870Temporary
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
Visa Cost
AUD 1,180
2025-26 first-instalment VAC (paid at application) AUD 1,180 per person. Second instalment (paid before grant): about AUD 4,715 for a 3-year visa and AUD 10,605 for a 5-year visa, so the total is about AUD 5,895 for 3 years and AUD 11,785 for 5 years per person. A sponsor must first be approved, with a sponsorship application fee of about AUD 420. It does not lead to permanent residence, with a maximum cumulative stay of 10 years in Australia. Credit cards add a surcharge of about 1.4%.
Processing Time
Sponsor approval plus visa processing usually total several months
Eligibility
- The applicant is the parent (including step/adoptive parent and parent-in-law) of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
- There must first be an approved 'parent sponsor' (who has passed the 870-specific sponsor approval)
- The sponsor must meet a minimum household income threshold (to support the sponsorship undertaking)
- No need to pass the balance-of-family test (unlike the permanent parent visa)
- You must hold compliant Australian private health insurance throughout
- Meet health and character requirements; no outstanding public health debt
- Usually lodged offshore and granted offshore; you must leave Australia for at least 90 days between two 870 grants
- Choose a 3-year or 5-year period, with a cumulative stay in Australia of no more than 10 years
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
Temporary visa, granted for 3 or 5 years at a time, with a maximum cumulative stay of 10 years under this visa class; you must leave at expiry, and a fresh application usually requires at least 90 days outside Australia first.
Eligible Dependants
This visa is limited to the sponsored parent only and cannot include a spouse or other family members (each parent must apply separately).
Common Visa Conditions
8501 Must maintain health insurance8531 Must not stay beyond the visa period8503 No further stay (No Further Stay)8558 No more than 12 months' stay in any 18 months
Full explanations of condition codes are in the Visa Conditions Lookup
Application Steps
1
Sponsor applies for approval first
Sponsor applies for approval first
The child (sponsor) is first approved as the parent sponsor
- The sponsor lodges the 'parent sponsor' application, paying a sponsorship fee of about AUD 420
- Provide proof of income to meet the minimum household income threshold
- Sponsorship approval is a prerequisite for the parent to lodge 870
2
Parent lodges subclass 870
Parent lodges subclass 870
After sponsorship is approved, the parent applies online and pays the first-instalment VAC
- Choose a 3-year or 5-year period and complete the online application form
- Pay the first-instalment VAC (AUD 1,180)
- Provide identity, parent-child relationship and health insurance materials
3
Obtain private health insurance
Obtain private health insurance
Take out Australian private health insurance meeting the 870 requirements
- Take out health insurance covering the entire visa period and meeting the Department's standards
- Upload proof of the insurance policy
- The insurance must remain continuously in force, otherwise the visa conditions are breached
4
Health and character checks
Health and character checks
Complete the pre-grant requirements as notified
- Obtain a HAP ID and complete the immigration health examination
- Submit police clearances from each relevant country
- Confirm there is no outstanding public health debt
5
Pay second instalment and get 870
Pay second instalment and get 870
Receive the temporary visa after payment
- Pay the second-instalment VAC (about AUD 4,715 for 3 years / about AUD 10,605 for 5 years)
- Usually granted offshore
- Before renewing the next 870 you must leave Australia for at least 90 days, with a cumulative total of no more than 10 years
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent sponsor application | Parent sponsor application | The sponsoring child must first be approved as the parent sponsor, which is a prerequisite for 870 | The sponsorship fee is about AUD 420; the sponsor must be an Australian citizen/PR/eligible New Zealand citizen and is usually settled | |
| Sponsor income evidence | Sponsor income evidence | Prove the sponsor meets the minimum household income threshold | Provide ATO notices of assessment, payslips, etc.; the income threshold is key to sponsorship approval | |
| Subclass 870 visa application | Subclass 870 visa application | Completed by the parent, choosing a 3-year or 5-year period | Complete online; the 3-year and 5-year terms have different second-instalment VACs, chosen by family plan | |
| Passport (applicant) | Passport (applicant) | Prove identity; 870 is usually granted offshore | Validity is recommended to cover the entire visa period | |
| Evidence of parent-child relationship | Evidence of parent-child relationship | Prove the parent-child relationship with the sponsoring child (including step/adoptive/parent-in-law) | Birth certificate, household register, notarial kinship certificate + NAATI translation | |
| Australian private health insurance policy | Australian private health insurance policy | Health insurance covering the entire visa period and meeting the Department's standards is a mandatory 870 condition | Must be provided by an approved Australian insurer and meet the minimum cover requirements; the insurance must be maintained continuously, and a lapse breaches the 8501-type visa condition | |
| Health examination | Health examination | Meet health requirements | Obtain a HAP ID and have the health examination at a panel clinic; long-stay visas have stricter health standards | |
| Police clearance certificates | Police clearance certificates | Police clearances from each country of long-term residence | Notarised and translated Chinese police clearance | |
| Evidence of no outstanding public health debt | Evidence of no outstanding public health debt | Prove there is no outstanding Australian public health debt | If you have outstanding medical debts in Australia, settle them first, otherwise grant is affected | |
| Evidence of 90-day departure (for subsequent 870) | Evidence of 90-day departure (for subsequent 870) | Before the next 870 grant you must prove at least 90 days outside Australia | Keep entry/exit stamps and tickets; the 90-day departure between two 870 grants is a mandatory renewal condition | |
| Marriage / partner relationship evidence | Marriage / partner relationship evidence | Required if a sponsoring spouse's parents or a parent's spouse accompanies | Marriage certificate, notarised and translated |
FAQ
Can 870 lead to permanent residence?
No. 870 is a purely temporary visa and does not lead to permanent residence in itself. Its role is to let parents accompany their children in Australia long-term and lawfully (up to 10 years cumulatively), but to obtain permanent residence you still need a parent permanent visa route such as 103/143/804/864.
What is the maximum time you can live in Australia on 870?
Each grant can be 3 or 5 years; renewable, but the cumulative stay in Australia must not exceed 10 years, and you must leave Australia for at least 90 days between two 870 grants. Once 10 years are used up you must take another visa.
Why must the child be the sponsor first?
870 uses a two-step 'sponsor approved first, then visa' mechanism. The sponsoring child must first pass parent-sponsor approval (including a minimum income threshold check and a fee of about AUD 420); only after sponsorship is approved can the parent lodge 870. If the sponsor's income falls short, the parent visa cannot proceed.
How does 870 differ from the 600 parent-stream visitor visa?
The 600 parent-stream visitor visa allows shorter single stays (usually up to 12 months) and must be applied for repeatedly; 870 grants 3 or 5 years of long-term residence at once and is more stable, but is expensive, requires private health insurance throughout, and requires a child as sponsor. Choose 870 for long-term company, 600 for short visits.
What are the requirements for the private health insurance 870 demands?
870 holders must hold, throughout, private health insurance meeting the Department's standards from an approved Australian insurer (because China and Australia have no Medicare reciprocity). The insurance must cover the entire visa period without interruption; a lapse breaches the visa conditions and may lead to cancellation.
Common Refusal Reasons
- The sponsor (child) was not first approved for sponsorship, or the sponsor's income did not meet the threshold
- The applicant did not take out/maintain the required adequate health insurance (breaching or failing 8501)
- The applicant failed the health or character requirement
- Having already used the 10-year cumulative limit on 870, or reapplying without the 90-day offshore interval
- The applicant failed the genuine temporary entry (GTE/genuine visitor) intent assessment
- Having an outstanding debt to the Australian government with no arrangement to repay
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.