Non-contributory parent visas (103, 804)
The contributory parent visas (143, and 864 for parents at Age Pension age) and the non-contributory visas (103 and 804) all require a sponsor, usually a settled child, the balance of family test and, other than under the Retirement pathway, an assurance of support. The Department states that demand exceeds the places available each year and that processing times are long. Its current estimate for new applications is 18 years for contributory parent visas and 42 years for parent and aged parent visas; as at 31 August 2026 it had released contributory parent applications queued up to November 2018 and parent applications queued up to March 2014. The 2026-27 program sets 7,060 parent places, down from 8,500.
- Estimated wait
- Department estimate: 18 years contributory; 42 years non-contributory
- Lodgement
- 103, 143, 804 and 864 online from 22 April 2026
What we do
- 01Assess the balance of family test and the sponsor's eligibility before any charge is paid.
- 02Prepare the application, including the age pension age and onshore requirements for the aged parent visas.
- 03Arrange the assurance of support with Services Australia and advise the assurer on the bank guarantee.
- 04Deal with the Department during the queue: changes of address, health and character requests, and the second instalment.
When you need this
- Your parents want to settle in Australia permanently and you want to know which visa is realistic for them.
- You have more than one sibling overseas and are not sure whether the balance of family test is met.
Who you will work with
Jing Sun
Principal Solicitor · Notary Public
Founder and Principal Solicitor with 16+ years across commercial, corporate, litigation and immigration law. Also a Notary Public.
ProfilePoints worth knowing
The balance of family test is not waived
At least half of the parent's children, or more of them than in any other single country, must be Australian citizens, permanent residents usually resident in Australia or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia; children on temporary visas count as ineligible children. The Department will not waive the test, even in compelling circumstances. Parents who already hold a 173 visa have met it.
Assurance of support
For the contributory visas an assurance of support stays in place for 10 years, with a bank guarantee from an individual assurer of AUD10,000 for one adult or AUD14,000 for two; for the other parent visas it lasts 4 years with a guarantee of AUD5,000 or AUD7,000. The assurer need not be the sponsor and can be more than one person or an organisation.
Aged parent means Age Pension age
The 864, 884 and 804 visas require the parent to be old enough to receive the Australian Age Pension.
Online lodgement is now mandatory for the permanent visas
Applications for the 103, 143, 804 and 864 visas made on or after 22 April 2026 must be lodged online through ImmiAccount; the temporary 173 and 884 visas remain paper applications.
How we work
- 01A first conversation in English or Mandarin about your family: where each child lives, the parents' ages, health and visa history, and what the family can commit to.
- 02Before any work starts, we confirm the scope of work and our fees in writing, separately from the government charges.
- 03We lodge a complete application, arrange the assurance of support when the Department asks for it, and manage the file through the queue to grant.
Common questions
Does the balance of family test count step-children?
Yes. The test counts the parent's children and step-children, and compares the eligible children (citizens, and permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia) with the rest. We check the count with you before anything is lodged, because the test cannot be waived.
This page is general information about Australian immigration law and is not legal advice. Please contact us about your own situation.
Last updated: October 2026