Parent Visa (subclass 103)

Where You Need to Be When You Apply and When the Visa Is Granted

The 103 is a visa for parents who will move to Australia from overseas. You can usually lodge your application whether you are in or outside Australia, but you cannot lodge while you are in immigration clearance. You must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Lodging a 103 application does not give you a bridging visa. If you are in Australia when you apply, you need to keep holding a valid visa of your own, and you will need to leave Australia before the visa can be granted. Some other restrictions apply:

• You cannot apply for the 103 while you hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).
• If you are in Australia on a visa with a No Further Stay (8503) condition, or have had a visa refused or cancelled since your last arrival, check with us before lodging while in Australia.
• There is no minimum age for the 103. If you are of Age Pension age and already in Australia, the onshore Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) may suit you better.

Who Counts as a Settled Sponsor?

Your sponsor is usually your child. They must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and they must be “settled” in Australia. In practice this generally means they have been living in Australia lawfully for at least two years. If your child is under 18, the sponsor can be your child’s partner, an eligible relative or guardian, or an Australian community organisation.

The sponsorship is lodged together with your application. Your sponsor agrees to help you settle, including with accommodation and financial support, during your first two years in Australia.

Health and Character Requirements

You and every family member included in your application must meet the health requirement. Medical examinations are requested when your application is released from the queue, not at lodgement, so there is no need to complete them early. Because many applicants are older by the time their application is released, existing conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia are assessed carefully.

You must also meet the character requirement. When asked, you will need police certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. Declare any convictions and any earlier visa problems in full.

Assurance of Support for the 103 Visa

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is required before the 103 is granted. It is lodged with Services Australia once Home Affairs asks for it, which happens after your application is released from the queue.

• Bond: $5,000 for the main applicant and $2,000 for each additional adult, so $7,000 for a couple.
• Assurance period: four years from the date you arrive in Australia as a permanent resident.
• Refund: the bond is returned at the end of the assurance period, less any recoverable social security payments made to you.
• Who can be the assurer: 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.

The assurer and the sponsor do not need to be the same person. Income is assessed from ATO notices of assessment at the time the AoS is lodged, which may be decades after you apply.

How to Apply for the 103 Visa: Step by Step

1. Check the balance of family test. List every child, where they live and their citizenship or visa status.
2. Confirm your sponsor. Make sure your child, or another eligible sponsor, is settled in Australia.
3. Compare your options. Decide whether the 103 or a contributory parent visa suits your family better (see the comparison below).
4. Gather your documents. See the checklist below.
5. Lodge your application and pay the first instalment.
6. Receive a queue date. If you meet the core criteria, your application is given a queue date in writing. If you do not, it is refused.
7. Keep your details up to date. Tell Home Affairs about new passports, changes of address and any change in your family 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. You must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Document Checklist

For the parent (applicant):

• passport and national identity documents
• birth certificate, and any change of name documents
• marriage, divorce or death certificates showing your relationship history
• 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

For the sponsor:

• proof of Australian citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizenship
• evidence of being settled in Australia, such as a residential and employment history
• a birth certificate or other document showing you are their parent

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

103 vs 143, 173, 804 and 870: Comparing Parent Visas

Fees are government visa application charges from 1 July 2026 and are usually indexed on 1 July each year. Queue dates change regularly. See our family visa processing times and parent visa fees pages for updates.

What the 103 costs a couple

For a couple applying together, the government charges for the 103 come to $14,030: $6,600 for the main applicant and $3,300 for the partner at lodgement, then $2,065 for each of you as the second instalment. The refundable Assurance of Support bond of $7,000 is paid on top of this. Health examinations, police certificates, translations and professional fees are extra.

The same couple applying for the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) would pay about $95,625 in government charges, but the estimated wait for new contributory applications is about 18 years, compared with about 42 years for the 103.

Visiting Your Family While You Wait

A pending 103 application does not give you any right to travel to or stay in Australia. To spend time with your children while you are in the queue, you can apply separately for:

• 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. Keep in mind that you cannot lodge a new 103 while you hold an 870, so get advice on the order in which you apply.

Visitor visas often carry a No Further Stay (8503) condition. Make sure you are outside Australia when your 103 is ready to be granted.

After Your 103 Visa Is Granted

• First entry: your grant letter will state the date by which you must first enter Australia. Make sure you arrive before that date.
• Travel: you can travel in and out of Australia for five years from the date of grant. After that, you will need a Resident Return visa or Australian citizenship to return after travelling overseas.
• Medicare: once you are in Australia as a permanent resident, you can enrol in Medicare.
• Social security: most payments have waiting periods for new residents, and the Age Pension generally requires 10 years of Australian residence.
• Citizenship: you can apply for Australian citizenship once you meet the residence requirement.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Lodging while in Australia and assuming you can stay on a bridging visa. The 103 does not provide one.
• Being in Australia when the visa is ready to be granted.
• Applying for an 870 visa without first thinking about how it affects your permanent parent visa plans.
• Leaving out stepchildren, adopted children or children from a previous relationship when working out the balance of family test.
• Not telling Home Affairs about new passports or changes of address during a wait of many years.
• Assuming the sponsor’s current income will meet the Assurance of Support test decades from now.

Parent Visa 103: Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an age limit for the 103 visa?

No. Unlike the 804 and 864 aged parent visas, the 103 has no minimum age, so you can apply at any age as long as you meet the other requirements.

Can I switch from the 103 to a contributory parent visa later?

Yes. Many parents lodge a 103 and later apply for a contributory parent visa (143 or 173) when the family is ready to pay the higher charges, as the contributory queue is much shorter. We can advise on the timing and costs involved.

Can both parents apply together?

Yes. A couple usually applies together, with one parent as the main applicant and the other included as their partner. Both must meet health and character requirements.

What happens if a parent dies while the application is in the queue?

If the main applicant dies, the surviving partner should get advice quickly about whether the application can continue in their name. Tell Home Affairs about the change in circumstances.

Can I lodge a 103 application to secure a queue place even if I am not ready to move?

Yes, and many families do. Queue dates are given in order of assessment, so applying sooner rather than later shortens the overall wait. Make sure you pass the balance of family test and have an eligible sponsor before you lodge, as the first instalment is not usually refunded if the application is refused.