103Permanent
Parent visa (subclass 103)
Parent visa (subclass 103)
Visa Cost
AUD 5,280
2025-26 first-instalment base VAC (primary applicant) AUD 5,280; additional applicants aged 18 and over AUD 2,640 each, under 18 AUD 1,325 each. A second-instalment VAC of about AUD 2,065 per person is also required before grant. Credit cards add a surcharge of about 1.4%. This is a non-contributory type, with VAC far lower than the contributory type, but an extremely long queue.
Processing Time
An extremely long queue: applications lodged around June 2013 are currently being processed, and new applications are expected to take about 29-31 years
Eligibility
- The applicant is the parent (including stepparent, adoptive parent) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen settled in Australia
- There must be an eligible child as sponsor, who usually must have been settled in Australia for about 2 years
- Must pass the Balance of Family Test: at least half the children are in Australia, or more children are in Australia than in any other single country
- No age limit (unlike the aged parent visas 804/864, 103 does not require reaching pension age)
- A sponsor or another party must provide an Assurance of Support (AoS), including a cash bond
- Meet health and character requirements (health examination, police clearance)
- Can be lodged onshore or offshore, with no location restriction at lodgement or grant
- Limited by the annual parent visa quota (about 8,500 places in 2025-26), so the queue is extremely long
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
Permanent residence, allowing indefinite residence; places are limited and queued, with a wait before grant usually of about 30 years.
Eligible Dependants
Can include the spouse/de facto partner and eligible dependent family members in the application.
PR / Permanent Residence Pathway
This visa is permanent residence (PR). It is a non-contributory parent visa with an extremely long queue (up to about 30 years); after grant you can reside indefinitely, with citizenship possible later.
View provisional-to-permanent transition overview →Application Steps
1
Confirm eligibility and sponsoring child
Confirm eligibility and sponsoring child
Check the balance-of-family test and sponsor eligibility
- Tally the countries of residence of all biological/step/adopted children to confirm you pass the balance-of-family test
- Confirm the sponsoring child is a settled Australian citizen/PR/eligible New Zealand citizen, usually settled for about 2 years
- Assess whether the sponsor or another person can provide the Assurance of Support (AoS) and the bond
2
Prepare documents and lodge online
Prepare documents and lodge online
Lodge the application via ImmiAccount to secure a queue place
- Register an ImmiAccount and complete the parent visa application form (the online form corresponding to paper Form 47PA)
- Upload all supporting materials: identity, relationship, sponsorship, etc.
- Pay the first-instalment VAC (primary applicant AUD 5,280) to obtain a queue date
3
Enter the queue
Enter the queue
After passing the initial eligibility check, the application enters the queue
- The Department first does a capping and queueing assessment; those who qualify get a 'queue date'
- During the queue, parents usually travel back and forth on a visitor visa (600), or consider the 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa
- During the queue, keep documents (passport, relationship) valid and update any change of address
4
Health, character and AoS when queue reached
Health, character and AoS when queue reached
Complete the health examination, character and assurance of support as required close to grant
- Complete the immigration health examination (HAP ID) and police clearances from each country of residence as notified by the Department
- The sponsor/assurer lodges an Assurance of Support (AoS) with Centrelink and pays the bond
- Pay the second-instalment VAC (about AUD 2,065 per person)
5
Grant and entry
Grant and entry
Be granted the permanent residence visa
- Permanent residence is obtained once the visa is granted
- If granted offshore, you must arrive in Australia before the initial entry date
- After arriving you have permanent resident benefits such as Medicare (some benefits have a waiting period)
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent visa application (Form 47PA equivalent) | Parent visa application (Form 47PA equivalent) | The main application form, setting out personal information, family members and children's countries of residence for the balance-of-family test | The online application is completed directly in ImmiAccount; the paper equivalent is Form 47PA; be sure to truthfully list all children (including step/adopted) and their usual countries of residence | |
| Sponsorship for migration to Australia (Form 40) | Sponsorship for migration to Australia (Form 40) | Completed by the sponsoring child, undertaking the sponsorship and providing proof of their Australian status and residence | The sponsor must attach citizenship/PR visa evidence and proof of address, proving about 2 years of settlement in Australia | |
| Passport and birth certificate | Passport and birth certificate | Prove identity, nationality and age | The passport must be valid; if there is no original Chinese birth certificate/household register, a notarial kinship certificate can be used instead, with a NAATI English translation | |
| Evidence of parent-child relationship | Evidence of parent-child relationship | Prove the parent-child relationship between the applicant and the sponsoring child | Chinese applicants commonly use the medical birth certificate, one-child certificate, household register, and a notarial 'kinship certificate' from a notary office, all requiring NAATI translation | |
| Details and residence of all children | Details and residence of all children | For the balance-of-family test, listing each child's country and status | Must cover all children onshore and offshore; offshore children provide their current visa/residence or place-of-residence proof, which is key to grant | |
| Marriage certificate or partner relationship evidence | Marriage certificate or partner relationship evidence | If the spouse applies together, prove the marital relationship | The marriage certificate must be notarised and translated; a de facto relationship needs cohabitation, shared-finance and other evidence | |
| Assurance of Support | Assurance of Support | The assurer undertakes financial support to Centrelink and pays a cash bond | 103 is a permanent parent visa; the Assurance of Support (AoS) period is usually 10 years; the bond is about AUD 5,000 for one adult and about AUD 7,000 for two adults (subject to the current Services Australia rates). | |
| Health examination | Health examination | Complete the health examination at a Department-designated provider to meet the health requirement | Usually done close to grant as notified; obtain a HAP ID and have the health examination at a designated panel clinic, including chest X-ray and blood tests | |
| Police clearance certificates | Police clearance certificates | Police clearances from all countries where you have lived for a cumulative 12 months or more after age 16 | A Chinese police clearance issued and notarised and translated; it must cover China and other countries of long-term residence | |
| Passport-style photographs | Passport-style photographs | A recent compliant passport photo | White background, taken within the last 6 months, uploaded to the Department's specifications | |
| Form 80 - Personal particulars for assessment | Form 80 - Personal particulars for assessment | Set out in detail your residence, work, travel and background history for character assessment | Complete if the Department requires; you must precisely list each past period of residence and entry/exit history |
FAQ
Does the 103 visa queue really take decades?
Yes. 103 is a non-contributory queued type, strictly limited by the annual quota; the Department is currently processing applications lodged around 2013, and newly lodged ones are expected to take about 29-31 years. Many families simply use the low fee to 'hold a place', and during the wait parents mostly come to Australia to reunite on a visitor visa (600) or the 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
What is the difference between 103 and the contributory 143/173? Which should I choose?
103 is cheap (first instalment about AUD 5,280) but the queue is decades long; 143/173 are contributory, with a second-instalment 'contribution' as high as about AUD 29,130-43,600, but are processed much faster (a few years). If your budget is limited and you are not in a hurry to reunite, choose 103 to hold a place; if you want permanent residence as soon as possible and can afford it, choose the contributory type.
Can parents live in Australia throughout the queue?
103 itself provides no residence right while queued. Parents can travel back and forth on a Visitor visa (600), but single and cumulative stays are limited; for long-term continuous residence, consider the 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (up to 5 years per grant, up to 10 years cumulatively).
What if you fail the balance-of-family test?
If fewer than half the children are in Australia, or more are overseas, you fail the balance-of-family test, and parent visas such as 103/804/864 cannot be granted. First tally the usual countries of residence of all children (including step/adopted); if an overseas child later moves to Australia, the test result may change.
What if the applicant or sponsor dies/circumstances change during the application?
The queue often runs to decades, during which circumstances frequently change. The sponsor must maintain settled status in Australia; changes to the applicant's details (marital status, address, passport) must be updated promptly via ImmiAccount, otherwise later eligibility assessment and grant may be affected.
Common Refusal Reasons
- Failing the balance-of-family test (children in Australia are not at least half, or not more than in any other single country)
- The sponsor is ineligible or the sponsorship is invalid
- The applicant failed the health or character requirement
- Having an outstanding debt to the Australian government with no arrangement to repay
- A prior refusal or visa cancellation in Australia affects eligibility
- The applicant dies or the family composition changes during the queue, so eligibility is lost
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.
Next Steps
Related Visas
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