103 – Australia Parent visa
If you have one or more children living in Australia, you might be eligible to apply for an Australia parent visa (subclass 103).
This visa is suitable for the parent or parents of a child/step-child who is a settled Australian citizen, settled permanent resident, or settled eligible New Zealand citizen. If granted, this visa will allow the parent or parents to permanently migrate to Australia to join their children.
Whether you qualify for this visa depends on a number of factors, such as:
- residence status of your child(ren) in Australia
- the amount of time the sponsoring child has lived in Australia
- whether you meet the balance of family test
- whether you meet certain health and character criteria
- Introduction
- Visa Applicants
- Visa holders
Introduction
Before applying for a Parent visa, it is helpful to know what this visa will let you do.
What you can do with this visa
A parent visa enables you, your partner and dependent family to reside in Australia on a permanent basis. Some additional entitlements are listed below:
- work or study is permitted
- access to healthcare through Medicare – subsidised by the government
- the ability to sponsor family members for permanent residency in Australia (a waiting period applies)
- social security (a waiting period applies)
Visa Applicants
For applicants of a Parent (subclass 103) visa, there are numerous criteria that must be met. This section outlines the general requirements for this visa.
Parent visa eligibility
To be eligible for a parent visa there are certain criteria that must be met:
The applicant
- the applicant must have a child who is an Australian citizen, or
- a permanent Australian resident, or
- an eligible New Zealand citizen
The sponsor
If your child is not an eligible sponsor, you may be sponsored by the following persons:
- your child’s partner
- guardian or family member of your child
- guardian or family member of your child’s partner
- a community organisation
Balance of family test
In addition to the points mentioned above, you must be able to demonstrate that:
- at least half of your children are permanent residents of Australia
- the majority of your children permanently reside in Australia compared to any other single country
Health & character requirements
A health check is required for all applicants and accompanying family members, this includes your partner and any dependent family members.
Outstanding debts to the Australian government
Any debts that you have to the Australian Government will need to be repaid before this visa can be granted. If you are in financial difficulty you may need to arrange a repayment scheme.
Visa application limitations
If you are inside Australia, in certain cases you may be prohibited from applying for this visa, such as:
- if there was a condition in your previous visa that you would not be granted a substantive visa while you are in Australia
- you do not currently hold a substantive visa and have had a visa refusal or cancellation since you last arrived in Australia
- you currently hold a sponsored visitor visa
- you are held in immigration detention
Visa holders
Applicants who are successful in obtaining a Parent visa must comply with various conditions as described below.
Obligations
The applicant(s)
If this visa is granted, you will be expected to comply with the Australia standards of living and it is critical that you and any additional family member comply with all Australian laws.
The sponsor
As the sponsor, you will be required to assist your family members and help them settle in Australia by providing the following:
- moral support
- adequate accommodation
- financial support
For the first two years of residency it’s crucial that the sponsor complies with these obligations.
Assurer of support
The assurer must:
- give sufficient financial support so that you or any accompanying family members do not have to rely on any government support, and
- reimburse the Australian Government for any recoverable social security payments, this includes payments made by Centrelink to you and any others covered by the Assurance of Support
- pay a refundable security bond before the visa is approved
The Assurance of Support is required to remain in place for two years from the date you and any accompanying family members arrive in Australia.
Assurance of Support
An Assurance of Support (AoS) is a legal undertaking by the sponsor, family relative, an organisation, or any other person who may be eligible to be an assurer, to repay certain social security payments to the Australian Government which has been paid to a person or their family members applying to migrate to Australia during their AoS period.