Are you trying to bring your parent to Australia?
Last week, the Australian government officially announced a new parent visa subclass: The 870 Sponsored Parent Visa.
The 870 visa gives the opportunity for parents of all ages to spend up to five years in Australia with their children. And, to make this visa more appealing, the government has dropped some of the major restrictions other parent visa categories carry.
So, what is the 870 Sponsored Parent visa and who is eligible to apply for it?
What makes this visa different?
Unlike other parent visas, the 870 visa doesn’t require the parent to meet the “Balance of Family” rule. Instead, the sponsored parent just needs to have a child (biological, adopted or step-child) who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who has been living in Australia for four years.
This is good news for children who have been living in Australia for many years but still have the majority of their brothers and sisters living overseas.
Another important difference between the 870 visa and other parent visas is this visa doesn’t put minimum or maximum age restrictions on the parents – a rule that has previously prevented many migrant’s parents from coming to Australia.
And, while this visa does not lead to permanent residency, eligible parents can stay for the full 5 years, leave the country, then apply for another 5-year visa, meaning they can enjoy a maximum period of 10 years with their children and grandchildren in Australia.
What is the application process?
The first step towards obtaining an 870 Sponsored Parent visa is getting the child approved as a sponsor. This will require the child to:
- Undergo police checks and;
- Prove they are earning a taxable income of $83,454.80 or more (this can be joint family income).
Then, once the child has been approved as a sponsor, the second step is to lodge the parent’s application within six months of their sponsor’s approval.
When lodging an 870 Sponsored Parent visa application, the parents must be able to prove they:
- Have sufficient income to provide for themselves while living in Australia, as the 870 visa doesn’t grant the parents any right to work in Australia
- Meet the government’s health requirements and get private health insurance
- Meet the government’s character requirements.
- Have no debt owing to the Australian government (exemptions can be made if repayment arrangements are in place).
When can I apply?
While sponsor applications are open now, visa applications can only be lodged after 1st of July.
If you are considering applying for an 870 Sponsored Parent visa, it’s important you take steps to submit your application as early as possible because only 15,000 of these visas will be granted this year.
How much does an 870 Parental Visa application cost?
There are two main application fees for this visa:
- Sponsorship application fee: $470
- Visa application fee: $5000 for a three-year visa or $10,000 for a five-year visa (this fee is paid in two parts, one upon application and the second prior to being granted).
With such substantial sums of money on the line, many applicants prefer not to risk preparing their own application and use a migration agent instead.
How long does it take to be approved for an 870 Sponsored Parent Visa?
As this is a new subclass of visa, there is currently no information available about processing times. It is expected that applicants will receive more information about wait times at least three months after the applications open.
How do I get started?
To find out more about this visa type, or to explore other visas that might be better suited to your needs, get in touch with a migration agent at Phoenix Law & Associates.
We’ve helped thousands of people live, work, study and holiday in Australia, and we specialise in helping people who don’t speak English as their first language apply for visas.
Our team includes:
- Mandarin speaking lawyers
- Cantonese speaking lawyers
- Japanese speaking lawyers
- Farsi speaking lawyers
- Dari speaking lawyers
- Hindi speaking lawyers
- Urdu speaking lawyers
- Kurdish speaking lawyers
- Bosnian speaking lawyers
- Croatian speaking lawyers
- Serbian speaking lawyers
- Slovenian speaking lawyers
- Macedonian speaking lawyers
- Montenegrian speaking lawyers
Call 07 3607 3274 or email info@phoenix-law.com.au to request an obligation-free consultation. We’re here to help YOU!