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Family group together in Australia after the subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa was processed quickly

Subclass 870 Processing Time: How Long Does the Sponsored Parent Visa Take?

Written by webadmin on . Posted in News.

The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa is the fastest way to get a parent into Australia legally for an extended period. Unlike the permanent parent visa queues, which stretch for years and decades, the 870 runs on a rolling application basis with no queue date system. Here is what the timeline actually looks like.

How long does the 870 visa take to process?

Based on current processing data, the Subclass 870 is taking approximately seven months from lodgement to grant. This figure can shift depending on application volumes and departmental resourcing, but it has remained in the six to nine month range for well-prepared applications.

The 870 is a two-step process: the Australian child (the sponsor) must first be approved as a sponsor, and then the parent applies for the visa itself. Both steps happen through ImmiAccount, and they can be lodged sequentially or as part of a coordinated application strategy.

It is worth being clear about what “processed in seven months” means in practice. That seven months starts from the date the parent lodges the visa application, assuming the sponsor is already approved. If sponsor approval is still pending when the parent lodges, the parent application cannot proceed to grant until the sponsor is approved. Sequencing matters.

The two-step application and what it means for timing

Step 1: sponsor approval timeframe

The sponsoring child must apply for and be approved as an approved sponsor before or concurrent with the parent’s visa application. The department assesses the sponsor’s eligibility: they must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, and they must meet the income threshold, which is currently $83,454.80 per year. A sponsor can combine their income with a partner’s income to meet this threshold.

Sponsor approval currently takes approximately two to four months. There is no set processing time published by the department, and it can vary. The sponsor application is relatively straightforward if financial documents are well organised, but delays can occur if the department requests additional evidence of income or relationship details.

One important note: a single sponsor can sponsor up to two parents under the 870. If both parents are coming, both are covered under one sponsorship.

Step 2: parent visa application timeframe

Once the sponsor is approved, the parent lodges the visa application. This is where the approximately seven-month figure applies. The parent application involves health examinations, character checks (police clearances from every country of residence), and providing evidence of the relationship to the sponsor.

Health examinations must be completed through a panel physician approved by the department. Booking times vary by location, particularly overseas. In some countries the wait for a panel physician appointment is several weeks, which can affect overall timing. Build this into your planning.

The 870 is capped at 15,000 grants per year across all applicants. If the cap is reached in a given year, applications may pause until the next programme year. This has occurred in previous years and is a genuine risk for applications lodged later in the financial year.

What can delay your 870 application?

Several factors can extend the seven-month median processing time:

  • Incomplete health examinations. Health assessments must be completed by an approved panel physician. Missing or outdated results are a common reason for delays.
  • Police clearance issues. Your parent needs clearances from every country where they have lived. Getting clearances from some countries can take months. Start this process early.
  • Sponsor income documentation gaps. If the sponsor’s income is close to the threshold of $83,454.80 or relies on combined household income, the department may request additional evidence. Have payslips, tax returns, and employer letters ready.
  • Annual cap. The 870 is capped at 15,000 places per year. Applications lodged when the cap is approaching can be deferred to the following financial year.
  • Requests for further information. Any request from the department (called a section 56 request) stops the clock until you respond. Respond quickly and completely.

How the 870 compares to permanent parent visa timelines

The contrast between the 870 and the permanent parent visa queues is stark:

Visa Current Processing Time Outcome
Subclass 870 ~7 months Temporary (up to 5 years per grant, 10 years total)
Subclass 143 6 to 8 years (queue-based) Permanent residence
Subclass 103 30+ years (queue-based) Permanent residence

The 870’s processing speed is its primary advantage. It is the only realistic option if you want your parent in Australia in the near term. However, it is temporary. There is no direct pathway from the 870 to permanent residence. If permanent residency is the goal, the 870 functions best as a bridge while a permanent application, such as the 143, works through the queue.

Many families use the 870-while-waiting strategy: lodge a Subclass 143 to lock in a queue date, then lodge a 870 so the parent can actually be in Australia during the wait. The two applications run in parallel and do not interfere with each other.

Frequently asked questions

Can my parent lodge the 870 from outside Australia?

Yes. The 870 can be lodged from outside Australia. There is no requirement for the parent to be onshore at the time of lodgement or at the time of grant. The visa can be granted while the parent is overseas, and they then travel to Australia to activate it.

Does holding an 870 affect eligibility for a permanent parent visa?

Holding an 870 does not disqualify your parent from applying for or being granted a permanent parent visa. The 870 and the permanent visa applications are independent. Many families run both concurrently. The 870 also does not affect your queue date for the permanent visa.

Can my parent work in Australia on the 870?

No. The 870 does not include work rights. Your parent cannot work in paid employment in Australia while on this visa. They also do not have access to Medicare, so arranging adequate private health insurance before arrival is essential. This is a firm requirement, not optional.

What happens when the 10-year maximum on the 870 is reached?

The 870 allows a total of 10 years of stay in Australia across all grants. Once that maximum is reached, no further 870 grants are available for that parent. If a permanent visa has not been granted by then, your parent would need to leave Australia unless another visa pathway is available. This is why lodging the permanent visa early, and using the 870 as a bridge rather than a long-term solution, is important planning advice.

Ready to get your parent to Australia sooner?

The 870 is a powerful tool when used as part of a well-planned parent visa strategy. Getting the sponsor approved, the application complete, and the timing right makes a real difference to how quickly it resolves.

Andrew Heathcote, MARN 0850840, has helped many families structure the 870 as a bridge to permanent residency. Contact us at parentvisas.com.au/contact to talk through your options.

An older father in Australia during the long wait for his Contributory Parent Visa subclass 143 to be processed

Contributory Parent Visa 143 Processing Time: What to Expect in 2026

Written by webadmin on . Posted in News.

The Subclass 143 is the most commonly lodged permanent parent visa in Australia, and the question I get asked most often is: how long will it take? The honest answer is that it takes years, not months. But understanding exactly why, and what stage the queue is at right now, helps you plan rather than just wait.

How long does the subclass 143 take in 2026?

The Subclass 143 Contributory Parent Visa currently takes approximately six to eight years from lodgement to grant, based on where the queue sits as of early 2026. That estimate will vary depending on how the annual programme allocation changes over coming years and how quickly the department works through the current backlog.

This is not a processing delay in the conventional sense, such as a case stuck on someone’s desk. It is a structural queue. The government allocates a fixed number of parent visa places each year, and there are far more applicants than places. The result is a multi-year wait that is baked into the system.

New applicants lodging a 143 today should plan for a grant somewhere around 2031 to 2033 at current rates. That timeline could improve if the government increases the annual allocation, or it could extend further if lodgement volumes rise or the allocation is cut.

The two-stage process explained

The 143 has a two-stage fee structure, and understanding it is critical to understanding the timeline.

Stage 1: lodgement and queueing

When you lodge the application and pay the first instalment of approximately $5,040 per person, your queue date is set. That is the date that determines your position in the line. From this point, your application sits in the queue. There is no active casework happening during this period; you are simply waiting for the department to work through the applications ahead of yours.

All permanent parent visa applications have been lodged online via ImmiAccount since 22 April 2026. Read the April 2026 online lodgement changes if you are preparing to lodge now.

During Stage 1 you should keep your ImmiAccount details current, particularly your email address and your sponsor’s contact details. The department uses ImmiAccount for all correspondence. If the Stage 2 invitation goes to an old email address and you miss it, your application can lapse.

Stage 2: finalisation

When the department reaches your queue date, you will be invited to pay the second instalment: approximately $43,600 per person. For two parents that is $87,200 in second instalment fees alone. This payment must be made within the deadline the department sets. Once paid, the department moves to actively assess and finalise your application.

Stage 2 involves completing or updating health examinations, obtaining current police clearances from every country where you have lived, progressing the Assurance of Support arrangement (a bond lodged with Centrelink of $10,000 for one adult or $14,000 for two), and providing any further documents the case officer requests.

If your documents are in order and you respond promptly, Stage 2 typically takes a few months. It is Stage 1, the queue, that accounts for the overwhelming majority of the total wait time.

Current queue date for the 143 visa

As of March 2026, the department is processing 143 applications with a queue date of November 2018. That means applications lodged in late 2018 are currently being invited to pay their second instalment and finalised.

A new application lodged today would have a queue date of June 2026. The gap between November 2018 and June 2026 is roughly seven and a half years. If the queue advances at its current rate, a 2026 lodgement is looking at a grant in the 2031 to 2034 range.

This is the single most important number to know when deciding whether to lodge the 143. The fees are substantial (around $48,640 per person all up), but many families decide the permanent residency outcome and the Medicare access that comes with it justify the cost and the wait.

Will processing times improve?

Annual program cap and queue movement

The annual parent visa programme has been running at approximately 8,500 places in recent years, with around 7,250 of those allocated to contributory visas like the 143 and Subclass 864. There have been periodic calls from the sector to increase this number, but no government has significantly expanded the programme in recent years.

Processing times for the 143 will only improve materially if the government increases the number of places allocated each year. Operational improvements at the department, such as digitising lodgement (done), can reduce Stage 2 processing time, but they cannot change how fast the queue moves. Queue speed is a function of programme places, not departmental resourcing.

The practical advice is to not lodge and wait for things to get faster. Lodge because you have assessed the cost, the timeline, and the outcome, and decided it makes sense for your family.

How the 143 compares to the 173 temporary pathway

The Subclass 173 is the temporary contributory parent visa. It was designed as a stepping stone to the 143: you lodge the 173, it is granted relatively quickly (processing times have historically been faster than permanent parent visas), and then you onshore and eventually transition to the 143.

However, the 173 and 143 share the same queue. Lodging a 173 sets your queue date just as lodging a 143 does. The 173 grant gives your parent a visa to be in Australia while waiting, but it does not move them ahead in the 143 queue. The total fees are also roughly the same across both visas as a pathway.

For most families today, the Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Visa has become a more practical bridging option because it does not require lodging a separate contributory visa application, it processes in around seven months, and it can be held for up to 10 years in total. You can lodge the 870 while your 143 works through the queue.

Frequently asked questions

Does lodging early really matter for the 143?

Yes, significantly. Every month you delay lodging is another month added to the back of a queue that is already years long. If you are confident your family meets the eligibility requirements, including the balance of family test, there is no strategic benefit to waiting. Lodge as soon as you are ready.

Can my parent visit Australia while the 143 is in the queue?

Yes. Your parent can apply for a Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) to spend time in Australia while waiting. Alternatively, applying for the Subclass 870 gives your parent a longer-term, renewable temporary visa specifically designed for this purpose. The 870 allows stays of up to three or five years at a time, up to a maximum of 10 years total.

What happens to the first instalment if the 143 is refused?

Application fees are generally not refunded if an application is refused or withdrawn after lodgement. This makes it important to assess eligibility carefully before lodging. The balance of family test, in particular, is the most common eligibility issue for 143 applicants, and it cannot be waived.

Does my parent need private health insurance for the 143?

While the 143 application is in the queue, there is no mandatory requirement to hold private health insurance in the same way as the 870. However, if your parent is in Australia on a bridging visa or a visitor visa during the wait, they will not have Medicare access, so arranging private health cover is strongly advisable from a practical standpoint. Once the 143 is granted, your parent becomes eligible for Medicare on arrival in Australia.

Talk to someone who knows this queue inside out

The 143 involves significant fees, a multi-year wait, and decisions that are hard to undo. Getting the strategy right before you lodge, not after, makes a real difference.

Andrew Heathcote, MARN 0850840, has been working with contributory parent visa applications for over 15 years. Contact us at parentvisas.com.au/contact to discuss your family’s situation.

Australian Parent Visa Processing Times in 2026: The Honest Guide

Written by isoadmin on . Posted in News.

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:

Visa Type Subclass Current Queue Date (March 2026) Wait for New Applications
Contributory Parent 143 November 2018 Approximately 8 years
Parent (Non-Contributory) 103 July 2013 30+ years
Contributory Aged Parent 864 Approximately in line with 143 Approximately 8 years
Aged Parent (Non-Contributory) 804 July 2013 30+ years
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 No queue system Approximately 7 months

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.

Get clear on your timeline before you commit

Processing times shape every financial and practical decision your family makes around a parent visa. I am Andrew Heathcote, a registered migration agent (MARN 0850840) based in Brisbane, with more than 15 years working specifically in parent migration. I can tell you exactly where your application sits, what to expect, and how to structure your family’s arrangements sensibly in the meantime.

Contact me for a consultation and let’s map out a realistic plan.