Parent visas · Subclass 870
Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa — Long Stays, No Queue, No PR
The 870 visa Australia offers parents is a temporary visa for stays of up to five years at a time. Your child is approved as a parent sponsor first. There is no balance of family test and no assurance of support. It does not lead to permanent residence.
What is the 870 visa?
The Subclass 870 sponsored parent visa is a temporary visa for parents of settled Australians. Your child must first be approved as a parent sponsor. You can stay up to five years per visa and ten years in total. It gives no work rights and no path to permanent residence.
Key facts
- Sponsor first, visa second. The parent sponsor must be approved before the 870 application is made.
- Stays of up to five years per visa. The total period of all your 870 visas must stay under ten years.
- The charge from 1 July 2026 is $1,515 at lodgement. The second instalment is $4,855 for three years or less, or $10,925 for longer.
- No balance of family test and no assurance of support.
- No work rights. Condition 8103 bars work without the Minister's written permission.
- Health insurance is required for the whole stay, under condition 8501.
- It closes the permanent parent visas while you hold it. You cannot make a valid application for the 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 or 884 while holding an 870.
Who can apply for the sponsored parent visa 870?
The subclass 870 visa, the sponsored parent temporary visa, has two stages. Your child applies to be approved as a parent sponsor. Then you apply for the 870 visa itself, naming that approved sponsor.
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| The sponsor | Your adult child, or your child's partner, who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The sponsor is approved first. |
| Sponsor residence | A permanent resident or New Zealand citizen sponsor needs four years of usual residence in Australia. Citizens are exempt. |
| Sponsor income | The sponsor passes an income test on an ATO notice of assessment. Income can be combined with a partner, and the sponsor must show at least half. |
| Your age | You are at least 18 when you apply. |
| Where you apply | Outside Australia, unless the Minister has permitted you to apply in Australia. |
| Funds and insurance | You can meet the costs of your stay, and you hold adequate health insurance. |
| Genuine temporary stay | You genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily. |
| Past 870s | You do not hold an 870. The total period of any past 870s is under ten years. After an 870, you have generally been outside Australia 90 days in a row before a new one. |
How much does the 870 visa cost?
The government charge is paid in two instalments. The first is paid at lodgement. The second is requested once every other criterion is met, and its amount depends on the length of the visa.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| First instalment | $1,515 · $1,245 for a Pacific-regional passport holder |
| Second instalment, visa of three years or less | $4,855 |
| Second instalment, visa longer than three years | $10,925 |
Each parent applies on their own form; there are no combined applications. The parent sponsor approval is a separate application with its own charge, shown on the Home Affairs page.
870 or a permanent parent visa?
| Point | 870 visa | Permanent parent visas |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A temporary stay of up to five years per visa, ten in total | Permanent residence |
| Balance of family test | Not required | Required |
| Queue | None — applications are not capped and queued | Capped and queued |
| Work rights | None under current policy | Yes, as a permanent resident |
| Can you hold both? | You can apply for an 870 after lodging a permanent visa | You cannot lodge a permanent parent visa while holding an 870 |
Compare the Subclass 143 contributory parent visa and the Subclass 103 Parent visa for the permanent routes.
How do you apply for the 870 parent visa?
- Sponsor appliesYour child applies online to be approved as a parent sponsor, with the income evidence.
- Sponsor approvedApproval names up to two parents from one household.
- Parent appliesWithin six months, you apply online from outside Australia, naming the approved sponsor.
- ChecksHome Affairs assesses funds, insurance, genuine temporary stay, health and character.
- Second instalmentYou pay the second instalment for the length of visa to be granted.
- GrantThe visa is granted, in or outside Australia.
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Subclass 870 sponsored parent visa: frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the 870 while waiting for the 143?
Yes. Home Affairs policy says a parent with a permanent parent application already made may apply for an 870 to visit. That pending application is not, by itself, a reason to refuse the 870. The order matters the other way. You cannot make a valid 143 application while you hold an 870. Once an 870 ends, you must leave Australia before lodging a permanent parent visa.
Does the 870 visa lead to permanent residence?
No. The 870 is a temporary visa. Home Affairs policy states there is no pathway to permanent residence from it, including under any parent visa. Holding an 870 also stops you making a valid application for the six permanent and contributory parent visas. Once an 870 ends, you must leave Australia before you can lodge one of them. Plan the permanent route before taking the 870.
How long can I stay on an 870 visa?
The visa lets you travel to, enter and remain in Australia until a date the Minister sets. That date cannot be more than five years after grant. The total of all your 870 visas cannot exceed ten years. The second instalment is lower for a visa of three years or less, and higher for a longer one. After an 870, you generally need 90 days outside Australia before a new one.
How much does the 870 visa cost?
From 1 July 2026 the first instalment is $1,515, or $1,245 for a Pacific-regional passport holder. The second instalment is $4,855 for a visa of three years or less. It is $10,925 for a longer visa. It is paid before grant, once every other criterion is met. The parent sponsor's approval is a separate application, with its own charge shown by Home Affairs.
Can I work on an 870 visa?
No, not without permission. Condition 8103 means the holder must not work in Australia without the Minister's written permission. Home Affairs policy states that under current settings the 870 does not provide work rights. You must also keep adequate health insurance for the whole stay, under condition 8501. Plan the stay around both conditions before you apply. Volunteering and paid work are treated the same way.
Who can sponsor a parent for the 870?
An adult child who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen can sponsor. A permanent resident or New Zealand citizen sponsor needs four years of usual residence in Australia first. Citizens are exempt from that rule. The sponsor must pass an income test on an ATO notice of assessment. A character check applies too. The sponsor applies and is approved before the parent applies.
Is there a balance of family test for the 870?
No. The 870 has no balance of family test and no assurance of support. It is the one parent visa where the number of children in Australia does not decide eligibility. The sponsor's income test does that work instead. So does the parent's genuine intention to stay temporarily. That makes the 870 the usual option for a family that fails the test.
Can I apply for the 870 from inside Australia?
Usually no. The 870 must be lodged outside Australia unless the Minister has given permission to apply onshore. Home Affairs policy gives that permission only where the parent is physically unable to leave. Examples are serious illness or a natural disaster. If permission is given, the application must be made within 60 days of it. Cost, inconvenience or wanting to stay longer are not enough on their own.
Check the sponsor first.
A free eligibility check shows whether your child looks eligible to sponsor. It also shows whether an 870 or a permanent parent visa fits.
Visa Advisor, based in Sydney, NSW, is a MARA-registered migration practice advising families in Australia and overseas on parent visas.
Sources and last checked dates
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Compilation No. 288, 1 July 2026 (F2026C00667) — Schedule 2 Part 870; Schedule 1 item 1239; Schedule 8 conditions 8103 and 8501 read 25 September 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — PI VM-6327 Subclass 870 (policy, LEGEND version 6 February 2026) and PI VM-6276 parent sponsorship (LEGEND version 3 April 2026) read 25 September 2026
- Department of Home Affairs — Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) checked 25 September 2026 open ↗
Reviewed by a Registered Migration Agent · MARN 0852408. Visa charges change every 1 July and queue dates move during the year. Confirm the current figure with the source before acting on anything on this page.