Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)

Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)

What this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa lets you do

This is a temporary visa that lets you and your family:

live in Australia for two years
work and study in Australia
enrol in Medicare Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
travel to and from Australia for two years from the date the visa is granted.

If you are granted this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa, you will have two years from the date of your arrival in Australia to apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143).

Before you apply

Contributory Parent visas are more expensive than most other visas. This is because many families wanted a faster visa process, and they were prepared to pay more towards their family members’ health and welfare costs in Australia. Visa charges cannot be waived or reduced.

You also have the option of applying for a Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143), which provides a direct pathway to permanent residence but involves paying all the Contributory Parent costs in one application.

Tourist or Visitor visa

If you have been granted a Tourist visa (subclass 676) or Visitor visa (subclass 600) visa through ministerial intervention, contact the Parent Visa Centre by email to discuss your circumstances.
Email: parents@border.gov.au

Your passport

If you plan to get a new passport, you should do so before applying for your visa. Your visa is linked to the passport number you use in your application. If you get a new passport after you have lodged your application, you must give the details of your new passport to the Parent Visa Centre.

No further stay condition

You cannot apply for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa if you already hold another visa that has a ‘No further stay’ condition.

Contact the department of immigration and border protection if you are not sure whether your current visa conditions prevent you from applying for a further visa while you are in Australia.

Cost

The visa application charges are listed in Fees and charges.

The application charge for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa is paid in two instalments:

Pay the first instalment when you lodge the application.
The second instalment charge is for each person included in your application. The department of immigration and border protection will tell you when to pay this second instalment. You must pay it for the department of immigration and border protection to grant the visa.

Other costs

You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments and police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

Who could get this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa

You might be able to get a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) if you:

have a child who is:
- an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident oran eligible New Zealand citizen
- lawfully resident in Australia for at least two years (a shorter period can be considered for Australian citizens if there are compelling and compassionate circumstances)
have a sponsor
meet the balance of family test
meet health and character requirements.

Your sponsor

You must be sponsored by a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. For most applicants, your child or your child’s spouse or de facto partner will need to sponsor you.

If your child is younger than 18 years of age you can be sponsored by:

your child’s spouse, if the spouse has turned 18 and is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
a relative or guardian of your child
a relative or guardian of your child’s spouse, if the spouse has not turned 18 and is a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
a community organisation.

You will need to provide:

Evidence of your relationship to your sponsor, such as certified copies of:
- birth certificates
- a family book showing family relationships
- other acceptable evidence of your relationship.
If your sponsor is a relative, partner or guardian of your child, evidence of this relationship, such as certified copies of:
- birth certificates
- a family book showing family relationships
- marriage certificates
- evidence of guardianship
- other acceptable evidence of the relationship between your child and the sponsor.
If your sponsor is a community organisation:
- their certificate of registration
- evidence that the organisation’s representative has authority to act on behalf of the organisation (for example, the board or management committee’s authority)
- evidence of their financial capacity to support you after you arrive in Australia.

More information about sponsoring is available in the ‘Sponsors’ tab.

Health requirements

You must meet certain health requirements. The results are usually valid for 12 months. Do not arrange a health examination until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.

This also applies to all the members of your family unit included in your application, whether they are migrating or not.

Character requirements

You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until the department of immigration and border protection ask you to.

This applies to you and all members of your family unit listed in your application, whether they are migrating or not.

Sign the Australian Values Statement

If you are older than 18 years of age, you must sign an Australian Values Statement to confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws. The statement is included in the visa application form. You must have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia book before you sign the statement.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa can be granted.

Provide biometrics

You might be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.

Balance of family test

The balance-of-family test measures your ties to Australia. You meet this requirement if either:

at least half of your children live permanently in Australia
more of your children live permanently in Australia than in any other country.

You must meet this requirement to be granted this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa. It cannot be waived, even in compelling or exceptional circumstances.

The table below gives some examples of families with different numbers of children and whether they would pass the balance-of-family test.

Total number of children	Number of children usually living in Australia	Number of children usually living in countries other than Australia				Meets balance of family test
Total number of children	Number of children usually living in Australia	Country A	Country B	Country C	Country D	Meets balance of family test
1	1	–	–	–	–	Yes
2	1	1	–	–	–	Yes
3	1	2	–	–	–	No
3	1	1	1	–	–	No
4	2	2	–	–	–	Yes
4	1	1	1	1	–	No
4	1	2	1	–	–	No
5	1	1	1	1	1	No
5	2	1	1	1	–	Yes
5	3	2	–	–	–	Yes
6	2	2	2	–	–	No

The department of immigration and border protection do not assess the nature of your relationship with your children.

If you do not know where your children are, the department of immigration and border protection consider that they are in the country in which they were last known to live.

To be counted as usually living in Australia, your children must be one of the following:

Australian citizens
Australian permanent residents who usually live in Australia
eligible New Zealand citizenswho usually live in Australia.

If your children are in Australia on a temporary visa (such as a Student visa), they are counted as usually living outside Australia.

Your and your partner’s children, including stepchildren and adopted children, are counted in the balance-of-family test, unless they:

are deceased
are removed from their parents’ legal custody by adoption or court order
are registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as refugees and live in a camp operated by the UNHCR
live in a country where they suffer persecution or human rights abuse and cannot be reunited with their parents in another country.

A stepchild is either:

your current partner’s child, or
younger than 18 years of age and the legal responsibility of you or your partner and:
- the child of your former partner, or
- the child of a former partner of your current partner.

Stepchildren born from polygamous or concurrent relationships are not recognised in Australia and so they cannot be counted in the balance-of-family test.

Including family in your application

You can include the following people in your visa application at the time of lodgement:

your partner
your child/step-child or your partner’s child/step-child.

For detailed information regarding who you can include in your application see including family members in your application.

The application must include documentary evidence of their relationship to you.

Members of your family unit must be able to show that they meet health and character requirements.

You should include your partner in your Contributory Parent visa application unless there are compelling reasons (other than financial reasons). There might be limits on any subsequent Partner visa application if:

you were granted a permanent Contributory Parent visa on or after 1 July 2009
you were in a partner relationship on or before the Contributory Parent visa grant date, and
your partner did not apply for the Contributory Parent visa at the same time as you, or they withdrew that application (before it was finalised).

How to apply

This information explains what you need to do to apply for a Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173).

Prepare your documents

You need to provide documents to prove the claims you make in the application. The documents are listed in the Document checklist.

Some documents could take some time to obtain. You should have them ready when you lodge the application to reduce any delays in processing.

Lodge your application

You must complete an application form:

Form 47PAApplication for a parent to migrate to Australia (525 kB PDF).

Your sponsor must also complete:

Form 40Sponsorship for migration to Australia (251 kB PDF).

For each member of your family unit aged 18 years or older, (whether they are migrating or not) you must also complete:

Form 47ADetails of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (238 kB PDF).

The forms must be completed in English. You must provide all relevant documents and pay the first instalment of the visa application charge when you apply. You can pay by credit card, bank cheque or money order made payable to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Lodge your application by post or courier to the Perth office in Western Australia – attention Parent Visa Centre.

Have you already applied for another type of Parent visa?

If you have an unfinalised application for any other type of parent visa (for example, Parent visa (subclass 103)) and want to switch to this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa, you must withdraw the other visa application at the same time or before you apply for the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173). Further information is available on Form47PA Application for a parent to migrate to Australia (525 kB PDF).

More information

Please refer to preparing your application, for information on:

certifying and translating documents into English
communicating with the department of immigration and border protection
using a migration agent
authorising another person to receive information from the department of immigration and border protection
receiving assistance with your application.

After you have applied

After you have lodged your application and documents, the department of immigration and border protection will acknowledge that they have received your information.

When the visa is ready to be granted, you will be asked to pay the second instalment of the visa application charge.

Wait for a decision

The department of immigration and border protection process applications for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa in date of lodgement order and per the planning levels set in the Migration Programme each year. Given the ongoing strong demand for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa, processing times might vary between programme years.

Once a case officer has been assigned, the department of immigration and border protection assess your application to check whether you qualify for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (including health and character requirements).

If you qualify for the visa, the department of immigration and border protection will ask for the second instalment of the visa application charge. Then they make a final decision about your visa application.

Provide more information

You can provide more information to the department of immigration and border protection, at any time until a decision is made on the application. If you want to correct information you provided, use:

Form 1023 – Notification of incorrect answer(s) (99KB PDF)

The department of immigration and border protection could also ask you for more information. You will have to respond by a set date. After that date, they can make a decision about your application using the information that they have.

If another person gives the department of immigration and border protection information that could result in you being refused a visa, the department of immigration and border protection will usually give you the opportunity to comment on the information.

You might also be interviewed. If you are asked to attend an interview in person, bring your passport or other identification and any requested documents to the interview.

Report changes in your circumstances

You must tell the department of immigration and border protection if your circumstances change. This includes a new residential address, a new passport, or a pregnancy, birth, divorce, separation, marriage, de facto relationship or death in your family.

Please report changes in your circumstances via ImmiAccount. If you are not able to use ImmiAccount, you can use the following forms:

Form 929 – Change of address and/or passport details (86KB PDF)— if you move to a new address or change your passport
Form 1022 – Notification of changes in circumstances (77KB PDF)— if there are other changes in your circumstances.

If you do not provide the department of immigration and border protection with the details of any new passport issued to you, you could experience significant delays at the airport and may be denied permission to board your plane.

You can send these forms electronically to your case officer via parents@border.gov.au.

Withdrawing your application

You can withdraw the application at any time before the department of immigration and border protection make a decision. To do this, send the department of immigration and border protection a letter or email to ask for the withdrawal. Your request must include your full name and date of birth. If you know it, you should also include the number the department of immigration and border protection gave you when you applied – this could be a file reference number, client ID, or a Transaction Reference Number.

Applicants who are 18 years of age or older must sign the letter of withdrawal or send a separate email or letter.

You can send your signed letter of withdrawal to your case officer at parents@border.gov.au.

Note: Charges are usually not refundable if you make a decision to withdraw your application.

Visa decision

If the visa is granted, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know:

when you can use the visa
the visa grant number
any conditions attached to the visa.

If the visa is not granted, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know:

why the visa was refused
your review rights (if any). Where applicable, your sponsor can apply for the decision to be reviewed
the time limit for lodging an appeal.

Document checklist

You need to provide documents to support your application for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa. The department of immigration and border protection can make a decision using the information you provide when you lodge your application. It is in your interest to provide as much information as possible with your application.

Provide certified copies of original documents. Do not include original documents unless the department of immigration and border protection specifically ask for them. Police certificates should be original documents. Documents not in English must be accompanied by accredited English translations.

Use this checklist to make sure your application is complete.

Forms

Form 47PAApplication for a parent to migrate to Australia(525 kB PDF).
Your sponsor must also complete:
Form 40Sponsorship for migration to Australia (251 kB PDF).
For each dependent relative aged 18 years or older, must complete:
Form 47ADetails of child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over(238 kB PDF).

Charges

Pay the first instalment of the visa application charge.

Receiving assistance

If someone gives you advice or lodges your application for you, that person completes:
- Form 956Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (135KB PDF)(the agent or exempt person completes the form and you must sign it).
If you would like someone to receive correspondence from the department of immigration and border protection on your behalf, that person completes:
- Form 956a Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (120KB PDF)(the recipient completes the form and you must sign it).

Your identity

Certified copies of the biographical pages of the current passports or travel documents that you, your partner and your dependents used to enter Australia, and of any passports held since then.
If your name has changed or the name of anyone included in your application has changed: a certified copy of evidence of the name change.

Your relationships

Certified copies of marriage certificates or relationship registrations for you and anyone else included in your application, even if they are not joining you in Australia.
If you are living in a de facto relationship: independent evidence that your relationship is genuine and continuing (for example, joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names or joint ownership of major assets).
If you or anyone included in the application has been widowed, divorced or permanently separated: a certified copy of the death certificate, divorce documents, orstatutory declaration separation documents.
Evidence of financial dependency for all dependants aged 18 or older:
- a certified copy of their birth certificate and proof of their relationship to you
- if your relative is not your partner: proof the relative lives in your household
- proof that your relative has been financially dependent on you for at least the 12 months immediately before you lodge your application.

Your children

Certified copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents for all your children, even if they are not joining you in Australia.
If any child is adopted: certified copies of the adoption papers.
If you want to bring a child younger than 18 years of age with you to Australia, and that child’s other parent is not included in the application: documentary evidence that you have the legal right to bring that child to Australia, such as:
- certified copies of official legal documents, such as a court-issued parental responsibility (custody), access or guardianship order
- statutory declaration (80 kB pdf)giving their permission
- Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (125 kB pdf).
  If you use Form 1229 or a statutory declaration, you will have to attach a certified copy of the other parent’s government-issued identification document (such as a passport or driver’s licence) with their photograph and signature.

How long your visa lasts

This Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa lets you live in Australia for two years from the date you first enter Australia. It cannot be extended or renewed.

Applying for a permanent visa

Once you have been granted a Contributory Parent (temporary) visa (subclass 173), you can then apply for a Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143). You must apply before your temporary visa expires.

What this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa lets you do

This is a temporary visa that lets you and your family:

live in Australia for two years
work and study in Australia
enrol inMedicare Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
travel to and from Australia for two years from the date the visa is granted.

This Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa cannot be extended or renewed.

If you are granted this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa, you will have two years to apply for a permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143).

You are restricted to applying for only one of the following visas:

Contributory Parent visa
a Medical Treatment visa
a protection visa.

This restriction will apply for if you remain in Australia – even after your Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173) ceases.

Your obligations

You and your family must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Who can be a sponsor

You can sponsor your parent for this Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa if you are:

18 years of age or older
asettled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

If you are younger than 18 years of age:

your spouse who is 18 years of age or older, your relative or guardian, or a relative or guardian of your spouse, can sponsor your parent(s). The sponsor must be asettled Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.
a community organisation can sponsor your parent(s) if:
- they show there is a relationship between their organisation and you
- a senior representative agrees for their organisation to support your parent(s) after their arrival in Australia.