Bringing your parents to Australia takes planning. Start with the right visa.
Home Affairs now estimates 18 years for a contributory parent visa and 42 years for a non-contributory one. There are still ways to have your parents here sooner. Dhara Sajwani will tell you which one fits your family, and what it will cost, before anything is lodged.
- Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa: three or five years at a time, up to ten in total
- Onshore options for parents who are already here on a visitor visa
- Clear advice on the permanent queue and what it means for your family
- Hindi, Gujarati and English
WhatsApp is quickest. Tell us where your parents are now and how many of their children live in Australia.
Dhara Sajwani
Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2318121
Dhara works with families across Australia on parent, partner and employer sponsored visas. She tells clients the realistic timeline up front and looks for the route that gets parents here while the long applications wait.
- 870, 143, 173, 804 and 864 parent visas
- Balance of family and sponsorship assessments
- Visitor visa to parent visa strategies
Three questions decide which parent visa is right
Every parent visa conversation starts in the same place. Have these answers ready and the first call will be short and useful.
Where are your parents now?
Parents already in Australia on a visitor visa have onshore options that parents overseas do not. The condition on their current visa matters too. A "no further stay" condition closes some doors unless it is waived.
How many of their children live in Australia?
Most permanent parent visas apply the balance of family test. At least half of your parents' children must live in Australia as citizens or permanent residents, or more must live here than in any other single country. Step-children count.
What can the family plan for?
Contributory visas carry a second government instalment of more than A$40,000 per parent. The temporary 870 visa costs far less but gives no permanent residence. Your own income decides whether you can sponsor an 870.
The parent visa options, plainly
Each one suits a different family. Dhara will usually recommend a combination: a way to have parents here now, and a permanent application in the queue behind it.
Sponsored Parent (Temporary)
Three or five years per grant, up to ten years in total. You apply to be an approved sponsor first, then your parent applies.
- No balance of family test
- Sponsor income test applies
- Health insurance is a condition of the visa
- Parents cannot work in Australia
- Does not lead to permanent residence
Contributory Parent
Permanent residence through the 143. The 173 is a two-year temporary step that spreads the cost. Both are in the long queue.
- Balance of family test applies
- Can be lodged in or outside Australia
- Second instalment over A$40,000 per parent
- Assurance of support bond before grant
- Home Affairs estimate: around 18 years
Aged Parent, applied onshore
For parents old enough for the Australian age pension who are in Australia when they apply. The 864 is contributory, the 804 is not.
- Lodged while your parent is in Australia
- Bridging visa lets them stay while it is processed
- Balance of family test applies
- 804 estimate around 42 years, 864 around 18
- Visitor visa conditions must allow it
Where parent visa applications go wrong
Lodging the cheap one and waiting
The non-contributory 103 visa is the lowest cost permanent option and the queue is measured in decades. Families lodge it, assume it is progressing, and lose years they could have used on an 870 or an onshore strategy. It can still be the right choice, but only with eyes open.
Letting the visitor visa run out
Parents visiting on a tourist visa often have a path to apply onshore, but only while the visa is valid and only if its conditions allow. Once it expires, or if it carries a no further stay condition that is not waived, the onshore options close.
Failing the balance of family test late
A sibling overseas, a step-child nobody mentioned, or a child whose residency status is unclear can fail the test after the fees are paid. Dhara checks the family tree before anything is lodged.
Underestimating sponsorship and health
You become the sponsor and you sign the assurance of support. Health examinations, health insurance for the 870 and the bond all have to be planned for. Surprises here are expensive and avoidable.
QUALIFIED & REGULATED
Registered Migration Agent
MARN 2318121
Registered in Australia with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority
Licensed Immigration Adviser
LIA 202000236
Licensed to provide New Zealand
immigration advice
Migration Institute of Australia
Member 47121
Member of Australia's peak professional
body for migration agents
Migration advice built on expertise, honesty & genuine care
Dhara Sajwani Registered Migration Agent & Licensed NZ Immigration Adviser
At Nido Migration, every migration journey deserves expert guidance, honest advice, and genuine care. Founded and led by Dhara Sajwani, a Registered Australian Migration Agent (MARN 2318121) and Licensed New Zealand Immigration Adviser, Nido Migration is a Brisbane-based migration agency helping individuals, families, and businesses navigate Australian visa and immigration pathways with confidence.
Whether you're an employer seeking skilled talent, a professional pursuing permanent residency, or a couple building your future together, Dhara delivers strategic, practical, and personalised migration solutions, always with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
How the first conversation works
Message Dhara on WhatsApp. She will ask a few questions about your parents and your family, then tell you which visas are realistic, roughly what each would cost, and what to do first. No charge for that conversation.
If you decide to go ahead, Dhara prepares the sponsorship, the application and the evidence, and keeps your parents' current visa safe while everything is lodged in the right order.
- Your parents' passports and current visa grant letter
- Your own citizenship or permanent residence evidence
- A list of all your parents' children and where each one lives
- Your income details if you are considering the 870
What you will leave with
A realistic timeline. Which queue your parents would be in and what the current Home Affairs estimate means for them.
A cost picture. Government charges, the assurance of support and professional fees, laid out before you commit.
A plan for now. Whether an 870, an onshore application or a visitor visa strategy keeps your parents close while the permanent application waits.
Brisbane based. Clients across Australia by phone, WhatsApp and video.
Find out which parent visa is realistic for your family.
Message now with where your parents are and how many of their children live in Australia. Dhara replies personally.
This page is general information, not personal migration advice. Processing estimates are published by the Department of Home Affairs and were current at 31 August 2026. Government charges, caps and eligibility rules change. No visa outcome can be guaranteed. Nido Migration. Registered Migration Agent Dhara Sajwani, MARN 2318121.
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