Everything You Need to Know About the Sponsored Parent Visa

Australia’s highly anticipated Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870) has recently been announced and there are a lot of questions involved in terms of how the visa works. Today we’ll be going over what Australia’s new temporary parent visa is all about and help you throughout the application process.

General overview

The newly proposed visa provides parents with an opportunity to reunite with their children who are permanent residents or citizens of Australia. The visa is effective for 3-5 years and after this period, parents can choose to renew the visa and extend their stay for another 5 years. The benefits of the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870) is that it provides a much longer stay period compared to a Visitor visa which is only 12 months. Keep in mind that this visa is only temporary and does not allow for permanent residency in Australia and does not allow you to acquire employment as well.

The Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870) visa is processed in two ways:

1. Application to become an approved Parent Sponsor.

2. Application for the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870)

The child must be an approved sponsor first before their parents can apply for the visa. Sponsorship application began in April 17, 2019 and once approved, parents can lodge their visa application starting in July 1, 2019. The visa application must be lodged within 6 months after the Parent Sponsor approval. At the moment, processing times have not yet been released and it is expected to be available within the final quarter of the year.

About the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870) visa

With this new visa, parents are able to enjoy the following benefits:

• Reunite with children and other family members in Australia
• Visit Australia for 3-5 years
• Extend that visit up to a maximum of 10 years
• Significantly longer stay period than a Visitor visa.
• Travel to and from Australia as much as you wish while the visa is valid.

You can enjoy a cumulative stay of up to 10 years once your first visa expires. But, you must be outside of Australia for a minimum of 90 days before you are eligible for another Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa. Once you’ve reached the maximum 10-year period, you cannot extend the visa even further. However, you can apply for another visa that will allow you to stay in Australia.

The visa will end under the following conditions:

• If the visa is cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs
• If the sponsorship is cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs
• If the sponsorship is withdrawn and you cannot find a replacement Parent Sponsor
• The day the visa expires

Cost

The cost of the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa is as follows:

• AUD5,000 for a 3-year visa
• AUD10,000 for a 5-year visa

You can pay for the visa in 2-part installments. You’ll pay the first installment upon applying for the visa and the base application charge is AUD1,000 for both 3-year and 5-year visas. The second installment is payable before the visa is granted and you are required to pay in full balance. Keep in mind that there will be additional costs for biometrics, police certificates, and health examinations.

Eligibility for the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa

To be eligible to apply for this visa, you must be able to comply with the following conditions:

• Be the biological, adoptive, step-parent, or parent-in law of your Parent Sponsor.
• Have met and complied with previous visa obligations.
• Meet certain health requirements.
• Meet certain character requirements.
• Be a genuine temporary visitor in Australia.
• Have no remaining debt to the Australian government like public health debt.

You must intend to visit Australia temporarily within the period allotted and conduct accordingly based on what the visa allows you to do. If you have lodged a permanent parent visa application, you can still visit Australia but cannot stay permanently while your visa is being processed.

Step-by-step process on applying for the Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa

Step 1: Before you apply

Before applying for the visa, it’s important to check your eligibility and make sure that you have an approved Parent Sponsor. Check the validity of your passport as well. You can get help with a registered migration agent, but you must let the Department of Home Affairs know if you want someone to receive your correspondence and provide immigration assistance for you.

Step 2: Gather important documents

It’s important to provide accurate documents that strongly support your identity. Failure to provide important documents can lead to a visa refusal. Providing bogus documents can cause serious implications like not being granted a visa for the next 10 years.

Step 3: Apply for the visa

You must apply for the visa online through Australia’s ImmiAccount. The visa should be lodged within 6 months after the Parent Sponsorship approval if you’re outside Australia. If you are applying while in Australia, a Permission to Apply is required. You need to apply within 60 days after a Parent Sponsorship approval if you’re inside Australia. If not, you are required to depart Australia or apply for a different visa to allow you to stay in the country.

Step 4: After you apply

You will be notified once the Department of Home Affairs has received your visa application. You will be updated about the status of your application. Before the visa is granted, you are required to pay the second installment in full balance.

Step 5: Visa application outcome

Once your visa has been granted, the Department of Home Affairs will provide you with the following information:

• Your visa grant number
• Visa conditions
• The start date of your visa

If your visa has been refused, you will be informed why it was rejected. So make sure to comply with all the necessary requirements and get help as much as possible because there are no refunds when a visa is refused.

Conclusion

Here is everything you need to know about the new Sponsored Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 870). This temporary visa brings plenty of benefits to parents of Australian citizens to enjoy staying in Australia of up to 10 years. Use all of the information available in here to successfully lodge a Sponsored Parent visa.