Australian Parent Visa Processing Times in 2026: The Honest Guide

Most parent visa processing time information online is vague, outdated, or both. This guide gives you the actual current queue dates, explains how the system works, and tells you honestly what to expect if you are planning to apply or are already in the queue.

How long does a parent visa take in 2026?

Processing times vary enormously by visa type. The temporary option is measured in months. The permanent non-contributory options are measured in decades. Here is the current picture:

These figures reflect the reality of a program with extremely limited places and massive global demand. Understanding why the waits are this long requires understanding how the queue system works. You can also estimate your own wait with our parent visa wait time calculator, and if you are still weighing up options, see our guide to choosing the right parent visa.

How the parent visa queue system works

Australia’s parent visa program is not first-come-first-served in the way most people expect. It operates on a queue and allocation system that is governed by the number of visa places available each year and the order in which eligible applications were lodged.

What is a queue date?

When you lodge a parent visa application and it is found to be valid, it receives a queue date based on when it was submitted. The Department of Home Affairs works through the queue chronologically, granting visas to applications in order of their queue date as places become available.

The “current queue date” published by the Department tells you how far along the queue the Department is currently working. As at March 2026, the 143 queue is at November 2018. That means the Department is currently processing and granting 143 applications lodged in November 2018. Applications lodged in December 2018, January 2019, and onwards are still waiting.

The queue date advances as places are allocated and visas are granted. The rate of advancement depends on how many places are available and how efficiently the Department is processing applications.

How places are allocated each year

The parent visa program receives approximately 8,500 places per year in the annual migration program. These are split between contributory and non-contributory pathways:

• Contributory parent visas (143, 864, and related temporary-to-permanent pathways): approximately 7,250 places per year
• Non-contributory parent visas (103, 804): approximately 1,250 places per year

These allocations are set by the government as part of the annual migration planning process and can change from year to year. When the government increases or decreases the parent visa allocation, the queue advancement rate changes accordingly. In years where allocations are cut, the queue barely moves. In years where allocations increase, the queue advances more quickly.

The program year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Applications that cannot be granted within a program year roll over to the next allocation, which keeps the backlog persistent rather than clearing it.

Contributory Parent Visa 143 processing time

Current queue date and what it means

As at March 2026, the Department is processing 143 applications lodged up to November 2018. This is the current queue date. If you lodged your 143 in November 2018 or earlier, you are likely either being processed now or close to it. If you lodged in 2019, 2020 or later, you are still in the queue.

The queue for the 143 has been advancing at roughly 10 to 14 months per calendar year in recent years, depending on annual place allocations and administrative processing volumes. At that rate, an application lodged today might expect to wait approximately 7 to 9 years before the second instalment invitation arrives.

Realistic timeline if you apply today

An application lodged in mid-2026 on the 143 would receive a queue date of mid-2026. Based on current processing, the Department would not reach that date until approximately 2033 to 2034 at the earliest. That is the realistic horizon, not a worst-case scenario.

This does not mean nothing happens for 8 years. The application is lodged, assessed for completeness, and sits in the queue. Medicals and police checks are typically requested closer to when the application nears the front. The second instalment invitation arrives when the visa is ready to be granted.

If your parent needs to be in Australia during that waiting period, the Subclass 870 is the practical bridging option. Most families pursuing a 143 use the 870 concurrently.

Non-Contributory Visa 103 processing time

Why the wait is 30+ years

The Subclass 103 receives only around 1,250 places per year across all non-contributory parent visa categories. The current queue date is July 2013. That means applications lodged 13 years ago are only now being processed.

The mathematics are straightforward and grim. If the queue is currently at July 2013 and advances roughly one year per calendar year (an optimistic estimate given the low allocation), an application lodged today in June 2026 would not reach the front of the queue until approximately 2039 or later. In practice, the non-contributory queue advances more slowly than that, which is why the accepted estimate for new applications is 30+ years.

For parents in their 60s today, that means the 103 is not a realistic path to permanent residence within their likely lifetime. The 103 is almost never the right primary strategy for parents hoping to live with family in Australia. It may be worth lodging as a secondary application alongside a 143 as a theoretical fallback, but it should not be relied upon as the primary plan.

Aged parent visas 804 and 864 processing times

The Subclass 864 and Subclass 804 follow the same queue logic as the 143 and 103 respectively. The 864 has a similar queue position to the 143, and the 804 mirrors the 103’s 30+ year wait.

One significant difference with aged parent visas is that the 864 (and 804) can be lodged onshore: the parent can be physically in Australia when the application is made. For parents who are already in Australia on a visitor visa or the 870 and who meet the aged parent criteria (pension age in Australia), the 864 offers the option to begin the permanent residence process without the parent needing to return overseas to lodge.

The aged parent category also has its own balance of family test requirements. Eligibility for aged parent visas depends on more than just the applicant’s age, so confirming parent visa eligibility before lodging is important.

Sponsored Parent Visa 870: the fastest option

The Subclass 870 is the only parent visa option with processing times measured in months rather than years. The Department has been processing 870 applications in approximately 7 months. Unlike the permanent visas, the 870 does not operate on a queue system. It is assessed on individual merit and processed in order of lodgement without the annual allocation constraint.

There is, however, a cap. The government allows 15,000 new 870 approvals per year. In years where the cap is reached early, later applications in the program year may experience delays or be held over to the next year. Applying early in the program year (from 1 July) reduces this risk.

The 870 does not lead to permanent residence. It allows up to 10 years total stay in Australia across multiple grants, with no pathway to citizenship and no Medicare access. It is a temporary solution, not a destination.

How to check current processing times

The most reliable source for current queue dates is the Department of Home Affairs’ parent visa processing times page, updated monthly at homeaffairs.gov.au. The queue dates for 143, 103, 864, and 804 are published there, along with the current processing month for each stream.

The Department also publishes estimated processing times for the 870 on the same page. These are typically expressed as a range (for example, “75% of applications processed within 8 months”) and are updated periodically.

One practical note: the Department’s published queue dates reflect when they are currently granting visas, not when they are doing preliminary assessment work. An application that is sitting at the front of the queue may still take several more months to reach grant after the queue date is passed, because medicals, police checks, and second instalment payment all need to be completed.

What to do while waiting

If you have lodged a permanent parent visa and face a multi-year wait, there are several things worth attending to during that period.

• Keep contact details current with the Department. All correspondence goes through ImmiAccount. If your email address changes, update it immediately. Missed second instalment invitations are a real and avoidable problem.
• Maintain valid bridging arrangements. If the parent wants to spend time in Australia during the wait, the 870 is the structured option. Visitor visas can supplement this but have limitations on total time in Australia.
• Plan for the second instalment. For 143 and 864 applications, the second instalment of approximately $43,600 per person will arrive. Start saving or making financial arrangements now rather than scrambling when the invitation comes.
• Keep documents accessible. Health records, police checks, and identity documents will be requested when the application nears grant. Having organised records reduces delays at that stage.
• Review your migration agent’s ongoing role. Some agents offer annual review services to ensure your application file remains current. This is worth having for long-queue applications.

Frequently asked questions

Can I speed up my parent visa application by paying extra?

No. There is no priority processing or fast-track option for parent visas. All applications are processed in queue order based on their lodgement date. The only way to get a parent to Australia faster is through the 870, which is a separate temporary visa with its own processing stream.

What happens if processing times improve significantly?

If the government increases the annual parent visa allocation, queue dates advance more quickly and wait times shorten. This has happened before when migration program settings were adjusted. It can also go the other way: if allocations are reduced, the queue slows down. The estimates in this guide reflect current settings and recent trends, not a guarantee of future processing times.

Does lodging early in the program year affect my queue date?

Your queue date is based on the date your application is validly lodged, not the program year. Lodging on 1 July rather than 30 June gets you one day ahead in the queue, not a full year. The program year matters for when annual places are allocated, but your position in the queue relative to other applicants is determined by your individual lodgement date.

My parent is currently in Australia on a visitor visa. Can they lodge a 143 from onshore?

For the standard Subclass 143, the application is generally lodged onshore or offshore, and a parent who is in Australia on a valid temporary visa can lodge from here. Since April 2026, lodgement must be done online through ImmiAccount regardless of where the applicant is located. The parent can remain in Australia on a bridging visa after lodging, subject to the conditions of that bridging visa. The April 2026 lodgement changes are worth reviewing if you are planning to lodge soon.

Can I withdraw my 103 application and lodge a 143 instead?

Yes. Families who lodged a 103 and have since decided the wait is unrealistic can withdraw and lodge a 143 instead. The 103 application fee is not refunded, and the 143 lodgement fee applies as a new application. However, a new 143 application today gets a 2026 queue date, which means an approximately 8-year wait for grant rather than the 30+ years remaining on the 103 queue. For many families, this trade-off is worth it.