After first announcing this visa 2.5 years ago, Immigration has finally unveiled details for the new Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa. Here is a summary of the program, as well as some comments from our Principal Migration Agent.
When: Sponsorship applications for this visa will be accepted from 17 April 2019, the subsequent visa application itself from 1 July 2019.
Who: This visa is for parents (biological, adoptive, or step-parent) of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
What: This new 870 visa is a temporary visa. It will allow eligible parents to stay in Australia for a continuous period of 5 years, without having to leave the country. Parents can also renew the visa for a subsequent 5 years (totalling maximum of 10 years). All they need to do is to leave the country for 90 days before applying for the subsequent visa. There are up to 15,000 places are available each year.
How: There is a two part-application process. The Australian citizen/PR or NZ citizen needs to first apply to become an eligible sponsor for this visa. Once the sponsorship application is approved, the eligible parent can then apply for the 870 visa (must be lodged within 6 months of sponsorship visa approval).
Cost: $420 for the sponsorship application, $5,000 for the application of a 3-year visa or $10,000 for the application of a 5-year visa.
Sponsor Requirements: Sponsors need to meet minimum household income requirements. Along with visa fees, sponsors will also have to bear the financial burden of healthcare for migrant parents, with sponsors being legally required to pay for their private health insurance.
[ 4 April Update: Minimum household income requirement has now been set at $83,454.80. This can be met by using the combined income of the main sponsor, their partner and/or one of their Australian children]
Note:
- Only 2 parents from each house hold can be sponsored at a time. This means, for example, between a couple, they can only sponsor 2 parents at a time, not all 4 parents from both sides.
- Parents will likely be subject to a 'no work' condition.
Comments from Principal Migration Agent & Former - Immigration Officer:
Yes, this is an expensive temporary visa. There are some benefits though:
This visa provides a 'middle ground' between the visitor visas with very short stay periods and the permanent parent visas with very high cost and/or processing times (103 Parent Visa takes 8 - 10 years, 143 Contributory Parent Visa costs $47,455+).
This visa is also useful for current applicants of the permanent parent visa, who wish to visit their children in Australia while they wait for their permanent visa applications to be finalised.
Unlike the permanent parent visas, this temporary visa also does not have the balance-of-family test, which means parents without the majority of their children living in Australia may still have an option of staying in Australia for a longer period.
Are you interested in having your parents stay in Australia long-term? Feel free to book in a FREE 1-to-1 consultation and have our experts assess the likelihood and show you the way forward!
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