Australian Parent Permanent & Temporary Visa

Contributory Parent visa (SUBCLASS 173 AND 143)

The Contributory Parent (Temporary) Subclass 173 and Contributory Parent (Permanent) Subclass 143 allow parents of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia permanently.

Allows PR in Australia for qualifying parents of settled Australian citizens/PRs

Direct PR (Subclass 143) or 2-stage transition (173 temporary to 143 permanent)

Full work, study, and Medicare healthcare access for permanent visa holders

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Overview of Contributory Parent Visas

Australia offers parent visa pathways for parents wanting to reunite with their settled children in Australia. Because non-contributory parent visas have very long queue times (up to 29+ years), the Australian Government introduced Contributory Parent visas (Subclass 173 and Subclass 143), where applicants make a higher financial contribution towards health and government services in exchange for faster processing times.

Benefits Of The Visa

Being a Contributory Parent 173 visa holder:

Live in Australia for up to 2 years as a temporary resident.
Work and study in Australia during the 2-year period.
Travel to and from Australia freely for the 2-year validity of the visa.
Apply for the permanent Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143) within 2 years, spreading the financial cost.

Being a Contributory Parent 143 visa holder:

Live in Australia permanently as an Australian Permanent Resident (PR).
Work and study anywhere in Australia without restrictions.
Enrol in Medicare — Australia’s public healthcare scheme.
Sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia.
Apply for Australian citizenship after meeting residence requirements.
Travel to and from Australia freely for 5 years from visa grant date.

Eligibility Criteria

For Subclass 173 (Temporary):

Have a child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Pass the Balance of Family Test (at least half of your children live in Australia, or more live in Australia than any other country).

Have an approved sponsor (usually your settled child in Australia).

Meet health and character requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs.

Be outside Australia when the visa is lodged and decided (unless holding specific bridging visas).

For Subclass 143 (Permanent):

Meet all core parent visa criteria (Balance of Family Test, approved sponsor, health & character).

OR hold a valid Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 173 when applying for Subclass 143.

Have an Assurance of Support (AoS) lodged and accepted by Services Australia (Centrelink).

Pay the required Second Visa Application Charge (VAC) before visa decision.

Relationship Evidence Requirements for Both Visas (Subclass 143 and 173)

You must provide verifiable documentary evidence proving your parent-child relationship and family balance:

Full birth certificates of all your children showing parentage.
Proof of sponsor’s Australian citizenship (passport, citizenship certificate) or Permanent Residency.
Evidence that your sponsor is settled in Australia (e.g. 2+ years of tax returns, utility bills, lease/deed).
Proof of residence for all non-sponsoring children to satisfy the Balance of Family Test.

Family Members in the Visa Application

You can include the following members of your family unit in your application:

Your spouse or de facto partner (same-sex or opposite-sex).

Dependent children under 18 years of age.

Dependent children aged 18 to 23 who are full-time students and financially dependent.

Health and Character Requirements

All applicants and dependent family members included in the visa application must satisfy strict health and character benchmarks:

Complete health examinations through BUPA Medical Visa Services or designated panel physicians overseas.
Provide police check clearance certificates for every country resided in for 12 months or more over the past 10 years.

Australian Values Statement & Debts

Australian Values Statement

Applicants aged 18 and over must sign an Australian Values Statement confirming respect for Australian laws and democratic values.

Debts to Australian Government

You must have paid or arranged to repay any outstanding debts owed to the Australian Government before visa decision.

Visa Application Charges & Assurance of Support

Applying from Subclass 173 to Subclass 143:

When transitioning from Subclass 173 to 143, the total contribution charge is split across two stages. You pay a reduced second VAC fee when lodging the 143 stage.

Applying as a new applicant for Subclass 143 directly:

Direct 143 applicants pay the full Second Visa Application Charge (approximately AUD $43,600 per applicant) prior to final visa grant, along with a 10-year Assurance of Support bond.

FAQs About Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 173 and Subclass 143)

The Contributory Parent visas allow parents of settled Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible NZ citizens to move to Australia. Subclass 173 is a temporary 2-year visa with lower upfront costs, while Subclass 143 is a permanent residence visa (which can be applied for directly or as a 2-stage transition from 173).

Visa Class

Parent Visa

Reunite with your children living in Australia through the Contributory Parent Visa pathway.

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Visa Subclass

Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143)Parent Visa (subclass 103)

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For any Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 173/143) query — we are more than happy to guide your family migration journey.

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