Sponsored Parent Visa 870: The Complete Australian Guide for 2026

The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa is the only parent visa in Australia’s current program that can get your parent here within months rather than years. It is a temporary visa, and it comes with real limitations. But for families facing the 12-to-15-year queue on a Subclass 143, it is often the most practical tool available.

This guide covers everything you need to know: how the visa works, what your parent can and cannot do on it, the two-step application process, costs, and how the 870 fits into a broader long-term strategy.

What is the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa?

The Subclass 870 is a temporary visa that allows a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia for extended periods. Unlike permanent parent visas, it does not lead directly to permanent residence and does not require the parent to pass the balance of family test.

The visa was introduced to give families a workable option while the permanent visa queues stretched to a decade or more. The government caps grants at 15,000 per year across the entire program, so places are limited.

Processing time has been around seven months, though this varies (see current parent visa processing times). For context, that compares to a realistic 12-to-15-year wait for a new Subclass 143 application lodged today.

Key facts: what this visa allows

Stay duration and renewal options

The 870 is granted in two possible increments: a three-year stay or a five-year stay. A parent can hold a maximum total of 10 years on the 870 across all grants combined. In practice, a parent could hold two five-year grants, or a five-year grant followed by a three-year grant followed by a two-year grant, provided the total does not exceed 10 years.

Each new grant requires a fresh sponsor application and a new parent application. The sponsor must re-qualify at the time of each renewal.

What you can and cannot do on the 870

The 870 allows your parent to live in Australia for the duration of the visa. Travel in and out of Australia is permitted. The visa does not impose a restriction on how long your parent must stay, so they can come and go.

However, there are significant restrictions:

• No work rights. Your parent cannot work in Australia on this visa, not even casually.
• No Medicare access. Private health insurance is a mandatory condition of the visa.
• No pathway to permanent residence directly through the 870. It does not convert to a permanent visa.

Eligibility requirements

Parent eligibility

To be eligible, the parent must be the parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. Step-parents and adoptive parents can qualify in certain circumstances. The parent does not need to pass the balance of family test, which is a significant advantage over the permanent parent visas and their eligibility rules.

The parent must meet health and character requirements. The health requirement is important: older parents with significant medical conditions may face complications. This is worth discussing with a registered migration agent before lodging.

Sponsor eligibility

The sponsor must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who is at least 18 years old. The sponsor must be ordinarily resident in Australia. There is a limit of two parents or step-parents sponsored on the 870 at any one time per sponsor.

The sponsor must demonstrate they can financially support the parent during their stay, assessed against an income threshold.

Sponsor income requirements

The sponsor must meet a minimum income threshold of $83,454.80 per year. This figure is indexed and reviewed periodically. Importantly, if the sponsor has a partner, their combined income can be used to meet the threshold. This makes the requirement achievable for many families where the sponsor earns below the threshold individually but has a working partner.

The sponsor must provide evidence of income, typically through tax assessments, payslips, or employment letters.

The two-step application process

The 870 uses a two-step process that is different from most Australian visa applications. Getting the sequence right matters.

Step 1: sponsor application

The sponsoring child applies first. The Department of Home Affairs assesses whether the sponsor meets the eligibility and income requirements. Once approved, the sponsor receives an approval notice with a reference number.

The sponsor approval is valid for a limited window. The parent must lodge their own application within six months of the sponsor’s approval being granted. If the parent misses that window, the sponsor will need to apply again.

Step 2: parent visa application

Once the sponsor approval is in place, the parent applies for the 870 visa itself. The application is lodged online through ImmiAccount. The parent nominates their sponsor and provides health, character, and identity documents.

Health examinations are required and must be completed through an approved panel physician. The parent should also arrange private health insurance before the visa is granted, as it is a grant condition.

Processing time for the parent application has typically been around seven months, though the Department does not guarantee timeframes.

Visa conditions to understand before you apply

No work rights

Condition 8303 and related conditions prohibit the 870 holder from working in Australia. This applies to all forms of work, including part-time, casual, volunteer work that has remuneration, and self-employment. Breach of this condition can have serious consequences for the visa holder and future applications.

No Medicare: private health insurance is mandatory

This is the condition that catches families off guard most often. Unlike the permanent parent visas (the Subclass 143 grants Medicare on arrival), the 870 does not give access to Medicare at any point.

Private health insurance covering hospital treatment must be maintained for the entire stay. For an older parent, this is not a trivial expense. Premiums for a 70-plus-year-old parent can run to several thousand dollars per year, and exclusions for pre-existing conditions are common. Families should get health insurance quotes before lodging so the ongoing cost is factored into the decision.

Travel conditions

The 870 holder can travel in and out of Australia freely during the visa period. There is no requirement to maintain a minimum period of physical presence in Australia. However, the parent must hold valid health insurance for periods in Australia, and travel conditions should be checked if the parent plans extended absences.

Cost breakdown

The government visa application charge (VAC) for the 870 is paid by the parent applicant. As at 1 July 2026, the base visa application charge for the 870 is AUD 1,515, the same whether the grant is for 3 or 5 years, and a second visa application charge instalment of up to $10,925 applies before the visa is granted, depending on the length of stay. Government charges are indexed on 1 July each year, so confirm the current figure on the Department of Home Affairs website before you apply. From 1 July 2026, a lower application charge applies to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste and ASEAN member countries who lodge a valid application.

Beyond the VAC, families should budget for:

• Health examination costs (typically $300 to $500 depending on the panel physician and tests required)
• Police clearance certificates for countries the parent has lived in
• Private health insurance premiums for the full visa period (highly variable by age, insurer, and pre-existing conditions)
• Migration agent fees, if using a registered agent

Compared to the Subclass 143, which costs approximately $48,640 per person across both visa application charge instalments, the 870 is far cheaper in government fees (our 143 vs 103 comparison sets out the permanent visa costs in full). The recurring cost of private health insurance over a 10-year period can, however, be substantial.

How the 870 fits into a long-term parent visa strategy

Using the 870 while a subclass 143 is in the queue

The most common use of the 870 is as a bridging arrangement while a Subclass 143 application waits in the queue. As of March 2026, the Department is processing Subclass 143 applications lodged in November 2018. New applications lodged today face a realistic wait of 12 to 15 years before they are invited to the second stage.

The 870’s maximum stay of 10 years means it cannot bridge the entire 143 queue for a new applicant. However, for families who lodged a 143 application several years ago, the 870 can cover much or all of the remaining wait. For families lodging a 143 now, the 870 buys a decade of time in Australia before another solution is needed.

The 870 and the 143 are compatible: holding an 870 does not prevent the parent from also being an applicant for a permanent parent visa.

Limitations and risks

The 870 is a useful visa, but it is not a complete solution for most families. The key limitations to understand before committing:

• The 10-year total cap is absolute. Once exhausted, there is no further access to the 870.
• No Medicare means ongoing health insurance costs for the life of the visa. For parents with significant health needs, this can become financially burdensome.
• The annual cap of 15,000 grants per year means the visa is not always available on demand. If the cap fills early in a program year, new applications may be delayed.
• The visa does not provide a pathway to permanent residence. At the end of the 870 period, the parent needs another solution, whether through a permanent parent visa being granted or another basis to remain.
• Policy changes are a real risk with temporary visas. The 870 is a relatively new visa (introduced 2019) and its conditions and availability are subject to government policy decisions.
• There is no Assurance of Support bond for the 870 itself, but if the parent later applies for a permanent parent visa, an Assurance of Support bond will apply: $10,000 for one adult and $14,000 for two adults, held for 10 years.

Frequently asked questions

Does the parent need to pass the balance of family test to get the 870?

No. The balance of family test does not apply to the Subclass 870. This is one of its significant advantages over the permanent parent visa options. The balance of family test requires that at least half of the parent’s children live permanently in Australia, or that more children live in Australia than in any other single country. Many families cannot meet this test for the permanent visas, making the 870 their only viable option.

Can my parent apply for the 870 if they are already in Australia on a visitor visa?

Yes, the 870 can generally be applied for onshore (in Australia) or offshore (outside Australia). Being in Australia on a visitor visa at the time of lodgement does not disqualify the parent, provided they hold a substantive visa at the time of application. Specific circumstances should be checked with a registered migration agent before lodging.

Can the sponsor be a New Zealand citizen?

Eligible New Zealand citizens who are Special Category visa holders and ordinarily resident in Australia can be sponsors. However, not all New Zealand citizens qualify. The specific rules for NZ citizen sponsors are worth confirming with a registered migration agent, as the eligibility requirements are more nuanced than for Australian citizens and permanent residents.

What happens if the sponsor’s income drops below the threshold during the visa period?

The income threshold applies at the time of the sponsor application and at renewal. There is no ongoing income reporting requirement during the visa period itself. However, if the parent applies for a renewal and the sponsor no longer meets the income threshold, the renewal application will have a problem. Sponsors should be aware of this when planning.

Is the 870 a good option if my parent needs a lot of medical care?

It depends on the circumstances, but caution is warranted. The health examination at lodgement may identify conditions that complicate the application. More practically, no Medicare access means all medical costs are borne by the parent and their private health insurer. Parents with significant ongoing medical needs may face high premiums, gaps in cover, and out-of-pocket costs that make the 870 financially very demanding over time. This is a factor that deserves serious consideration before committing to the strategy.