Spend up to 5 continuous years with your family in Australia without needing the Balance of Family test. We handle the complex two-step sponsorship, strict income evidence, and precise lodgement of your 870 visa application.
The 870 visa opens doors for parents who are ineligible for permanent pathways, but it demands strict financial obligations from the sponsoring child.
The Australian sponsoring child must meet a minimum taxable household income of AUD $83,454.80. This can be combined with a partner's income.
Unlike Subclass 143 or 103 visas, you do not need to prove that half of your children live in Australia.
The parent applicant must purchase and maintain adequate health insurance from an Australian provider for the entire duration of the visa.
This is a temporary visa (up to 10 years maximum across multiple grants). You must genuinely intend to stay only temporarily with no pathway to permanent residency.
The sponsor must have met any prior sponsorship obligations and the applicant must have no outstanding public health debts to the Australian government.
Avoid Disqualifying Mistakes: The 870 is a strict two-step process. Lodging the parent's visa application before the sponsor has been formally approved is the most common reason for an immediate invalidation or refusal.
We manage the mandatory two-stage application pipeline, ensuring your family avoids costly procedural errors.
We audit the sponsoring child's tax records to ensure the $83,454.80 income threshold is securely met, mapping out the best 3-year or 5-year strategy.
We formally prepare and lodge the Parent Sponsor application. The sponsor's eligibility, residence, and police clearances are assessed first.
Only after the sponsor is formally approved do we lodge the 870 visa application for the parent, ensuring strict submission windows are met.
We arrange your health examinations, confirm your mandatory Australian health insurance is active, and manage the final instalment fee for visa grant.
A flawless submission requires a substantial documentation bundle for both the sponsoring child and the parent applicant.
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa offers faster processing times than permanent options, with charges determined by the length of stay requested.
The application charge depends on the duration of your stay. A visa for up to 3 years costs AUD 6,370. A visa for up to 5 years costs AUD 12,440. Fees are split into two instalments.
* Fees are set by the Department and subject to change — confirm current fees at your assessment.
We provide a fully transparent, fixed quote provided after your initial assessment, encompassing both the Parent Sponsor and the visa applicant stages.
* Our fixed fee guarantees no hidden charges or hourly billing surprises.
Processing times for the subclass 870 are significantly faster than contributory visas, generally taking between 4 to 8 months in total, with the sponsorship approval stage processed first.
* Timelines vary based on application volume, health check scheduling, and Departmental priorities.
The Subclass 870 is uniquely unforgiving of procedural errors. Because it operates on a strict two-step structure, lodging the parent’s visa application before the sponsorship is officially approved is a fatal error that results in lost application fees and an immediate refusal.
Furthermore, calculating the $83,454.80 sponsor income threshold can be incredibly complex. Navigating whether to combine incomes, assessing the latest ATO Notices of Assessment, and ensuring the sponsor meets the 4-year residency requirement demands professional oversight.
As registered migration professionals, we remove the guesswork. We audit your financials, sequence your lodgements perfectly, and ensure the stringent health insurance requirements are locked in, giving your family the peace of mind to focus on the reunion.
Clear, direct answers regarding 870 visa requirements, costs, and conditions.
The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa allows parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa. Unlike permanent options, it does not require the Balance of Family test.
The government application charge for the 870 visa fee is approximately AUD 6,370 for a 3-year visa, and AUD 12,440 for a 5-year visa. This is paid in two instalments.
To be an approved Parent Sponsor, your household taxable income must be at least AUD 83,454.80. This can be met by the sponsor alone, or combined with their spouse/partner.
No. The Subclass 870 does not require the Balance of Family test, making it the ideal pathway for parents whose children predominantly live outside of Australia.
No, the Subclass 870 visa has a strict 'no work' condition. However, parents are permitted to perform unpaid domestic duties such as caring for grandchildren or non-commercial volunteering.
No. The 870 visa is strictly a temporary visa. It allows a cumulative maximum stay of 10 years across multiple grants, but it does not provide a pathway to Australian permanent residency.
Get a clear, honest assessment of your family's eligibility for the Subclass 870 visa. Speak directly with our registered migration agents in Melbourne today.