Parent Visa (Subclass 103)

The Parent Visa (Subclass 103) is a non-contributory permanent residence visa that allows parents of settled Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia and live indefinitely. It is the most affordable permanent parent visa option but comes with extremely lengthy processing times — applications lodged today face a queue of approximately 33 years before final assessment.

The visa is designed for family reunification and is capped at 1,700 places annually across the non-contributory parent visa program. Unlike the contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143), which costs significantly more but processes faster, Subclass 103 prioritizes affordability over speed.

Health Requirements

The health requirement cannot be waived. You must undergo a medical examination conducted by an Australian-approved panel physician. If your health condition exceeds Australia's Significant Cost Threshold (currently AUD $86,000 over your estimated remaining lifespan), you may be refused unless granted a health waiver. Health waivers are rarely granted.

Character Requirements

You must meet character requirements if you are 16 years or older. Character assessment is based on:

• Criminal history
• Immigration history
• Conduct and reputation
• Association with persons of bad character

Original police certificates from each country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years are required.

Unless you are applying as a retiree, you must obtain an Assurance of Support — a commitment from your sponsor (usually your child) that you will not rely on government welfare during the assurance period.

The assurer is responsible for ensuring you do not claim welfare. If you do claim welfare during the bond period, the bond may be forfeited. The bond amount is:

• AUD $5,000 for one adult applicant
• AUD $7,000 for two adult applicants
• Held for up to 2 years (some sources indicate up to 4 years)
• Returned after the holding period if no welfare claims were made

As of February 2026, the Department is processing applications with a queue date up to July 2013 — a backlog of approximately 12–13 years. However, new applications lodged in 2026 will have a queue date of approximately 2026 and will not be released for final processing until approximately 2059 (33 years later).

The queue has moved extremely slowly: between September 2020 and February 2026, the queue advanced only about 3 years. This reflects the fixed annual allocation of just 1,700 non-contributory parent visas against a very large backlog of applications.

Processing occurs in two stages:

Stage 1: Initial Assessment (approximately 4 weeks) Your application is checked for eligibility against core visa criteria. If eligible, you are assigned a queue date and placed in the queue. If ineligible, your application is refused.

Stage 2: Queue and Final Assessment (20–30+ years) Once your queue date is reached and places become available, final assessment occurs. The Department verifies your health, character, and Assurance of Support. Your visa is then granted or refused.

Applications may take longer if:

• Your application is incomplete or forms are filled incorrectly
• Required documents are missing or additional information is needed
• Information takes longer than usual to verify
• External agencies take time to provide health, character, or national security checks
• You are slow to respond to requests for further information

Once granted, Subclass 103 provides:

Residency and Travel:

• Permanent residence in Australia indefinitely with no time limit on stay
• Travel to and from Australia as many times as desired for 5 years from the date the visa is granted
• After 5 years, you must apply for a Resident Return Visa to re-enter Australia, or become an Australian citizen

Work and Study:

• Right to work in Australia
• Right to study in Australia
• Protection under Australian workplace law

Healthcare:

• Enrolment in Medicare (Australia's public healthcare scheme)
• Access to publicly funded healthcare services

Family Sponsorship:

• Ability to sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia

Education:

• Eligibility to attend free English language classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), if eligible

Citizenship:

• Eligibility to apply for Australian citizenship after meeting residency requirements (typically 4 years including 12 months as permanent resident)

Family Members Included: You can include in your visa application:

• Your spouse or de facto partner (must meet health and character requirements)
• Dependent children under 18 (must meet health and character requirements)
• Dependent children aged 18–23 who are financially dependent (must meet health and character requirements)
• Dependent children over 23 with disability-related dependency (must meet health and character requirements)

If applying as a retiree, dependent children cannot be included.

Visa Conditions: You must:

• Enter Australia before the first entry arrival date specified in your grant letter
• Meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws
• Notify the Department of changes to contact details, passport, relationship status, or family composition