143 Parent Visa Australia 2026: Cost, Queue Time and the 173 Strategy
What the subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa actually costs, Home Affairs' current queue estimate against the standard Parent visa, and whether the two-step 173-then-143 strategy really gets a parent to Australia sooner. Includes the balance of family test. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 $49,900 in government fees
- 0:15 15 years vs 33 years
- 0:25 $6,300 + $43,600 = $49,900
- 0:41 The 173 doesn't jump the queue
- 0:54 The 173 stages the cost, not the timeline
- 1:08 Balance of family test: two ways to pass
- 1:30 The sponsor: settled in Australia for at least 2 years
- 1:40 Costs beyond the visa charge
- 1:53 A refusal means losing the first instalment
Transcript
The 143 Contributory Parent visa costs 49,900 dollars in government fees alone, but it comes with one of the shortest queues Home Affairs offers for a parent visa.
Home Affairs publishes an estimate of about 15 years for new Contributory Parent applications, against about 33 years for the standard Parent visa.
From 1 July 2026, the first instalment is 6,300 dollars. The second, due before grant, is 43,600 dollars per adult applicant — a combined 49,900 dollars for one applicant.
Applying through the temporary 173 visa first does not get your parent to Australia sooner. Home Affairs' own queue data shows the 173 sits in the same queue as the 143.
What it does do is stage the cost. Once a 173 is granted, converting it to the permanent 143 takes around 4 weeks, and its second instalment is lower than paying the 143 in full.
You meet the balance of family test if at least half your children live in Australia, or you have more children here than in any other single country.
A parent with 4 children, 1 in Australia and the other 3 all in one other country, fails both limbs. The same parent with those 3 spread across 3 different countries passes on the second limb.
Your sponsoring child must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, generally settled in Australia for at least 2 years.
On top of the visa charge, an Assurance of Support bond applies, refundable after a 10-year period. Health exam fees vary by clinic, and an Australian Federal Police check is 56 dollars.
A refusal means losing the first instalment and starting over, which is why most families use a migration agent for a case this size.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- $49,900 for one of the shortest parent-visa queues (0:38)
- The 173 doesn't get your parent here faster (0:34)
- Balance of family: two ways to pass (0:35)
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