Subclass 143 — Contributory Parent visa

Who the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is generally for

In general terms, the subclass 143 is a permanent visa for a parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, allowing the parent to live in Australia permanently. It sits alongside the non-contributory parent visa (the subclass 103) as the 'contributory' option: applicants typically pay a substantially higher government charge in exchange for a queue that is generally much shorter than the non-contributory pathway, though both are usually measured in years rather than weeks. A defining feature of parent visas is the balance-of-family test. In broad terms this looks at how many of a parent's children live lawfully and permanently in Australia compared with how many live elsewhere, and an applicant generally needs to satisfy this test to be eligible. A sponsor is also central: the parent is usually sponsored by their settled child (or, in some situations, by another approved sponsor), and an Assurance of Support is commonly required, under which a person undertakes to support the applicant financially for a set period so they do not rely on certain public funds. Health and character requirements typically apply as well. This is general information only, not immigration assistance or legal advice. Always check the official Home Affairs page for the subclass 143, and a registered migration practitioner can advise on whether this visa suits your particular circumstances.

Common questions about the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)

Health examinations and character checks

Applicants for this visa, together with any family members included in the application, are generally asked to complete health examinations so their health can be assessed against the health requirement. Home Affairs advises applicants not to arrange these examinations until asked to do so, because the results have a limited validity period. Health examination results are generally valid for around 12 months, so completing them too early can mean having to repeat them if processing takes longer. On character, applicants are generally asked to provide a police certificate (also called a penal clearance certificate) for each country they have lived in for 12 months or more over the past 10 years, generally covering the period from the age of 16. Where an applicant has spent 12 months or more in Australia during that period, an Australian Federal Police National Police Check is generally required; state- or territory-issued police certificates are not accepted for this purpose. Where a police certificate or other supporting document is not in English, an accompanying English translation is generally required. For translations done in Australia this includes the translator's NAATI practitioner number, and for translations done outside Australia the translator's contact and qualification details. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Government costs and the Visa Application Charge

The Visa Application Charge for this visa is paid in two parts, which Home Affairs calls the first and second instalments. Home Affairs publishes an indicative cost from AUD49,900 over the two instalments for a single applicant, with concessions in limited circumstances. The first instalment is payable when the application is lodged and can include a base application charge plus an additional applicant charge for each family member included in a combined application. The second instalment is payable after the application is made but before the visa can be granted. Home Affairs notes that it does not apply if an application is refused or withdrawn, and that for some visas it is a significant amount, and encourages applicants to check the second instalment before applying. Beyond the Visa Application Charge, applicants may face other departmental and third-party costs, such as health examinations, police or penal clearance certificates and biometrics. Home Affairs provides a Visa Pricing Estimator to help work out a visa's cost. These government charges are separate from, and should not be confused with, any fee charged by an independent service or platform. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Visa validity, processing and the application queue

This is a permanent visa, allowing an eligible parent of a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia permanently. Processing works in two stages. Applications are first assessed against the core criteria and, if they meet them, are given a queue date and placed in a queue. As places become available in a migration program year, applications are released from the queue for final assessment. Home Affairs assigns and notifies each application's queue date in writing. Because this visa category is subject to capping and queueing, Home Affairs states it cannot give exact processing timeframes, and notes that demand for parent visas exceeds the places available each year, so processing can be lengthy. The department publishes queue release dates that are updated periodically, so applicants can see which queue dates are currently being released for final processing. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Visa conditions that may attach to a subclass 143 visa

The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is a permanent visa. Because it grants permanent residence, it does not carry ongoing limits on working or studying, and it is not subject to a 'no further stay' bar. The Department's online conditions checker lists only a small number of conditions that may be attached to this subclass. The conditions that actually apply to any particular grant are set out in the visa grant letter and can be checked online through VEVO. According to the Department's conditions checker, the conditions that may attach to a subclass 143 visa are condition 8502 and condition 8515. Condition 8502 generally means the visa holder must not enter Australia before a person named in the visa has entered; where it applies, applicants are generally expected to arrange their travel so that the specified person arrives in Australia first. Condition 8515 generally means the holder must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship before first entering Australia; it generally applies where a person was not married or in a de facto relationship when the visa was granted, so that the personal circumstances the visa was granted on remain unchanged at the time of entry. Adequate health insurance is generally relevant to this visa as a matter dealt with while an application is being processed - particularly for applicants who do not yet have access to Medicare - rather than as an ongoing condition printed on the granted permanent visa. Holders should always rely on the specific conditions printed on their own grant letter and shown in their VEVO record. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Detailed eligibility: pathways and what decision-makers look at

The subclass 143 visa is for the parent of a 'settled' Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. It can be applied for directly, or as the second step after first holding a Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa, which allows the cost to be paid across a longer period. A person cannot apply if they have already applied for, or hold, a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) visa. Applicants and any family members applying with them may generally be inside or outside Australia (but not in immigration clearance) when they apply, and may be inside or outside Australia when a decision is made; applicants using the retiree pathway must be in Australia. Most applicants are generally assessed against several core requirements: having an approved sponsor (usually the eligible child, or, where the child is under 18, an eligible relative or community organisation, with the sponsorship approved by the Department); meeting the balance of family test (met where at least half of the parent's children and step-children are eligible children, or where more eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country); and being able to obtain an Assurance of Support. Applicants and family members who apply are also generally required to meet the health and character requirements, and the Department may ask certain non-migrating family members to meet them as well. Applicants who are 18 or older are generally asked to sign the Australian Values Statement (after reading, or having explained to them, the Life in Australia booklet). Any debt owed to the Australian Government generally must be repaid or subject to an approved repayment arrangement, and applicants are generally expected to maintain adequate health insurance while the application is processed. Immigration history is also considered, so a previous visa cancellation or refusal can affect an application. Where an applicant is under 18, the visa will not be granted unless it is in the child's best interests. There is a separate retiree pathway for certain people who, on 8 May 2018, held or had previously held an Investor Retirement (subclass 405) or Retirement (subclass 410) visa, have not held any other substantive visa since 8 May 2018, and are in Australia. Applicants using this pathway are generally not required to meet the balance of family test, have a sponsor, or provide an Assurance of Support. These requirements are framed generally and set out how applications of this type are assessed. They are not an assessment of any individual's circumstances. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Including family members and what the visa allows after grant

Family members can generally be included in the application at the time of applying. Applicants are generally asked to list all their family members in the application form, even those who are not migrating. Family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements, and some non-migrating family members may also be asked to meet them. If a child is born after the application is lodged, there is a separate process to add them. Where the visa is applied for through the retiree pathway, a partner can generally be included only if they also hold a Retirement or Investor Retirement visa, and children cannot be included. After grant, the visa confers permanent residence, so the holder can generally stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study, and enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health scheme. Holders can also generally sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia and, if eligible, attend free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program. The visa generally includes a travel facility allowing travel to and from Australia as many times as wanted for five years from the grant date. To travel as a permanent resident after that facility ends, the holder generally needs a Resident Return visa; alternatively, an eligible holder may apply for Australian citizenship, after which a visa is no longer needed to enter Australia. Holders have ongoing obligations: entering Australia before the date specified in the grant letter (where granted while offshore), meeting all visa conditions, obeying Australian law, and telling the Department if their situation changes. Some Australian Government payments and benefits are subject to newly arrived residents' waiting periods administered by Services Australia. The visa is linked digitally to the passport, so no visa label is placed in the passport. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Why applications are refused and review at the Administrative Review Tribunal

Drawing on the official criteria, applications of this type are commonly refused or not granted where a core requirement is not met. Factual reasons can include not meeting the balance of family test, not having an approved sponsor, being unable to obtain an Assurance of Support, not meeting the health or character requirements, having an unpaid debt to the Australian Government, or an adverse immigration history such as a previous visa cancellation or refusal. Where an applicant is under 18, a visa will not be granted if it is not in the child's best interests, and an application can only be processed if the correct visa application charge has been paid. These visas are also subject to capping and queueing, because demand exceeds the places available each year, which affects timing rather than being a refusal reason in itself. If a decision is unfavourable, merits review may be available at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which reviews many migration decisions made under Part 5 of the Migration Act 1958. The Department's decision letter states the applicable time limit and whether the particular decision can be reviewed. Time limits to apply for review are strict; the Tribunal has stated it has no power to extend the time limit to apply, and the exact deadline that applies is stated in the decision letter. A review application fee applies (AUD3,727 for reviews of most migration decisions made under Part 5 of the Migration Act), and a 50% reduction may be available in cases of financial hardship. A 50% refund of the fee may also be available in certain outcomes, such as where the decision is set aside or varied, or the application is remitted to the Department. On a merits review, the Tribunal re-examines the case and may affirm, vary or set aside the decision, or remit it to the Department for reconsideration. This information is factual and general; it is neutral and is not a prediction of any outcome. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Costs: the government charge, second instalment and related costs

The government charge for this visa is the Visa Application Charge (VAC), which is separate from, and additional to, any fee charged by a migration adviser or by this platform or another service provider. According to the Department, the visa costs from AUD49,900 for a single applicant, with concessions in limited circumstances. There are additional charges for each family member who applies with the main applicant. The VAC is paid in two instalments. The first instalment is paid when the application is lodged, and the second instalment is paid later, when the Department asks for it. Because published amounts are indexed and change over time, applicants are generally directed to the Department's current visa pricing tool to confirm the exact first and second instalment amounts before paying. Costs may be lower for people who already hold a Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) visa or a substituted Visitor (subclass 600) visa. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. The VAC is generally not refunded even if the application is refused or withdrawn. The second instalment is not payable if the application is refused or withdrawn before that instalment has been paid. Beyond the VAC, applicants generally also meet related costs for each person, such as health examinations, police certificates and biometrics, and an Assurance of Support (which may involve a refundable bond arranged through Services Australia) is generally required except under the retiree pathway. All of these government and related costs are separate from any platform or professional service fee, and current amounts should be confirmed on the official Department and Services Australia pages. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.

Health cover and insurance

The Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) is a permanent visa. When it is granted, the holder becomes an Australian permanent resident, and permanent residence is one of the categories Australia's public health scheme, Medicare, uses to decide who can enrol. Services Australia explains how permanent residents enrol in Medicare and which identity and residence documents are needed after grant. Because subclass 143 is a permanent visa, its health-cover picture differs from that of many temporary visas. Temporary visitors and students are often expected to hold private cover such as Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and some temporary visas carry a visa condition requiring adequate health insurance. Those insurance conditions are features of certain temporary visas and are not how health cover works for this permanent visa. Health matters still arise before a subclass 143 visa is granted. Applicants and any family members included must meet Australia's health requirement, which the Department of Home Affairs assesses (through a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth) and which involves medical examinations; how any pre-existing condition is treated is a matter for the Department's assessment. Separately, a person who is not yet a permanent resident may have limited access to medically necessary public care through a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) if they are visiting from a country Australia has an agreement with — Services Australia publishes the list of agreement countries and what each agreement covers. Eligibility, required documents, and the scope of cover depend on individual circumstances and can change over time. The authoritative sources are the Department of Home Affairs subclass 143 visa listing and Services Australia's Medicare enrolment and Reciprocal Health Care Agreement pages. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.