Who this may suit
Parents and families assessing permanent migration through subclass 143, including sponsorship, evidence, financial commitments and application sequencing.
Key considerations
- Assess the qualifying child, sponsorship, balance-of-family test, health, character and immigration history before committing to an application.
- Subclass 143 is capped and queued. A published estimate or queue release date is not a guaranteed decision date.
- Budget separately for visa-charge instalments, Assurance of Support commitments and supporting costs. Check current pricing for the actual applicants.
- Check lawful stay, grant location and the order of any 173, 870 or other Parent applications before making travel or withdrawal decisions.
Start with your family's eligibility
Review the qualifying parent–child relationship, sponsorship, balance-of-family test and Assurance of Support requirements. Health, character, immigration history and any Australian Government debts also need attention. A child living in Australia does not, by itself, establish the parent's eligibility. Limited pathways have different rules, including some subclass 173 and qualifying Retirement visa cases.
Sources: Home Affairs: Contributory Parent visa subclass 143
Who can sponsor a parent?
Usually, an eligible adult child sponsors the application. The adult child's cohabiting spouse or de facto partner can also qualify. Where the child is under 18, special provisions can allow an eligible adult cohabiting spouse, a qualifying relative or guardian, or a community organisation to sponsor. The detailed relationship, age, settlement and status requirements must be checked for the proposed sponsor.
The sponsor normally completes Form 40 and provides relationship, status and settlement evidence. Sponsorship carries support commitments, including accommodation and financial assistance where required. Read the undertaking before agreeing to sponsor.
Sources: Migration Regulations 1994: subclass 143 criteria, compilation 2 October 2026 · Home Affairs: Form 40 sponsorship evidence and undertaking
How the balance-of-family test works
The test is met if at least half the counted children are eligible children, or there are more eligible children than children living in any other single country.
Count the applicant's and their partner's children, including relevant adopted children and stepchildren. Apply the official exclusions rather than omitting a child because the relationship is distant. An eligible child includes an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia. A child on a temporary Australian visa does not qualify on that basis. Home Affairs does not waive this test for compelling or exceptional circumstances.
Prepare a family map showing each child's relationship, citizenship or residence status and usual country of residence. Our balance-of-family guide can help you organise that discussion.
Sources: Home Affairs: balance-of-family test definitions and examples
Sponsorship and Assurance of Support
A standard 143 application requires an accepted Assurance of Support (AoS). The assurer can be different from the sponsor. Eligible individuals, joint assurers or an organisation may provide it, subject to the applicable financial requirements.
AoS is a financial undertaking. For contributory parent visas, the assurance period is 10 years. The assurer may have to repay recoverable income-support payments made during that period. The mandatory arrangement also involves a bank guarantee and term deposit. These commitments are separate from the visa application charges.
Discuss the potential assurer and financial capacity early. Provide the AoS when Home Affairs requests it; do not assume that agreeing to sponsor satisfies this separate requirement.
Sources: Home Affairs: Contributory Parent visa subclass 143 · Services Australia: who can provide an Assurance of Support · Services Australia: Assurance of Support duration and repayment · Services Australia: mandatory Assurance of Support and security
Queueing and processing times
Subclass 143 is capped and queued. Home Affairs first assesses whether an application meets the core criteria for a queue place. Applications are later released in queue-date order for final processing as places become available. Acknowledgement, a queue date and release for final assessment are different milestones.
Official snapshot checked 19 October 2026 (UTC): Home Affairs publishes an estimated 18 years for new Contributory Parent applications. Its separate queue update, dated 31 August 2026, reports Contributory Parent applications released for final processing with queue dates up to November 2018.
These are published estimates and processing milestones, not a promised grant date for an individual application. They can change with demand, available places and case circumstances. Do not calculate a personal decision date by subtracting the queue-release year from the current year.
Sources: Home Affairs: Parent visa queue release dates and processing estimates
Check the latest official Parent queue update →
What costs should the family budget for?
Allow for:
The total depends on the applicants, pathway and any applicable concessions. Check current visa pricing and the official estimator, and obtain a case-specific breakdown rather than relying on another family's total.
- The first visa-charge instalment at application, including applicable additional-applicant charges.
- The second instalment when requested before grant.
- AoS security and potential repayment obligations.
- Health examinations, police certificates and biometrics where required.
- Translation, document preparation, travel and any professional assistance the family chooses.
Sources: Home Affairs: current visa pricing and estimator · Home Affairs: Contributory Parent visa subclass 143
Check current visa charges and the official estimator →
A practical document starting checklist
Prepare a clear, consistent evidence set:
Use the official document checklist and sponsor evidence guidance to identify what applies. This is a preparation list, not an exhaustive checklist for every family. Follow the current online application's document instructions. Home Affairs says to wait for its request before arranging police checks.
- Identity and history: passports, birth records, name changes, marriage/divorce or death records where relevant, and current and previous visa details.
- Family composition: relationships to all children and relevant stepchildren, their citizenship or residence evidence, and evidence for any claimed exclusion from the family count.
- Sponsorship: completed sponsorship documents plus evidence of the sponsor's relationship, status, settlement and capacity to meet the undertaking.
- Other applicants: relationship, dependency and any required custody or consent evidence.
- Documents in another language: the original-language material and the required English translations.
Sources: Home Affairs: Form 47PA, document checklist in Part Q · Home Affairs: Form 40 sponsorship evidence and undertaking · Home Affairs: Contributory Parent visa subclass 143
Application method, location and sequencing
Lodgement: New 143 applications must ordinarily be made online through ImmiAccount. Since 22 April 2026, a paper application requires written departmental authorisation and compliance with its directions. An old downloadable application form is not permission to lodge by post.
Location: Standard applications can be lodged in or outside Australia, outside immigration clearance, but generally require the applicant to be outside Australia at grant. Specified temporary-contributory, Retirement pathway and other exceptional cases have different rules. Confirm the rule for each applicant before planning travel.
Lawful stay: A standard 143 application does not provide an associated bridging visa entitlement. Limited categories, including qualifying Retirement and temporary-contributory cases, have different provisions. Check your existing visa, conditions and expiry separately.
Subclass 173: This temporary contributory visa can precede a separate 143 application. The staged route spreads charges but costs more overall than applying directly for 143. Plan the permanent-stage application before the temporary visa expires; permanent residence is not automatic.
Existing Parent or 870 applications: Get the sequence checked before lodging or withdrawing anything. Applying for or holding subclass 870 restricts other Parent visa applications. Changing an existing Parent application can affect fees and queue treatment.
Exceptional cases: The Retirement pathway is limited to qualifying 405/410 visa history connected to 8 May 2018, with further visa-history and onshore-lodgement conditions. It can remove sponsorship, balance-of-family and AoS requirements. A deceased sponsor in a subclass 173 case also requires specific review; it does not necessarily end the pathway.
Sources: LIN 26/005: Parent visa lodgement arrangements effective 22 April 2026 · Home Affairs: Contributory Parent visa subclass 143 · Migration Regulations 1994: subclass 143 criteria, compilation 2 October 2026 · Home Affairs: Parent Visa Centre sequencing and bridging-visa guidance · Home Affairs: Contributory Parent Temporary visa subclass 173
Compare the Parent visa pathways →
Permanent stay and overseas travel
Subclass 143 provides permanent stay with an initial five-year travel facility. Before overseas travel, check the facility's expiry in the grant notice or VEVO. If it has expired or will expire while you are away, assess Resident Return visa eligibility before departure. Staying in Australia after the travel facility expires does not, by itself, require an RRV.
Sources: Home Affairs: overseas travel as a permanent resident
How we can help
Ausdirect can help assess the family composition and sponsor, compare Parent pathways, identify evidence gaps and explain the application sequence and financial commitments that need closer review.
Questions to consider
Does paying the contributory charge guarantee a quick grant?
No. Subclass 143 remains capped and queued. Check the dated official processing update; its estimates do not predict when an individual application will be decided.
Must the sponsor also provide the Assurance of Support?
Not necessarily. Sponsorship and Assurance of Support are separate requirements. Another eligible individual, joint assurers or an organisation may provide the assurance, subject to the applicable financial rules.
Can I remain in Australia while a standard 143 application is processed?
A standard 143 application does not carry an associated bridging visa entitlement. Limited categories have different provisions. Check your current visa conditions, expiry and individual eligibility before relying on a right to stay.
Should I lodge the old paper application form?
New 143 applications ordinarily must be lodged online through ImmiAccount. Paper lodgement requires written departmental authorisation and compliance with its directions. Use the current application instructions.
Does the five-year travel facility limit permanent stay to five years?
The travel facility governs overseas travel and re-entry. If you stay in Australia, its expiry does not itself require a Resident Return visa. Check your travel rights and RRV eligibility before going overseas. Read the Resident Return visa guide
Your next step
Prepare a list of all children and stepchildren with their citizenship or residence status and usual country of residence, the proposed sponsor’s details, each parent’s visa history and the family’s intended timing. Share sensitive documents only through an agreed secure channel. General information; official sources checked on 19 October 2026 (UTC). Requirements and published estimates can change.