support a 173 application, and families often confuse them.

The sponsor is usually your child. Your child must be 18 or over and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is “settled” in Australia, which generally means they have lived in Australia lawfully for at least two years. If your child is under 18, the sponsor can instead be an eligible relative of your child or an Australian community organisation. One sponsor can sponsor both parents, and the sponsorship is lodged together with your application.

The assurer is the person (or people) who gives the Assurance of Support. The assurer promises to repay certain social security payments you receive during the assurance period, backed by the bond shown above. The assurer does not have to be the sponsor. Up to three people can give a joint assurance and combine their taxable incomes to meet the income test.

Because the Assurance of Support is only assessed when your application is released from the queue, the assurer’s income at that future date is what counts, not their income today.

How the 173 to 143 Pathway Works

The 173 is the first half of a two-stage pathway to permanent residence. In broad terms, the journey looks like this:

1. Check the balance of family test. List every child (including stepchildren and adopted children), where they live and their visa status. Our balance of family test guide explains how children are counted.
2. Confirm the sponsor and plan the assurer. Make sure the sponsor is settled in Australia and think ahead about who will give the Assurance of Support.
3. Lodge the 173 application and pay the first instalment. You can be in or outside Australia when you lodge.
4. Receive a queue date. If the application meets the core criteria, it is given a queue date and waits for release.
5. Keep your details up to date while you wait. Tell Home Affairs about new passports, changes of address and changes in your family.
6. Queue release. Complete health examinations, provide police certificates and arrange the Assurance of Support and bond.
7. Pay the 173 second instalment and be outside Australia for the decision.
8. Enter Australia on the 173. The two years start from the date you first enter Australia on the visa.
9. Apply for the 143 before the 173 expires. Pay the reduced 143 first instalment, then the 143 second instalment when asked.

Moving From the 173 to the 143

The 173 cannot be extended or granted again, so if you want to stay in Australia permanently you need to apply for the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) while your 173 is still in effect. Many families lodge the 143 well before the expiry date rather than waiting until the last few months.

The second stage is much quicker than the first. Applications from 173 holders for the 143 do not go back into the long contributory parent queue. As at 31 August 2026, Home Affairs was assessing temporary to permanent applications (173 to 143 and 884 to 864) lodged up to May 2026.

When you lodge the 143 as a 173 holder, the government charges are lower because part of the cost has already been paid at the 173 stage. The 143 first instalment is $555 for the main applicant, $280 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and $135 for each child under 18, and the 143 second instalment is $19,420 per applicant.

If you let the 173 expire without applying for the 143, you lose access to these lower second stage charges and would generally need to start again with a new parent visa application. Diarise the expiry date as soon as you enter Australia.

Read more on our Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) page.

Total Cost: 173 Then 143 vs Applying Directly for the 143

The table below sets out the government visa application charges from 1 July 2026. It does not include the Assurance of Support bond, health examinations, police certificates, translations or professional fees.

Applicants	173, then 143	Direct 143	Difference
One parent	$53,350 ($4,245 + $29,130 for the 173, then $555 + $19,420 for the 143)	$49,900 ($6,300 + $43,600)	About $3,450 more via the 173
Two parents (a couple)	$104,305 ($4,245 + $2,125 + $29,130 x 2 for the 173, then $555 + $280 + $19,420 x 2 for the 143)	$95,625 ($6,300 + $2,125 + $43,600 x 2)	About $8,680 more via the 173

The bond for a couple is $14,000 ($10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for the second adult), and is refundable after the assurance period, less any debts recovered. Charges are usually indexed on 1 July each year, so the 143 stage may cost slightly more by the time you reach it. See our parent visa fees page for the full fee schedule.

Is the 173 Right for You?

The 173 and the direct 143 share the same queue. As at 31 August 2026, both had been released up to November 2018. This means choosing the 173 does not get you to Australia any sooner than applying directly for the 143. What it changes is how and when you pay.

The 173 may suit you if:

• your family would find it hard to pay the full $43,600 per person second instalment in one lump sum
• you are comfortable paying a little more in total in exchange for splitting the cost over two stages, usually a couple of years apart
• you are happy to live in Australia on a temporary visa for a period before becoming a permanent resident

The direct 143 may suit you if:

• your family can pay the second instalment in one amount when it is requested
• you want the lowest total government charges
• you want to avoid a second application and the deadline that comes with the 173 expiry date

If you are already of Age Pension age and are in Australia, the 884 and 864 aged parent visas may also be worth comparing. If you mainly want to spend long periods with your family and do not need permanent residence, look at the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).

Documents You Will Need

For the parent (applicant):

• passport and national identity documents
• birth certificate, and any change of name documents
• marriage, divorce or relationship documents, if applicable
• birth certificates or adoption papers for all of your children and stepchildren
• evidence of where each child lives and their citizenship or visa status
• police certificates and health examinations, when requested after queue release

For the sponsor:

• proof of identity and of Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizenship
• evidence of being settled in Australia, such as a residential history
• evidence of the relationship to you, such as the sponsor’s birth certificate naming you as a parent

Documents that are not in English must be translated into English by an accredited translator.

Common Mistakes With the 173

• Assuming the 173 is processed faster than the 143. Both wait in the same queue.
• Being in Australia when the 173 is ready to be decided. You must be outside Australia at the time of the decision.
• Missing the deadline to apply for the 143 before the 173 expires.
• Leaving stepchildren or children from a previous relationship out of the balance of family test.
• Counting a child who lives in Australia on a temporary visa as living in Australia.
• Not planning for the Assurance of Support, for example where the assurer is likely to retire or reduce their hours before the queue is released.

Contributory Parent Temporary Visa 173: Frequently Asked Questions