Parent Visa
Subclass 103

Permanent Visa from Offshore

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Reunite Permanently with Your Children in Australia

The Subclass 103 Parent Visa allows eligible parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens to migrate to Australia permanently. This visa is ideal for parents who wish to join their children in Australia on a permanent basis, but are prepared to wait a significant period due to processing times and who may not be in a financial position to pay the higher government charges required under the Contributory Parent Visa category.

Who is this visa suitable for?

This visa is suitable for parents who:

Are living outside of Australia at the time of application
Do not meet the aged parent definition (i.e. not eligible for age pension in Australia)
Wish to live in Australia permanently with their children and are willing to wait the extended processing times (around 30 years)
Prefer to avoid the significant costs of the contributory parent visa pathway

Key Eligibility Criteria:

To apply for the Subclass 103 visa, you must:

Be sponsored by an eligible child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
Pass the Balance of Family Test, which means at least half of your children live permanently in Australia or more children live in Australia than any other single country
Meet health and character requirements
Have an Assurance of Support when the application is being processed

Assurance of Support (AoS)

Required when the application is being processed (many years after lodgement)
AUD5,000 for the main applicant and AUD2,000 for a secondary adult applicant
Bond is held by the government for two years and earns interest

Processing Times

Due to high demand and limited places in the migration program for this visa category, processing time is currently around 30 years. This is a queue-based visa and is not suitable if you are looking to reunite with family in Australia in the short to medium term.

Visa Benefits

Once granted, this visa lets you:

Stay in Australia indefinitely
Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after which a Resident Return Visa may be required)
Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s public health care system
Work and study in Australia
Apply for Australian citizenship (if eligible)

Important Notes

You must be outside of Australia when you apply for and when the visa is granted
This visa does not have a bridging visa attached, and you will not be able to stay in Australia while waiting for it to be granted
You may consider holding a visitor visa to visit family while your Subclass 103 visa is in the queue, but visitor visas may carry an 8503 ‘No Further Stay’ condition

Need help applying for a Subclass 103 Parent Visa?

Given the long processing time and complex requirements, expert advice can ensure your application is correctly submitted and managed over time. Contact our team at AustraliaMigrate for trusted assistance with parent visa options, including understanding whether the Subclass 103 visa is right for you, or whether other alternatives may be better suited to your goals.

What type of visa are you looking for?

We are a team of immigration specialists guiding individuals, families and corporates who aspire to migrate to Australia. Our migration consultancy has a successful track record in visa approval, with a fair fee structure.

Employer Sponsored Visa

Australian employers can sponsor skilled workers, whether already in Australia on a visa or applying from overseas, to meet skill shortage positions in their business.

Skilled Worker Visa

Skilled workers with qualifications and experience in demand can apply for visas to live and work in Australia permanently.

Partner Visa

Partner visas allows an Australian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their spouse, de facto partner or fiancé to be with them in Australia.

Student or Graduate Visa

International students can study in Australia and apply for post-study temporary work visas.

Subclass 186 Frequently Asked Questions

I want to apply for permanent residence based on Employer Nominated Sponsorship, Subclass 186 –what are the overall pathways?

There are two application pathways for this category:

Pathway One – 186 Temporary Residence Transition:

Once 482 visa holders have been employed for two years out of the last 3 years on a 482 visa, which could have been with the same employer/sponsor or a combination of previous sponsor and current sponsor, they can apply for 186 Temporary Residence Transition. They must be sponsored on a 482 visa by their current employer who will nominate them in their Employer Nominated Sponsorship application, subclass 186 application.

The visa holder can hold any occupation, both from the previous Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) and the current Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) so long as they hold a 482 visa.

The application must be lodged before turning 45 years old, unless they meet specified exemptions. One of these is that their salary (net of superannuation) has met the high-income threshold in two of the last three years as applicable in the year they hold that visa. The current high-income threshold for 2024 is set at $175,000.

Pathway Two – Direct Entry:

The nominated occupation must be on the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL). The 186-visa applicant must complete a Skills Assessment from the assessing authority of that occupation and demonstrate that they have had at least three years of post-qualification work experience in that occupation. Applicants need to be under 45 years old at the time of application. There are no exemptions for age under 186 Direct Entry.

What about the Employers?

In both Pathway One and Two, the employer has to present a range of documents to meet the requirements of the nomination. These include financial documents, position description, employment contract, organization chart, a statement about why the position is genuine, evidence that the salary is market related etc.

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Parent Visa Subclass 103