Forms 47PA and 40: Applying for a Parent Visa

What each form does

Form 47PA is the application made by the parent seeking to migrate to Australia to join their adult child. Form 40, despite its generic-sounding title ('Sponsorship for migration to Australia'), covers sponsorship not just for parents but also for aged dependent relatives, remaining relatives and carers — so it's a shared form across several family-stream categories, with the specific parent-visa sections completed by the sponsoring adult child (or in some cases another eligible relative) in Australia.

Both forms, together with Form 80 (personal particulars, covered in our dedicated guide) and the supporting evidence Home Affairs requires, make up a complete parent visa application.

Which visa subclasses this covers

Forms 47PA and 40 apply across the parent visa family: the non-contributory Parent visa (subclass 103, permanent, with typically much longer queue-based processing), the temporary Contributory Parent visa (subclass 173) and its permanent counterpart (subclass 143), and the Aged Parent visa (subclass 804) with its contributory equivalent (subclass 864, plus the related temporary subclass 884). The 'contributory' subclasses carry a substantially higher application charge in exchange for materially faster processing than the non-contributory 103/804 queue.

Which subclass fits depends on the parent's age (aged parent subclasses require the applicant to be of Age Pension age), the family's tolerance for cost versus wait time, and whether the applicant is already in Australia when they apply.

The genuine oddity: every parent visa is still paper-only

Unlike the partner visa (which moved substantially to ImmiAccount online lodgement) and most child visa subclasses (which gained an ImmiAccount import option from July 2025), every parent visa application must still be lodged entirely on paper — printed, signed, and sent by post or courier to the processing centre named on the current form. There's no way to submit a parent visa application directly through ImmiAccount at the point of lodgement, as at 2026.

This matters practically: postal or courier transit time is itself part of your application timeline, lodgement date is determined by when Home Affairs receives (not sends) the application, and any error that would be caught instantly by an online form's validation (a missing signature, an unanswered mandatory question) can instead sit undiscovered until the physical file is reviewed. Always confirm the current lodgement address on the form itself — processing centre addresses can change, and Home Affairs' own published guidance is the authority on where to send your specific subclass.

The balance-of-family test

Most permanent parent visa subclasses require the applicant to pass the balance-of-family test — a fixed, numeric assessment of where the applicant's children live, not a qualitative judgement about family closeness or cultural obligation. Broadly, a parent passes if at least half of their children (including step-children) live permanently in Australia as citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens, or if more of their children live in Australia than in any other single country.

This test cannot be waived for compelling or exceptional circumstances — it's a hard eligibility criterion, unlike some other parts of the migration system where discretion applies. The one parent visa that doesn't require it is the temporary Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870 — a different visa entirely from the 103/143/173/804/864 family covered by Forms 47PA and 40, and worth investigating separately if the balance-of-family test looks like it won't be met.

Sponsor eligibility on Form 40

The sponsor for a parent visa is generally the applicant's adult child (or, in some circumstances, another eligible relative), who needs to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, usually aged 18 or over, and assessed as suitable to sponsor — similar in principle to the character and suitability checks that apply to partner visa sponsors, though the specific criteria differ by category. As with the partner visa sponsorship form, it's worth reading Form 40's current sponsor eligibility section closely rather than assuming any adult child automatically qualifies.

Getting the forms and confirming lodgement details

Download the current versions of Form 47PA and Form 40 directly from the Home Affairs form-listing page rather than reusing an older saved copy. Because lodgement is exclusively physical, double-check the specific mailing or courier address named on the current form before sending anything — sending to an outdated address can add real delay to a category that's often already a long wait. Given the paper-only process, the cost differences between contributory and non-contributory streams, and the hard balance-of-family test, this is a category where getting early advice on which subclass genuinely fits is worth more than in most other visa types. A MARA-registered agent can assess your family's specific situation — Migratio matches you with one free.

What is Form 47PA used for?

Form 47PA, 'Application for a parent to migrate to Australia', is the applicant's form for the parent visa category, covering subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804 and 864. It's paired with Form 40, completed by the sponsoring adult child.

Can I apply for a parent visa online through ImmiAccount?

No, as at 2026. Every parent visa subclass (103, 143, 173, 804, 864) is still lodged entirely on paper, by post or courier to the processing centre named on the current form — there is no ImmiAccount online lodgement path for this category.

What is the balance-of-family test?

A fixed numeric rule most permanent parent visas require the applicant to pass: broadly, at least half of the applicant's children live permanently in Australia, or more live in Australia than in any other single country. It's assessed on numbers and location only, and can't be waived for compelling circumstances.

Who can sponsor a parent visa?

Generally the applicant's adult child (or in some circumstances another eligible relative), who must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, usually aged 18 or over, and assessed as suitable to sponsor on Form 40.

Which parent visa doesn't require the balance-of-family test?

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870, doesn't require it — but it's a different visa from the 103/143/173/804/864 family covered by Forms 47PA and 40, with its own separate application process.

What's the difference between the contributory and non-contributory parent visa forms?

The forms (47PA and 40) are the same across the family; what differs is the subclass you apply for. Contributory subclasses (143, 173, 864, 884) carry a substantially higher charge in exchange for materially faster processing than the non-contributory queue (103, 804).