Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143 Visa)

143 Visa – Main criteria

Both applicants and sponsors for the Subclass 143 Visa must meet certain eligibility criteria for an application to be successful. For example, sponsors must show that they are “settled”, which generally means they have been lawfully resident in Australia for two or more years. This residency period can include time spent on temporary visas.

To qualify for a 143 Visa, the applicant must meet the balance of family test. This means at least half of their children must live in Australia as Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens, OR more of their children must live in Australia than in any other country. All children, including step children and adopted children of both parents, are counted.

Both the sponsor and applicant are generally expected to meet health and character requirements.

Contributory Parent Visa Types

Subclass 143 Visa

The 143 Visa is a permanent parent visa. The ‘contributory’ part of its name refers to the large second instalment of the visa application charge. This contribution reflects the healthcare and other benefits the visa gives to people who have not previously lived and paid tax in Australia.

From 1 July 2026, the first instalment is $6,300 for the main applicant and $2,125 for their partner. The second instalment is $43,600 for each applicant. Home Affairs estimates that new contributory parent applications will take around 18 years before they are released for final processing. Once granted, the visa is permanent.

Subclass 173 Visa

The 173 Visa is a temporary contributory parent visa with a first instalment of $4,245 and $2,125 for a partner. A second instalment of $29,130 for each applicant is paid before the visa is granted. The 173 Visa goes through the same queue as the 143 Visa, so new applications can also expect a wait of around 18 years. If successful, applicants receive a 2 year temporary visa. Before it expires, they apply for the permanent 143 visa, paying a first instalment of $555 ($280 for a partner) and a second instalment of $19,420 for each applicant.

For both the 143 visa and 173 visa, the second instalment is only requested once a provisional decision has been made to grant the visa. The second instalment will never be requested and the application then refused.

Contributory Parent Visas – Length of Stay

Permanent (143). The 173 is a 2 year temporary visa that leads to the permanent 143.

Contributory Parent Visas – Processing Times and Queue

All parent visas are capped and queued, so processing times are long. Applications that meet the core criteria are given a queue date and are released for final processing in queue date order as places become available.

• New applications: Home Affairs estimates around 18 years for contributory parent visas.
• Queue release (as at 31 August 2026): 143 and 173 applications queued up to November 2018 have been released for final processing.
• 173 holders applying for the 143: these are processed separately and much faster. Applications lodged up to May 2026 were being assessed at 31 August 2026.
• Processing priority: since 25 July 2026, contributory parent visas are processed after partner, child and orphan relative visas, but ahead of carer, non-contributory parent and other family visas.

See our family visa processing times page for more.

Contributory Parent Visa Fees (from 1 July 2026)

The fees for a Permanent Subclass 143 Visa are as follows. All amounts are in AUD, and any VisaEnvoy fees are payable in full prior to lodgement of your visa application.

VisaEnvoy Professional Fee: Contributory Parent Visa (Permanent- SC143)	$4,500 +
1st Visa Application Charge (at time of application) Main Applicant* Additional applicant charge 18 and over (Partner)*	$6,300 $2,125
2nd Visa Application Charge (at time of decision) Main Applicant 2nd Visa Application Charge (at time of decision) Partner	$43,600 $43,600

*A card surcharge applies.

Fees for those choosing to apply for the temporary Subclass 173 visa before the Subclass 143 visa are as follows:

VisaEnvoy Professional Fee: Contributory Parent Visa (Temporary- SC173)	$4,500 +
1st Visa Application Charge (at time of application) Main Applicant* Additional applicant charge 18 and over (Partner)*	$4,245 $2,125
2nd Visa Application Charge (at time of decision) Main Applicant Additional applicant 18 and over (Partner)	$29,130 $29,130
VisaEnvoy Professional Fee: Contributory Parent Visa (Permanent- SC143, for 173 holders)	$2,000 +
1st Visa Application Charge (at time of application) Main Applicant* Additional applicant charge 18 and over (Partner)*	$555 $280
2nd Visa Application Charge (at time of decision) Main Applicant Additional applicant 18 and over (Partner)	$19,420 $19,420

*A card surcharge applies. See our parent visa fees page for all parent visa costs.

Contributory Parent Visas – Assurance of Support (AoS)

In addition to the above fees, an Assurance of Support bond is payable around the time of decision. The bond is $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for each additional adult, so $14,000 for a couple. It is held for ten years after the contributory parent visa holder enters Australia, and is then refunded less any debts owed to the Australian Government.

Parent Visa Places 2026-27

The number of parent visas granted each year is capped under the Migration Program planning levels. For 2026-27, there are 7,060 Parent places (contributory and non-contributory combined), down from 8,500 in 2025-26. The split between contributory and non-contributory places for 2026-27 has not yet been published. In 2025-26 it was 6,800 contributory and 1,700 non-contributory places.

Who Can Sponsor a Contributory Parent Visa?

In most cases the sponsor is your child. Your child must be 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. Home Affairs must approve the sponsorship, which is lodged with your application.

The sponsor and the assurer (the person who gives the Assurance of Support) do not have to be the same person. Many families use one child as the sponsor and share the Assurance of Support between two or more siblings.

The Balance of Family Test Explained

The balance of family test is the threshold requirement for every permanent parent visa, and it is the most common reason parents are not eligible. You pass the test if:

• at least half of your children live in Australia lawfully and permanently (as Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens), or
• more of your children live permanently in Australia than in any other single country.

When counting your children:

• all of your children count, including adopted children and stepchildren (children of your current partner), as well as children from previous relationships
• children you are estranged from still count
• children living in Australia on temporary visas (for example student, graduate or work visas) are counted as living overseas, in the country where they usually live
• children who have died are generally not counted

The test cannot be waived, even in compassionate circumstances, and it is checked again when a decision is made on your application. If a child moves countries or becomes a permanent resident while you are in the queue, your result can change.

Balance of family test: three examples

• Example 1 (passes): A parent has four children. Two are Australian citizens, one lives in Vietnam and one lives in Canada. Half of the children live in Australia, so the parent passes.
• Example 2 (passes): A parent has five children. Two live in Australia as permanent residents, one lives in India, one in the UK and one in the USA. Fewer than half live in Australia, but more live in Australia than in any other single country, so the parent passes.
• Example 3 (does not pass): A parent has three children. One is an Australian citizen and two live in China. Only one of three children lives in Australia, and more children live in China, so the parent does not pass. If one of the children in China later becomes an Australian permanent resident, the parent may then pass.

Health and Character Requirements

You and any family members included in your application must meet the health requirement. This involves medical examinations and, for most applicants, a chest x-ray. Health checks are requested when your application is released from the queue, so there is no need to complete them when you first lodge.

Because parent visa applicants are often older, conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia are looked at closely. If you do not meet the health requirement, a health waiver may be possible in some cases. A waiver request needs strong supporting evidence, such as specialist reports and information about how the costs of your condition would be met.

You must also meet the character requirement. You will usually need police certificates from each country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. You must declare any criminal convictions or previous visa problems, as failing to disclose them is treated very seriously.

Assurance of Support: What Sponsors Need to Know

Contributory parent visas require an Assurance of Support (AoS). This is a legal commitment by the assurer to repay certain social security payments the parent receives during the assurance period, backed by the bond described above. The AoS is lodged with Services Australia once Home Affairs asks for it, which happens after your application is released from the queue.

• The assurer is usually one of your children, but it can be another person or an organisation.
• Up to three people can give a joint assurance and combine their incomes to meet the income test.
• The income test is assessed using Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for the current and previous financial years.
• Because the AoS is assessed many years after you lodge, plan ahead for changes such as retirement or reduced work hours.

Read our Assurance of Support guide for bond amounts and assurer rules.

How to Apply for the 143 Visa: Step by Step

1. Check the balance of family test. List every child, where they live and their visa status.
2. Confirm the sponsor. Make sure your child (or another eligible sponsor) is settled in Australia.
3. Choose your pathway. Decide between applying directly for the 143 or going through the 173 first (see the comparison below).
4. Gather your documents. See the checklist below.
5. Lodge your application and pay the first instalment. The sponsorship is lodged together with your application.
6. Receive a queue date. If your application meets the core criteria, it is given a queue date and waits for release.
7. Keep your details up to date. Tell Home Affairs about new passports, changes of address and any change in your family circumstances while you wait.
8. Queue release. When your application is released for final processing, you complete health checks, provide police certificates and arrange the Assurance of Support.
9. Pay the second instalment and receive your visa. The second instalment is only requested once Home Affairs is ready to grant the visa.

Document Checklist

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 (for the balance of family test)
• police certificates and health examinations, when requested

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 the applicant (for example the sponsor’s birth certificate showing the parent)

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

143 vs 173, 103, 864, 884 and 870: Comparing Parent Visas

Visa	Type	1st instalment (main applicant)	2nd instalment (per applicant)	Queue released up to (as at 31 August 2026)
143 Contributory Parent	Permanent	$6,300	$43,600	November 2018
173 Contributory Parent (Temporary), then 143	2 year temporary, then permanent	$4,245, then $555	$29,130, then $19,420	November 2018 (the 143 stage for 173 holders is processed much faster)
103 Parent (non-contributory)	Permanent	$6,600	$2,065	March 2014
864 Contributory Aged Parent	Permanent, for parents of Age Pension age applying in Australia	$6,300	$43,600	November 2020
884 Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary), then 864	2 year temporary, then permanent	$6,300	$29,130	November 2020
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)	Temporary, 3 or 5 years per visa (up to 10 years in total)	No balance of family test and no permanent residence. See our 870 visa page.

Fees are government visa application charges from 1 July 2026 and are usually indexed on 1 July each year. Queue dates change regularly.

Direct 143 or 173 first?

For a couple, the government charges for applying directly for the 143 come to about $95,625 ($6,300 + $2,125 at lodgement, then $43,600 for each parent). Going through the 173 first costs about $104,305 in total ($4,245 + $2,125 and $29,130 for each parent for the 173, then $555 + $280 and $19,420 for each parent for the 143). The 173 route costs more overall, but it splits the large payment into two stages and lets you live in Australia on the 173 while you apply for the 143. The Assurance of Support bond is payable on top of these amounts, and professional fees, health checks and police certificates are extra.

Options While You Wait in the Queue

Contributory parent visa applications can take many years to be finalised. While you wait, you may be able to spend time with your family in Australia on:

• a Visitor visa (subclass 600). Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents may be able to get a longer validity, multiple-entry visitor visa.
• a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870), which allows stays of 3 or 5 years at a time.

Check the conditions on any visa you hold. Some visitor visas have a “no further stay” condition, and long or repeated stays on a visitor visa can be questioned. A pending 143 application does not by itself let you stay in Australia.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving out stepchildren, adopted children or children from a previous relationship when working out the balance of family test.
• Counting a child who is in Australia on a student or work visa as living in Australia.
• Assuming the sponsor’s income today will be enough for the Assurance of Support many years from now.
• Delaying the application. Queue dates are given in order of lodgement, so waiting adds to the overall time.
• Not telling Home Affairs about changes in your circumstances while you are in the queue.
• Treating the health examination as a formality, particularly where there is a known medical condition.

Contributory Parent Visa 143: Frequently Asked Questions

Can the second instalment be paid in parts?

No. The second instalment is paid as a lump sum when Home Affairs asks for it. If you want to split the cost, consider applying for the 173 visa first.

Can the balance of family test be waived?

No. It is a legal requirement that cannot be waived.

Do both parents have to apply together?

A couple usually applies together, with one parent as the main applicant and the other included as their partner. This is generally simpler and cheaper than two separate applications.

Can I enrol in Medicare once the 143 is granted?

Yes. Once your permanent visa is granted and you are in Australia, you can enrol in Medicare. Most social security payments have waiting periods for new residents, and the Age Pension generally requires 10 years of Australian residence.

Can a migration agent speed up my place in the queue?

No. Applications are released in queue date order. What a registered migration agent can do is make sure your application is valid and complete, so it gets a queue date without problems and is ready to finalise when it is released.

Is the 143 visa worth the cost?

It depends on your family’s finances, your age and how important permanent residence is to you. The 143 is much faster than the non-contributory 103 parent visa, but the total cost is high. We can compare your options in a consultation.

Contributory Parent Visas – Additional Information

If you have reached Age Pension age (currently 67), you may wish to consider the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) instead, as it allows you to stay in Australia while your application is processed.

If you have applied for a permanent parent visa (143 visa) and already hold a temporary 173 or 884 visa, you can enrol in Medicare.

Family visa guides

• Partner visa Australia
• Onshore partner visa (820 and 801)
• Offshore partner visa (309 and 100)
• Prospective Marriage visa (300)
• Partner visa costs
• Parent visa Australia
• Sponsored Parent visa (870)
• Parent visa costs
• Child visa Australia
• Relative visa options
• Family visa processing times
• Partner visa assessment

Related guides

• Parent visa options in Australia
• Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (173)
• Assurance of Support
• Balance of family test
• Parent visa fees
• Book a consultation