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Pathway

Australia Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Subclass 870 lets an eligible parent visit family in Australia for up to three or five years, with a maximum of ten years across all such visas. The sponsor must be approved first. The parent cannot work, must keep health insurance, and does not gain permanent residence through this visa.

Sponsor first
An eligible sponsor must receive Parent Sponsor approval before the parent applies
Application deadline
Usually six months after sponsorship approval; 60 days for specially permitted inside-Australia applications
Work and insurance
No work; adequate private health insurance required

Summary

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) lets an eligible parent spend a longer temporary period with family in Australia. A grant is for up to 3 or 5 years, and the parent's total stay across 870 visas cannot exceed 10 years.

The process has two stages: the Australian child or other eligible person must first become an approved Parent Sponsor; only then can the parent submit the visa application within the allowed period. This route is designed for temporary family reunion, not permanent migration.

Arranging a longer parent visit
  1. Have the eligible sponsor obtain approval Check status, age, residence, household income, and sponsorship obligations.
  2. Apply for the parent’s visa within the deadline Prepare family, funds, insurance, health, and character evidence.
  3. Follow the temporary-stay conditions Keep insurance, do not work, and track all stays against the ten-year maximum.

This visa does not convert to permanent residence, and the order of Parent visa applications matters.

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Eligibility

The visa applicant must be the biological, legal (including adoptive), step-parent, or parent-in-law of the approved sponsor. The sponsor must normally be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who is at least 18 and meets the residence and household-income rules.

The parent generally must:

There is no balance of family test for Subclass 870. However, the sponsor has legal obligations, including support, accommodation where necessary, record keeping, notification of changes, and payment of certain outstanding public health debts incurred by the parent.

Home Affairs normally requires the parent to be outside Australia when applying unless it has granted permission to apply in Australia. The sponsorship approval letter and visa page should be checked for the exact deadline and location.

What This Route Allows

The parent can stay in Australia temporarily for the period granted—up to 3 or 5 years—and travel in and out while the visa and travel rights remain valid. A later 870 may be possible within the 10-year lifetime maximum and subject to the rules then in force.

The long stay can provide more family time than an ordinary visitor visa. It does not use the permanent Parent visa cap and queue.

What This Route Is Not

Subclass 870 does not allow work and does not grant permanent residence, Medicare access as a permanent resident, or an automatic path to citizenship. The parent must maintain private health insurance and meet every visa condition.

It is not a bridge that automatically converts to a 103, 143, 804 or 864 visa. You cannot submit a new permanent or temporary Parent visa application while you have applied for or hold Subclass 870. A permanent Parent application lodged first can remain pending during an approved 870 visit; the visit must still be temporary.

The 10-year cap covers all stays combined, not 10 years per child or sponsor. A parent who has used the maximum cannot simply restart the clock with a different sponsor.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the child or eligible sponsor meets the current citizenship/residence, age and household-income rules.
  2. Have the sponsor apply for and obtain Parent Sponsor approval before the parent's visa application.
  3. Read the approval letter for the 6-month or special 60-day application deadline.
  4. Choose 3 or 5 years only after budgeting the visa charge, insurance and living costs; the charge differs by stay length.
  5. Check the order of applications: an 870 application or visa prevents a new Parent visa application while it remains in place.
  6. Prepare identity, parent-child relationship, funds, insurance, health and character evidence.
  7. Track all previous 870 stays against the 10-year maximum and comply with no-work and insurance conditions.

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Discussed in these reports

Other routes in Australia.

Sources