Visitor Visa 600 for Parents Visiting Children in Australia

Visitor Visa 600 for Parents Visiting Children in Australia

Most parents visiting a son or daughter in Australia apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream. If your child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, Home Affairs may grant a visa valid for more than 12 months, with multiple entries, but you can't stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period, and you must arrange health insurance. Longer single visits point to the subclass 870.

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Parents have three routes: the Tourist stream (with or without the longer visa), the Sponsored Family stream, and the separate Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870. This page compares them using the official wording. For the subclass 600 in general, see our complete guide to the Visitor visa (subclass 600).

The three options compared

Option 1: the Tourist stream, and the longer visa for parents

The Tourist stream needs no sponsor, and visiting a citizen or permanent resident child is one of its stated purposes. Even the Sponsored Family page tells applicants to "check if a Visitor (subclass 600) visa in the Tourist stream might better suit you."

The Tourist stream page also has a section written for parents:

"If you are the parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you meet all the visa criteria, we may grant you a visa that is valid for more than 12 months. We consider these applications on a case-by-case basis. If we grant you a visa that is valid for more than 12 months you might be able to enter Australia multiple times while the visa is valid. You can't stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18 month period. You must also have made adequate arrangements for health insurance."

What that means in practice:

• It covers step-parents too, but only of Australian citizens or permanent residents.
• It is not automatic. The words are "may grant" and "case-by-case."
• There is no fixed length. Home Affairs publishes no set validity for parents, so treat any advertised "5-year" or "10-year" parent visitor visa with caution. The 10-year figure belongs to the Frequent Traveller stream (see below).
• You have to ask. "If you are requesting a longer visa, tell us in your application." Explain why, and include proof that your child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• The 12-in-18 limit applies. Our guide to condition 8558 and the 12-months-in-18 rule shows how to count your days.

If your passport qualifies for the Frequent Traveller stream

The Frequent Traveller stream is for citizens of the People's Republic of China, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste. It is open to tourism "and/or" business visitors, and it can be granted for up to 10 years. It costs AUD 1,845, and you must give biometrics at an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre. It has its own time limit: up to 3 months each time you enter, and no more than 12 months in any 24-month period (condition 8573). Parents from those countries who visit often may find it worth comparing: see our Frequent Traveller stream guide.

Option 2: the Sponsored Family stream

In this stream your child (or another eligible relative) sponsors you. The official sponsor rules:

• The sponsor must be "a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident," usually living in Australia for the last 2 years. This can be reduced "in compelling compassionate circumstances."
• The sponsor must be at least 18.
• You (the applicant) must be the sponsor's spouse or de facto partner, parent or child, brother or sister, grandparent or grandchild, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, or the step equivalent. For parents, that means your own child sponsors you.
• The sponsor cannot be a fiancé or fiancée, an in-law, a cousin, a friend, or a New Zealand citizen. So a son-in-law or daughter-in-law generally can't sponsor you. Your own child can, if they are a settled citizen or permanent resident; if they aren't, the Tourist stream needs no sponsor at all. (The page describes a narrow exception for in-laws and cousins who apply together with a member of their family unit who is the sponsor's relative.)
• One sponsor can sponsor more than one applicant "if the applicants apply at the same time", so both parents can be sponsored together.
• There is no application fee to become a sponsor.
• The sponsor is responsible for making sure you comply with your visa conditions, and for repaying any money you owe the Australian Government.

The security bond. Home Affairs says the sponsor "must be able to pay a security bond if we ask for one." Bonds "are usually between AUD 5,000 and AUD 15,000 per person (but we can ask for any amount)." A bond must be paid in full before the final decision, and it is refunded if you comply with your visa conditions and leave Australia before the visa expires. Not every sponsor is asked for one.

The trade-offs. The standard stay is 3 months, and the visa is generally single entry, so leaving Australia means applying again to come back. Condition 8503 (No Further Stay) is mandatory, so you can't apply for a new visa in Australia unless it is waived, and condition 8531 means you must leave before your stay ends. Processing is also slower than the Tourist stream.

Documents. Your sponsor completes Form 1149. You upload proof of your relationship, such as birth certificates, passport pages showing the names of parents, a family register or marriage certificates. If you can't prove the relationship, Home Affairs suggests applying in the Tourist stream with an invitation letter instead.

Option 3: the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870

If you want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit, the Tourist stream page itself points to this visa: "If you want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit you might be eligible for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa."

The key official points: you can visit for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, apply for further visas up to a maximum of 10 years in Australia, and you can't work. You need an approved Parent Sponsor before you can apply, and the 870 is also open to parents of an "eligible New Zealand citizen." The charge is AUD 6,370 for up to 3 years or AUD 12,440 for up to 5 years, and the guide shows 50% of applications decided within 8 months and 90% within 9 months. Our subclass 870 guide covers sponsorship and eligibility.

Health exams and insurance for older parents

Health examinations

Whether a visitor needs health exams depends on their age, how long they will stay, the TB risk level Home Affairs gives their country, and their health. For parents, three rules matter most:

• Aged 75 or older: Home Affairs lists a medical examination and a serum creatinine/eGFR test for visitors aged 75 or older applying for a subclass 600. The listed rule isn't tied to how long you plan to stay.
• From a high TB-risk country and staying 6 months or more: generally a medical examination, a chest x-ray and a serum creatinine/eGFR test. China, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Vietnam are not on the low-risk list.
• Time already in Australia counts. If you have been in Australia in the last 28 days, that time is added when working out your length of stay for health purposes.

You can do the exams before you apply, or wait until Home Affairs asks.

Health insurance

For ordinary Tourist stream visas, Home Affairs "strongly recommended" adequate health insurance, and it may add condition 8501 (Maintain adequate health insurance) "in some circumstances." For the longer parent visa, insurance is part of the deal: "You must also have made adequate arrangements for health insurance."

Before you buy a policy:

• Visitors are generally not covered by Medicare, although some countries have a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.
• Home Affairs' minimum for "adequate" cover is a benefit of at least AUD 1,000,000 per person, per year.
• Australian-registered insurers can impose waiting periods for hospital treatment, including up to 12 months for pre-existing conditions. For an older parent with a known condition, read the waiting periods before you rely on a policy.

Documents for a parent's application

On top of the standard list in our Visitor visa 600 documents checklist, a parent's application can include:

• An invitation letter from your child stating your relationship, the purpose and length of the visit, and whether you will stay with them
• Proof of your child's funds, if they are paying for your stay
• Proof your child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, if you are asking for the longer visa
• Evidence of reasons to return home, such as other immediate family in your home country, or a house or other major assets

A worked example (hypothetical)

Say your father is 76 and your mother is 72, both living in a country Home Affairs rates as high TB risk. They want to visit your family in Australia for 4 months, and you are an Australian citizen.

• Each parent lodges a separate Tourist stream application, from AUD 250 each.
• Your father needs a medical examination and an eGFR test because he is over 75. That rule isn't tied to the length of the visit.
• Your mother's planned stay is under 6 months, so she needs no exams unless special circumstances apply.
• If they want to come back regularly, each can ask for a visa valid for more than 12 months, with proof of your citizenship, and must then keep within 12 months in any 18 and arrange health insurance.
• If they later want to stay for a year or more at a time, the subclass 870 is the visa to look at.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my parents get a 5-year or 10-year visitor visa to Australia?

Not as a published standard for parents. Home Affairs says parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may get a Tourist stream visa "valid for more than 12 months," decided case by case. The 10-year validity belongs to the Frequent Traveller stream, which only certain nationalities can apply for.

Do my parents need health insurance to visit Australia?

For an ordinary visit it is strongly recommended, and it becomes a condition if the visa carries condition 8501. For a parent visa valid for more than 12 months, Home Affairs requires "adequate arrangements for health insurance."

Does the sponsor have to pay a bond for the Sponsored Family stream?

Only if Home Affairs asks. Bonds are "usually between AUD 5,000 and AUD 15,000 per person (but we can ask for any amount)," paid before the final decision and refunded if the visitor complies and leaves on time.

Can I sponsor my parents if I'm a New Zealand citizen living in Australia?

Not in the Sponsored Family stream, which says the sponsor cannot be a New Zealand citizen. The subclass 870 is open to parents of an "eligible New Zealand citizen." Your parents can also apply in the Tourist stream, which needs no sponsor.

Do parents over 75 need a medical exam for a visitor visa?

Yes. Home Affairs lists a medical examination and a serum creatinine/eGFR test for visitors aged 75 or older applying for a subclass 600.

Can both parents apply on one application?

No. Each person must lodge a separate application. The Tourist stream lets families submit their applications together, and the Sponsored Family stream lets applicants travelling together link their applications as a group in ImmiAccount.