Visitor Visa for Parents Coming to Australia: Your Options Compared

The Subclass 600 Visitor Visa (Tourist Stream): The Short-Visit Default

The Subclass 600 Visitor visa, Tourist stream, is Australia's general-purpose short-stay visa. It is used by tourists, people visiting friends and relatives, and parents who want to spend time with their children in Australia.

The visa is applied for online through ImmiAccount. For parents applying from outside Australia, the base application charge is approximately AUD 200 (as of the July 2025 fee indexation). This covers one application — each parent travelling separately needs their own.

The Department of Home Affairs sets the length of stay when granting the visa. Most grants to parents allow stays of 3, 6, or 12 months. The specific period is not guaranteed — it reflects the visa officer's assessment of the applicant's circumstances, including ties to their home country, travel history, and the purpose of the visit.

The visa is generally for a single stay, though multi-entry grants are possible for applicants who can demonstrate a genuine need to travel in and out of Australia during the validity window. Requesting multiple entries does not guarantee the visa will be granted that way; the case officer retains discretion.

Once in Australia on a Subclass 600, parents generally cannot extend the visit by applying for another Subclass 600 from onshore. The Department expects visitors to depart when their permitted stay ends. There is a narrow onshore Tourist stream variant, but it is not designed as an extension mechanism and is assessed with that in mind.

Longer-Validity Grants for Parents on the Subclass 600

Parents and step-parents of settled Australian citizens or permanent residents may be eligible for a longer-validity Subclass 600 grant than the standard 12-month maximum. The Department of Home Affairs can grant parent-applicants visas valid for 18 months, 3 years, or 5 years — all as multiple-entry visas.

The relevant conditions are as follows:

- An 18-month grant is typically available to parents who have not previously visited Australia and have not applied for a permanent parent visa (Subclass 103).
- A 3-year grant may be available to parents who have a prior compliant visit to Australia on their record.
- A 5-year grant is typically reserved for parents who are already in the queue for the permanent Parent visa (Subclass 103).

Importantly, a longer validity period does not mean the parent can stay continuously. These longer grants almost always carry Condition 8558, which limits the total time in Australia to no more than 12 months in any 18-month period. The parent can re-enter multiple times, but the cumulative stay within any rolling 18-month window must stay within the 12-month cap.

The application charge for a longer-validity Subclass 600 remains the same base amount as a standard tourist application — the fee does not increase because of the extended validity. The parent still applies from outside Australia.

For families where the parents intend to spend extended periods in Australia over several years, this extended-validity Subclass 600 can be a practical approach — provided the stay-cap conditions are carefully managed.

Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa: The Long-Stay Option

The Subclass 870 is a dedicated visa category for parents who want to spend 3 to 5 consecutive years in Australia with their child. It is a more structured, more expensive, and more regulated arrangement than the Subclass 600.

Unlike the Subclass 600, the 870 is capped: the Department limits the program to 15,000 visa grants per year across all applicants. Demand has been consistently high, so families who want to use this pathway should plan ahead.

The 870 allows a parent to stay in Australia for the full duration of the visa — there is no 12-months-in-18 cap as with the extended Subclass 600. A parent can be granted a 3-year visa initially, which can be renewed for a second 3-year grant (to a maximum of 10 years total across multiple 870 visas). Alternatively, a 5-year grant may be available at the outset.

Parents on the 870 cannot work in Australia. They also cannot access Medicare in the same way permanent residents do, which is why the visa mandates private health insurance for the full duration of the stay (see below).

The 870 can be applied for either from outside or within Australia, which is one distinction from the extended Subclass 600 (which must be applied for from overseas for the parent stream).

The Sponsorship Step: What the Australian Child Needs to Do

Before the parent can apply for an 870, the sponsoring child must submit a separate sponsor application and receive approval from the Department of Home Affairs. This is not optional — the parent's application cannot be lodged until the sponsor has been approved.

To be an eligible sponsor, the person in Australia must be:

- An Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident who has held that status for at least 4 years, or an eligible New Zealand citizen
- Assessed as meeting a minimum taxable income threshold (currently around AUD 83,454 per year, indexed annually — check the current figure at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au)
- Of good character

The sponsor application involves providing evidence of citizenship or PR status, income documents (such as a Notice of Assessment from the ATO), relationship evidence establishing the parent–child link, and police clearances. Sponsor approval is valid for a limited period, after which the parent must apply for the visa before the approval lapses.

One child can sponsor up to two parents. The sponsor takes on obligations including supporting the parent financially if needed and ensuring health insurance stays current throughout the stay. The Department takes these obligations seriously.

Sponsorship applications are separate from the visa application and carry their own processing timeline, which can take several weeks to several months.

Subclass 870 Application Charges: What to Budget

The Subclass 870 carries a much higher application charge than the Subclass 600, reflecting its longer duration and the cost of administering the program.

The total charge is split into two instalments:

| Visa Duration | Total Charge (approx.) | First Instalment (on lodgement) | Second Instalment (before grant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 years | AUD 6,070 | AUD 1,145–1,180 | Balance (approx. AUD 4,890–4,925) |
| Up to 5 years | AUD 12,140 | AUD 1,145–1,180 | Balance (approx. AUD 10,960–10,995) |

The first instalment is paid when the parent lodges the application. The Department notifies the applicant when the second instalment is due, which is before the visa is granted. Visa charges are non-refundable even if the application is refused.

Fees are revised periodically (typically on 1 July each year). The figures above reflect the 2025–26 year — use the Department's Visa Pricing Estimator at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au to confirm the current charge before lodging. The charge covers one applicant; a second parent would pay the same again.

On top of the visa charge, families should budget for health insurance premiums across the full visa duration (see below), which adds a meaningful ongoing cost — particularly for a 5-year stay.

Health Insurance: A Mandatory Condition for Both Visas

Health insurance is a practical necessity for both visa options, though the rules differ.

For the Subclass 600 Visitor visa, many grants carry Condition 8501, which requires the holder to maintain adequate health insurance arrangements while in Australia. Where 8501 applies, the parent must hold an Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) policy or equivalent for the full duration of their stay. A lapse in cover is a visa condition breach.

For the Subclass 870, health insurance is mandatory as a visa condition, with no exceptions. Parents on the 870 cannot rely on Medicare (they are not permanent residents or citizens) and reciprocal health care agreements generally do not cover them adequately for a multi-year stay. The insurance must be maintained continuously throughout the visa period.

OVHC policies are the standard product for visitors to Australia needing to satisfy Condition 8501. Cover typically includes hospital treatment and emergency care. Premiums depend on the parent's age, the level of cover, and the insurer.

For a 5-year 870 visa, the cumulative insurance cost can add several thousand dollars to the total outlay. Families should obtain premium quotes before deciding between the 3-year and 5-year grant options.

Regardless of which visa applies, parents should also ensure they arrive with adequate personal funds to cover day-to-day expenses. The Department expects visitor visa holders to be self-sufficient and may request evidence of financial capacity as part of the application.

Applying Offshore vs. Onshore: What Parents Need to Know

For the Subclass 600 Tourist stream, parents who want the extended-validity (18-month, 3-year, or 5-year) grant must apply from outside Australia and must be outside Australia when the visa is granted. This is a firm requirement — if a parent is already in Australia, those longer-validity parent-specific grants are not available through the offshore Tourist stream.

For the standard shorter Subclass 600 stays (3, 6, or 12 months), there is technically an onshore Tourist stream variant, but as noted, it is not intended as a mechanism for extending an existing stay. The Department assesses onshore applications with that context in mind.

For the Subclass 870, applications can be lodged either from inside or outside Australia. This gives more flexibility — a parent who is already in Australia on another visa (including a Subclass 600) may potentially lodge an 870 application onshore, provided the sponsor approval is already in place and any existing visa conditions allow it.

In both cases, having any prior visa refusals or a history of overstaying will affect the assessment. The Department will consider the parent's compliance record with previous Australian visas.

Permanent Parent Visas: The Migration Fork

The Subclass 600 and Subclass 870 are both temporary arrangements — they do not lead to permanent residence. If a parent eventually wants to live permanently in Australia, a separate permanent parent visa application is required.

The main permanent parent visa subclasses currently open to new applications are:

- **Subclass 103 (Parent)** — the non-contributory option; queue is currently around 33 years for new applicants
- **Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent)** — requires a higher application charge but queue is currently around 15 years for new applicants
- **Subclass 804 (Aged Parent)** — for parents who are of retirement age and already living in Australia; similar wait to the 103
- **Subclass 884 (Contributory Aged Parent, Temporary)** — the temporary stage leading to permanent Subclass 864, for parents already in Australia

Note that the Business Innovation and Investment visas (Subclasses 188 and 888) closed to new applicants on 31 July 2024 and are no longer an option.

The contributory parent visas (143 and 884/864) involve a two-stage charge structure with a very substantial second instalment — roughly AUD 43,600 per person as at 2024–25, though fees change annually. The non-contributory visas have lower charges but much longer queues.

For many families, the practical approach is to use the 870 visa (or repeated extended Subclass 600 stays) to enable long visits while a permanent parent visa application works through the queue. A MARA-registered migration agent can map out the best combination based on the parent's age, health, and the family's individual circumstances.

Can my parents apply for a Subclass 600 visitor visa while already in Australia?

There is an onshore Tourist stream for the Subclass 600, but it is not designed as a way to extend a visit already in progress. The Department assesses onshore applications with that context in mind, and refusals are common when the purpose appears to be extending a stay rather than a fresh visit. The longer-validity parent grants (18 months, 3 years, 5 years) require the parent to be offshore at both application and grant. If your parent is already in Australia and wants to stay longer, the Subclass 870 can be applied for onshore, provided the sponsor has been approved.

How long can my parent actually stay in Australia on a 3-year or 5-year Subclass 600 visitor visa?

Despite having a 3-year or 5-year validity, these longer Subclass 600 grants carry Condition 8558, which limits actual time in Australia to no more than 12 months in any rolling 18-month period. Your parent can leave and re-enter multiple times during the visa's validity, but the cumulative stay within any 18-month window must not exceed 12 months. This is quite different from the Subclass 870, where there is no such cap and your parent can stay for the full 3 or 5 years continuously.

What happens when an 870 Sponsored Parent visa expires — can it be renewed?

A 3-year 870 can be renewed for a second 3-year grant, allowing up to 6 years in total on back-to-back 870 visas (10 years across multiple grants). However, the 870 does not convert to permanent residence. If permanent residence is the goal, a separate permanent parent visa application (such as the Subclass 143 or 103) needs to be lodged independently. Many families apply for permanent parent visas while the parent is visiting on 870 or extended Subclass 600 visas, given the permanent queue times of 15–33 years.

Does the sponsoring child in Australia need to pay for the visa application?

For the Subclass 870, the visa application charge is paid by the applicant (the parent), not the sponsor. However, the sponsor submits their own separate sponsor application to the Department, and there is a separate charge for that. The sponsor also takes on ongoing obligations, including ensuring the parent maintains adequate health insurance throughout the stay. There are no charges for sponsoring a Subclass 600 Visitor visa (Tourist stream) — that visa has no sponsor requirement; the parent applies directly.

Can my parents work in Australia on a visitor visa or an 870?

No. Neither the Subclass 600 Visitor visa nor the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent visa permits the holder to work in Australia. If employment was relevant, an entirely different visa category would apply. The 870 does allow study for up to 3 months, and Subclass 600 holders may engage in short-term study or training.

Is there a health exam requirement for parents applying for these visas?

The Department of Home Affairs may request a health examination as part of either application, particularly for applicants from certain countries or who intend to stay for extended periods. For shorter Subclass 600 stays this is not always required, but for longer-stay applications — including all 870 applications — a health check is commonly requested. The Department will specify which examinations are needed through ImmiAccount during the processing of the application.