1. Visa Overview
The Subclass 103 Parent Visa is a permanent visa that allows eligible parents to migrate to Australia and reunite with their children who are settled in Australia. This visa belongs to the non-contributory parent visa category — meaning the visa cost is lower compared to contributory parent visas, but the processing time is extremely long due to limited annual places.
2. Visa Benefits
Once granted, holders of the Subclass 103 Parent Visa can:
-Live in Australia permanently
-Work and study in Australia
-Enrol in Medicare (Australia’s public healthcare system)
-Travel to and from Australia freely for five years from the date of visa grant
-Apply for Australian citizenship once eligible
-Include a spouse/partner in the application if they meet the requirements
3. Key Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the Subclass 103 visa, applicants must meet several criteria:
Requirement | Description |
Eligible child / sponsor | Must be sponsored by a child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who is settled in Australia. |
Balance of Family Test | At least half of the applicant’s children must live in Australia, OR more children live in Australia than in any other single country. |
Health and character requirements | All applicants must pass health examinations and provide police clearance certificates. |
Assurance of Support (AoS) | A financial guarantee from the sponsor to ensure the applicant does not rely on government welfare. |
Offshore application requirement | Applicants must be outside Australia both when lodging the application and when the visa is granted. |
Not holding certain visas | Applicants cannot apply if they already hold or have applied for certain visas such as Subclass 870 (Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa). |
Further Information
For additional visa information not covered here, please refer to the Department of Home Affairs website:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/parent-103