Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 143 Australia

The Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 143 is a permanent Australian family visa for eligible parents of settled Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.

It allows an eligible parent to live permanently in Australia and reunite with their family.

Unlike the standard Parent visa subclass 103, the subclass 143 is part of the Contributory Parent visa program, which involves significantly higher contribution charges but generally has a shorter queue than the standard Parent visa pathway.

However, applicants should be aware that Parent visa applications are subject to capping and queueing, and processing can take many years. Home Affairs currently estimates around 15 years for new Contributory Parent visa applications, although individual circumstances and future program settings can affect processing.

The Visa provides professional assistance with Contributory Parent visa eligibility, balance of family assessment, sponsorship, Assurance of Support, documentation and application preparation.

What Is the Contributory Parent Visa 143?

The Contributory Parent visa subclass 143 is a permanent family migration visa for parents who have eligible children settled in Australia.

If granted, the visa allows the parent to:

Live permanently in Australia
Work in Australia
Study in Australia
Access Medicare subject to applicable eligibility rules
Travel to and from Australia subject to the visa's travel facility
Potentially sponsor eligible family members in the future
Potentially apply for Australian citizenship if eligible

The visa is subject to Australia's Parent visa program arrangements, including capping and queueing.

Who Can Apply for Subclass 143?

To qualify, the applicant must satisfy the applicable Parent visa requirements.

Generally, the applicant must:

Have an eligible child who is settled in Australia
Be the parent of that child
Meet the Balance of Family test
Have an eligible sponsor
Meet health requirements
Meet character requirements
Meet the Assurance of Support requirements
Pay the applicable visa application charges
Satisfy all other requirements applicable to subclass 143

Eligibility should be assessed individually because Parent visa requirements can depend on the applicant's family circumstances and previous visa history.

Who Can Sponsor a Contributory Parent?

A parent applying for subclass 143 generally needs an eligible sponsor.

The sponsor is generally:

An Australian citizen
An Australian permanent resident
An eligible New Zealand citizen

The sponsoring child must also meet the applicable settled requirements in Australia.

In some circumstances, another eligible person or organisation may be able to act as sponsor. The exact sponsorship arrangements should be checked against the current requirements.

Balance of Family Test

The Balance of Family test is one of the most important requirements for a Contributory Parent visa.

A parent generally meets the test if:

At least half of their children and stepchildren are eligible children; or
More of their children and stepchildren are eligible children than are children living in any one other country.

Home Affairs confirms that the Balance of Family test applies to subclass 143 applications and cannot be waived, including in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

Example

Suppose a parent has four children:

Two children living in Australia
One child living in India
One child living in Canada

Two of four children are eligible children in Australia, meaning at least half are eligible.

The parent may therefore satisfy the Balance of Family test, subject to the other requirements.

The calculation must be based on the Department's definition of eligible children and the applicant's complete family circumstances.

What Counts as an Eligible Child?

The Balance of Family assessment can include:

Biological children
Stepchildren
Adopted children

The Department assesses the relevant family circumstances under the applicable Parent visa rules.

This means that applicants should prepare a complete list of their children and stepchildren rather than considering only children who are currently living in Australia.

What Does "Settled in Australia" Mean?

The parent generally needs an eligible child who is settled in Australia.

Evidence may be required to demonstrate the child's:

Australian citizenship or permanent residency
Residence in Australia
Relationship with the parent
Length and nature of residence
Other relevant circumstances

The Department assesses whether the applicable settlement requirement has been satisfied.

Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is an important part of the Contributory Parent visa process.

The purpose of the Assurance of Support is to help ensure that the visa applicant will not rely on certain social security payments during the applicable period.

For a permanent Contributory Parent visa such as subclass 143, the Assurance of Support period is 10 years.

The assurer may need to provide an Assurance of Support bond and satisfy the applicable income and other requirements.

The bond is generally held for the duration of the AoS period and may be released after the period ends, subject to any recoverable amounts claimed by Services Australia.

Who Can Provide an Assurance of Support?

An assurer may be:

The sponsor
Another person
An eligible organisation in circumstances permitted by the rules

The assurer must meet the relevant requirements established by Services Australia.

The Assurance of Support is separate from the visa application itself, although it is an important part of the overall Parent visa process.

Health Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the applicable Australian health requirements.

Depending on the circumstances, this can involve:

Medical examination
Chest X-ray
Other health examinations
Additional medical assessments where requested

The Department may require health examinations at different stages of processing because Parent visa applications can remain in the queue for many years.

Applicants should follow the Department's instructions rather than arranging unnecessary examinations too early.

Character Requirements

Applicants must also satisfy applicable character requirements.

Depending on the applicant's circumstances, this may involve:

Police certificates
Character declarations
Court documents
Information about previous offences
Other relevant evidence

Previous criminal or immigration history should be disclosed accurately.

Subclass 143 Application Process

Step 1: Assess Eligibility

Review:

Parent-child relationship
Sponsor eligibility
Settled status
Balance of Family test
Health
Character
Assurance of Support
Previous Australian visas

Step 2: Prepare the Application

Gather identity, relationship, family, health, character and financial documents.

Step 3: Lodge the Application

The application must be prepared and lodged according to the Department's current requirements.

Step 4: Initial Assessment

Home Affairs initially assesses the application against the core visa criteria.

If the application meets the relevant core requirements, a queue date can be assigned. The Department advises applicants of their queue date in writing.

Step 5: Wait in the Parent Visa Queue

Parent visas are subject to capping and queueing.

Applications are generally considered in queue-date order as places become available.

Step 6: Final Processing

When the application reaches the applicable queue release stage, Home Affairs can proceed with final assessment.

Further health, character, Assurance of Support or other requirements may need to be completed or updated.

Step 7: Visa Decision

If all requirements are satisfied and a visa place is available, the subclass 143 can be granted.

Parent Visa Queue

The Parent visa program has significantly more demand than the number of available places.

Home Affairs confirms that all Parent visa applications, including subclass 143, are subject to capping and queueing.

As at 31 May 2026, Home Affairs had released Contributory Parent subclass 143 applications with queue dates up to November 2018 for final processing.

This demonstrates why applicants should carefully consider their long-term family migration plans before choosing a Parent visa pathway.

Subclass 143 Processing Time

For new Contributory Parent applications, Home Affairs currently provides an estimated processing timeframe of approximately 15 years.

This is not a guaranteed processing period.

The actual timeframe can change because of:

Migration Program planning levels
Number of applications received
Number of places available
Withdrawals
Refusals
Administrative review outcomes
Ministerial intervention
Changes to processing directions
Applicant circumstances
Health and character checks

Home Affairs specifically states that it cannot provide an exact processing timeframe for capped and queued Parent visas.

Why Does Subclass 143 Take So Long?

The Parent visa program is heavily oversubscribed.

The number of people seeking Parent visas is significantly greater than the number of places available each year.

As a result, applications are placed into a queue and released for final processing when places become available.

This is why the Contributory Parent visa should not be marketed as a fast migration pathway.

Subclass 143 Visa Costs

The total cost of a Contributory Parent visa can include:

First visa application charge
Additional applicant charges
Second instalment visa charge where applicable
Assurance of Support bond
Health examination costs
Police certificate costs
Translation costs
Document certification costs
Professional migration assistance fees
Other application-related expenses

Visa charges can change.

Home Affairs states that visa costs depend on the date the application is received and recommends checking the current Visa Pricing Estimator and pricing table before lodging.

The Assurance of Support bond is separate from the visa application charge.

Subclass 143 Second Instalment

The Contributory Parent visa involves a substantial contribution component.

The visa application charge can consist of a first instalment and, where applicable, a second instalment before visa grant. Home Affairs explains that some visas require a second instalment before grant.

Applicants should verify the current amount applicable to their circumstances rather than relying on historical fee figures.

Subclass 143 vs Subclass 103

Feature	Subclass 143	Subclass 103
Visa	Contributory Parent	Parent
Permanent	Yes	Yes
Balance of Family test	Yes	Yes
Assurance of Support	Yes	Yes
Government contribution	Higher	Lower
Queue	Long	Very long
Current estimated processing for new applications	About 15 years	About 33 years
Capping & queueing	Yes	Yes

Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 15 years for new Contributory Parent applications compared with approximately 33 years for new Parent subclass 103 applications. These are estimates and not guarantees.

Subclass 143 vs Subclass 173

Subclass 143 is a permanent Contributory Parent visa.

Subclass 173 is the temporary Contributory Parent visa.

A person who holds subclass 173 can potentially apply for subclass 143 later, subject to the applicable requirements and the relevant application period.

Home Affairs' current parent visa application materials confirm that temporary Contributory Parent visa holders can receive certain concessions when applying for the corresponding permanent Contributory Parent visa, provided the applicable requirements are met.

Subclass 143 vs Subclass 870

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 870 is a temporary pathway that can allow an eligible parent to stay in Australia for a longer temporary period.

Subclass 143 is different because it is a permanent Parent visa.

The appropriate pathway depends on factors such as:

Whether permanent residence is required
Family circumstances
Financial resources
Balance of Family eligibility
Sponsorship
Long-term plans
Ability to wait in the Parent visa queue

Home Affairs identifies subclass 870 as a temporary parent pathway and subclass 143 as a permanent Contributory Parent pathway.

Can Subclass 143 Holders Work in Australia?

A permanent Contributory Parent visa allows the holder to live and work in Australia, subject to the applicable visa conditions and Australian laws.

The subclass 143 is not an employer-sponsored visa, so the parent does not need an employer sponsor to remain in Australia under this visa.

Can Subclass 143 Holders Access Medicare?

Permanent residents may generally be eligible for Medicare subject to the applicable Medicare rules.

Medicare eligibility should be confirmed with Services Australia based on the person's individual circumstances.

Can Subclass 143 Holders Become Australian Citizens?

A subclass 143 holder may potentially apply for Australian citizenship in the future if they satisfy the separate citizenship requirements.

Permanent residence does not automatically result in Australian citizenship.

Citizenship has its own residence, character and other eligibility requirements.

Can a Parent Include Their Partner?

Eligible members of the applicant's family unit may be included where the visa rules permit.

The Department assesses family-unit relationships under the applicable migration legislation.

All family members should be declared correctly and appropriate supporting documentation should be provided.

What Documents Are Required?

Documents may include:

Applicant Documents

Passport
Birth certificate
National identity documents
Marriage certificate
Divorce or separation documents where applicable
Previous visa information
Residential history
Travel history

Sponsor Documents

Australian passport or citizenship evidence
Permanent residence evidence
Eligible New Zealand citizenship evidence where applicable
Evidence of residence in Australia
Evidence of relationship to the applicant

Family Documents

Birth certificates of children
Stepchild documents
Adoption documents where applicable
Evidence of children's residence
Evidence supporting the Balance of Family test

Common Subclass 143 Mistakes

Applicants should avoid:

Incorrectly calculating the Balance of Family test
Failing to include stepchildren
Providing incomplete family information
Assuming a child living in Australia automatically satisfies the settled requirement
Using outdated visa fee information
Underestimating the Assurance of Support requirements
Ignoring health or character issues
Failing to maintain contact details with Home Affairs
Assuming the visa will be processed within a few years
Confusing subclass 143 with subclass 173
Assuming a queue date guarantees a grant
Failing to update the Department when circumstances change

Is Subclass 143 Right for Your Family?

The Contributory Parent visa can provide a permanent pathway for eligible parents who want to reunite with their children in Australia.

However, the long queue means that applicants should compare the subclass 143 with other possible parent visa options before making a decision.

Depending on your circumstances, alternatives may include:

Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)
Subclass 103 Parent visa
Subclass 173 Contributory Parent visa
Other appropriate family visa options

The best option depends on your eligibility, family circumstances, financial position and long-term plans.

How The Visa Can Help

The Visa can assist with:

Subclass 143 eligibility assessment
Balance of Family test assessment
Parent visa sponsorship
Family-unit assessment
Assurance of Support guidance
Document preparation
Health and character requirements
Parent visa application preparation
Queue-date information
Subclass 173 to 143 pathway
Comparison of Parent visa options
Long-term family migration planning

Our Registered Migration Agent Navneet Kaur (MARN 2318181) can assess your circumstances and help you understand the available Parent visa pathways.

Bring Your Parents to Australia

If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen with parents overseas, the Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 143 may provide a permanent family migration pathway.

Because Parent visas are subject to strict eligibility requirements, capping and long queues, obtaining the right advice before lodging can be important.

Contact The Visa for a personalised Contributory Parent visa assessment.

Phone: +61 430 077 714
Email: [email protected]
Website: thevisa.com.au

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