Parent Visa Subclass 103 Australia

What Is Parent Visa Subclass 103?

The Parent visa subclass 103 is a permanent family migration visa for eligible parents who have a child settled in Australia.

If granted, the parent can generally:

• 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 apply for Australian citizenship if separately eligible

The visa is part of Australia's Parent visa program and is subject to annual capping and queueing.

Who Can Apply for a Parent Visa 103?

To be eligible for subclass 103, the applicant generally needs to:

• Have an eligible child who is settled in Australia
• Meet the required parent-child relationship
• Meet the Balance of Family test
• Have an eligible sponsor
• Meet health requirements
• Meet character requirements
• Meet Assurance of Support requirements
• Meet the other applicable visa criteria

The Department assesses each application according to the circumstances of the applicant and the applicable migration legislation.

Who Can Sponsor a Parent Visa?

The sponsor is generally the applicant's child who is:

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

The child generally needs to be settled in Australia.

In certain circumstances, another eligible person may be able to act as sponsor. The exact sponsorship requirements should be checked before applying.

Home Affairs guidance explains that the settled requirement is assessed based on the circumstances of the sponsor, including their residence and intention to make Australia their home.

What Does "Settled in Australia" Mean?

A sponsor generally needs to be settled in Australia at the time of sponsorship.

The Department considers factors such as:

• How long the sponsor has lived in Australia
• Their physical residence
• Their usual place of residence
• Their intention to make Australia their home
• Their Australian citizenship or permanent residence status

A temporary absence from Australia does not necessarily mean a person is no longer settled, but their circumstances need to be assessed.

Balance of Family Test

The Balance of Family test is a major eligibility requirement for subclass 103.

A parent generally satisfies the test if:

1. At least half of their children and stepchildren are eligible children; or
2. More of their eligible children live in Australia than in any other single country.

The Department confirms that the Balance of Family test applies to subclass 103 and cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

Example

A parent has four children:

• Two children live in Australia
• One child lives in India
• One child lives in Canada

Two of the four children are eligible children in Australia. This may satisfy the "at least half" part of the Balance of Family test, subject to the full circumstances and definitions applying to the application.

The calculation must include the applicant's relevant children and stepchildren rather than only considering children who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Which Children Are Counted?

The Balance of Family test can include:

• Biological children
• Stepchildren
• Adopted children

The Department assesses the family circumstances according to its applicable Parent visa rules.

Applicants should therefore prepare complete information about all relevant children and stepchildren.

Assurance of Support

An Assurance of Support (AoS) is an important requirement for Parent visa applicants.

The purpose of an Assurance of Support is to help ensure that the visa holder does not rely on certain social security payments during the applicable AoS period.

For permanent Parent visa applicants, the Assurance of Support period can be 10 years. Home Affairs states that the AoS period for permanent Contributory Parent visas is 10 years, while the applicable period for other visas can be different.

The assurer may also need to provide a refundable bond.

The bond is generally held for the Assurance of Support period and may be released after that period, subject to any recoverable claims.

Who Can Provide an Assurance of Support?

Depending on the circumstances, an assurer may be:

• The sponsor
• Another eligible individual
• An eligible organisation where permitted

The assurer must satisfy the applicable Services Australia requirements.

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

Health Requirements

Parent visa applicants must satisfy the applicable Australian health requirements.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

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

Because subclass 103 applications can remain in the queue for many years, applicants may be asked to complete or update health examinations when the Department requires them.

Applicants should follow Home Affairs instructions regarding when examinations should be completed.

Character Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the applicable character requirements.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

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

Applicants should disclose previous criminal or immigration matters accurately.

Parent Visa Subclass 103 Application Process

Step 1: Check Eligibility

Assess:

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

Step 2: Prepare Supporting Documents

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

Step 3: Lodge the Application

Prepare and lodge the subclass 103 application according to the current Department requirements.

Step 4: Initial Assessment

Home Affairs conducts an initial assessment of the application against the core visa criteria.

If the application meets the relevant requirements, the Department assigns a queue date and notifies the applicant in writing.

Step 5: Wait in the Parent Visa Queue

The application remains subject to the available Parent visa places and queue arrangements.

Parent visa applications are generally processed in lodgement/queue-date order.

Step 6: Final Processing

When the application reaches the relevant queue release stage, Home Affairs may commence final processing.

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

Step 7: Visa Decision

If the applicant satisfies the requirements and a place is available, the subclass 103 may be granted.

Parent Visa 103 Processing Time

This is one of the most important considerations when deciding whether subclass 103 is appropriate.

Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent visa applications.

This is an estimate and not a guaranteed processing period.

As at 31 May 2026, Home Affairs reported that Parent visa applications with queue dates up to approximately March 2014 were being released for final processing.

This illustrates the significant demand for Parent visas compared with the number of places available each year.

Why Does Parent Visa 103 Take So Long?

Parent visas are subject to capping and queueing.

The number of Parent visa applications is substantially greater than the number of places available under the Migration Program.

Once the available places for a program year are reached, remaining applications stay in the queue until places become available in future program years.

Processing times can change because of:

• Migration Program planning levels
• Number of applications lodged
• Withdrawals
• Refusals
• Administrative review outcomes
• Ministerial Intervention
• Changes to processing directions
• Number of available Parent visa places

Parent Visa 103 Cost

The subclass 103 has lower government visa charges than the Contributory Parent visa pathways, but applicants should consider the complete cost of the application.

Potential expenses include:

• Visa application charges
• Additional applicant charges where applicable
• Assurance of Support bond
• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Translation
• Document certification
• Professional migration assistance
• Other application-related expenses

Government visa charges can change.

The current Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator and pricing information should be checked before lodgement rather than relying on historical fee figures.

Subclass 103 vs Subclass 143

Home Affairs currently estimates approximately 33 years for new Parent visa applications compared with approximately 15 years for new Contributory Parent applications. These are estimates and may change.

Subclass 103 vs Subclass 870

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 870 is a temporary parent visa that can allow eligible parents to stay in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years.

Subclass 103 is different because it is a permanent visa.

The subclass 870 may be worth considering where the family's priority is spending time together in Australia sooner rather than waiting for the Parent visa queue.

Home Affairs currently identifies subclass 870 as a temporary parent pathway, while subclass 103 is a permanent Parent visa.

Subclass 103 vs Subclass 173

The Contributory Parent visa subclass 173 is a temporary Contributory Parent visa that can provide a pathway towards subclass 143.

Subclass 103 is a permanent non-contributory Parent visa.

The appropriate option depends on factors such as:

• Family circumstances
• Financial resources
• Balance of Family eligibility
• Desired timeframe
• Long-term migration plans

Can Parents Work on Subclass 103?

Yes. As a permanent visa, subclass 103 generally allows the holder to live and work in Australia, subject to Australian law and the applicable visa arrangements.

The parent does not need an employer sponsor to remain in Australia under the subclass 103.

Can Parents Study on Subclass 103?

A permanent resident can generally study in Australia.

The parent should check applicable education provider requirements, fees and eligibility for any government-supported study arrangements.

Medicare and Subclass 103

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

Eligibility should be confirmed with Services Australia based on the parent's individual circumstances.

Can a Parent Become an Australian Citizen?

A subclass 103 holder may potentially apply for Australian citizenship after meeting the separate citizenship requirements.

Permanent residence does not automatically result in citizenship.

Citizenship has separate requirements relating to matters such as residence, character and other eligibility criteria.

Can the Parent Include Their Partner?

Eligible family members may be included where the visa rules allow.

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

All family members should be declared accurately and the required evidence should be provided.

Parent Visa 103 Documents

Documents may include:

Parent Documents

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• National identity documents
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce 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 with the parent
• Sponsorship documents

Family Documents

• Children's birth certificates
• Stepchild documents
• Adoption documents where relevant
• Evidence of children's residence
• Evidence supporting the Balance of Family test

Other Documents

• Police certificates
• Health examination documents
• Assurance of Support documents
• Financial evidence
• Certified or translated documents where required
• Other documents requested by Home Affairs

The exact evidence requirements depend on the circumstances of the application.

Common Parent Visa 103 Mistakes

Applicants should avoid:

• Incorrectly calculating the Balance of Family test
• Failing to include stepchildren
• Providing incomplete family information
• Assuming one Australian child automatically satisfies the requirements
• Failing to demonstrate that the sponsor is settled
• Ignoring Assurance of Support requirements
• Using outdated visa fee information
• Completing health examinations at the wrong stage
• Failing to update contact information
• Assuming a queue date guarantees a visa grant
• Assuming the current processing estimate is fixed
• Confusing subclass 103 with subclass 143
• Failing to consider temporary alternatives such as subclass 870

Is Parent Visa 103 Right for Your Family?

Subclass 103 can provide permanent residence for eligible parents, but its extremely long queue makes the choice of pathway particularly important.

Families should compare subclass 103 with other possible options before making a long-term migration decision.

Depending on your circumstances, alternatives may include:

• Contributory Parent visa subclass 143
• Contributory Parent visa subclass 173
• Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa subclass 870
• Other eligible family migration pathways

The appropriate option depends on your eligibility, family circumstances, finances and migration goals.

How The Visa Can Help

The Visa can assist with:

• Parent visa 103 eligibility assessment
• Balance of Family test assessment
• Sponsor assessment
• Settled requirement assessment
• Assurance of Support guidance
• Family-unit assessment
• Parent visa documentation
• Health and character requirements
• Parent visa application preparation
• Queue-date guidance
• Comparison of subclass 103 and 143
• Subclass 103 vs 870 assessment
• Long-term family migration planning

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

Bring Your Parents to Australia

If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen with a parent overseas, the Parent Visa Subclass 103 may provide a permanent family migration pathway.

However, the subclass 103 queue is extremely long. Understanding the eligibility requirements and comparing alternative parent visa options before applying can be important.

Contact The Visa for a personalised Parent Visa assessment.

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