Form 47PA vs Form 40: which parent visas now lodge online (2026)?
Forms 47PA and 40 cover Australia's six parent visa subclasses, but since 22 April 2026 four of them lodge online through ImmiAccount while two remain paper-only. This film covers which is which, sponsor eligibility on Form 40, and the balance-of-family test. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Form 47PA isn't needed for every parent visa anymore
- 0:15 Six parent visa subclasses
- 0:29 Four go online. Two stay on paper.
- 0:52 Form 40: the sponsor's form, every time
- 1:04 Sponsor eligibility
- 1:19 The balance-of-family test
- 1:30 It cannot be waived — not even for exceptional circumstances
- 1:41 Subclass 870 skips the test —
- 1:56 Contributory: costs more, processes faster
- 2:12 Getting the right subclass early matters
- 2:27 Where to read more
Transcript
Not every parent visa still needs Form 47PA. Since 22 April 2026, four of the six parent visa subclasses now lodge entirely online.
Forms 47PA and 40 cover six parent visa subclasses: 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884.
Since 22 April 2026, four of the six — subclass 103, 143, 804 and 864 — must be lodged online, through ImmiAccount. The other two, 173 and 884, are still paper-only: Home Affairs says online lodgement is not available for those.
Whichever path applies, the sponsor still completes Form 40 on paper. It's used for every parent visa subclass, whether the applicant's own application goes online or on paper.
The sponsor is generally the applicant's adult child. They must be 18 or over, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and settled and living in Australia when the application is lodged.
Most permanent parent visas also require the balance of family test. You pass if at least half your children live in Australia, or more live there than in any other single country.
This test cannot be waived, even for compelling or exceptional circumstances. It's a fixed numeric rule, not a judgement about family closeness.
One exception: the temporary Sponsored Parent visa, subclass 870, doesn't need the balance of family test at all. But once you've applied for or hold an 870, you can't then lodge a new application for any of the other six.
Contributory subclasses — 143, 173, 864 and 884 — cost substantially more than the non-contributory queue, 103 and 804, in exchange for materially faster processing.
Which subclass fits depends on the parent's age, whether the family can absorb the higher contributory cost, and whether the applicant is already in Australia. Getting that decision right early matters more here than in most visa categories.
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.
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