870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
Purpose	Visit and reunite with children
Stay	Up to 3 or 5 years
Maximum stay	10 years cumulative
Cost	AUD6,370 or AUD12,440
Eligibility timing	Apply within sponsorship approval period
Work rights	No work permitted
Study	Not stated in the source
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Health insurance	Australian provider required
Travel facility	Multiple entries while valid
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Permanent residence	Does not lead to permanent residence
Family sponsorship	Sponsor may cover two parents
Family members	Cannot be included
Visa record	Digitally linked to passport
Application location	Usually outside Australia
Parent sponsor	Approved sponsor required
Processing times	Use processing time guide

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Purpose

This temporary visa allows a parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to visit Australia and reunite with their children.

It does not lead to permanent residence.

You cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa if you have applied for or hold this visa.

Stay

You can stay for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, as specified in your visa grant letter.

You may apply for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas, up to a cumulative maximum of 10 years in Australia.

You cannot extend this visa. To remain longer, you must apply for and be granted another visa.

Further subclass 870 visas

For another subclass 870 visa, you must generally:

• Apply from outside Australia, unless granted Permission to Apply in Australia.
• Have been outside Australia for at least 90 consecutive days since the relevant departure day.
• Not have already reached the 10-year cumulative maximum.

The 90-day departure calculation depends on where you were when your last subclass 870 visa ceased.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be the biological, legal or adoptive parent, step-parent, or parent-in-law of the Parent Sponsor.
• Have an approved Parent Sponsor before applying.
• Have complied with previous visa obligations.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Have enough money, or access to enough money, to support yourself.
• Intend to stay in Australia temporarily.
• Have no unpaid Australian Government debt, or arrangements to repay it.
• Hold and maintain adequate health insurance from an Australian health insurance provider.

There is no balance of family test or Assurance of Support requirement.

Sponsorship

Your Parent Sponsor must be approved before you lodge the visa application.

A sponsor's household is limited to:

• One sponsorship at a time.
• Up to two sponsored parents at a time.

A sponsor cannot lodge another sponsorship application until their current approved sponsorship ends.

Application Location and Timing

You must apply online through ImmiAccount.

You must usually be outside Australia when applying. You can be in or outside Australia when the application is decided, but not in immigration clearance.

Apply within:

• 6 months of sponsorship approval; or
• 60 days of sponsorship approval if granted Permission to Apply in Australia.

Permission to Apply in Australia is available only in limited or exceptional circumstances, such as:

• Accident or serious illness preventing departure, supported by medical evidence.
• Natural disaster preventing travel to the home country.

Attach the Permission to Apply letter to your application.

Cost

Visa period	Cost
Up to 3 years	AUD6,370.00
Up to 5 years	AUD12,440.00

You pay the visa application charge in two instalments:

1. Pay the first instalment when applying.
2. Pay the second instalment when requested.

The visa will be refused if you do not pay the second instalment when invoiced.

You may also need to pay for health examinations, police certificates and biometrics.

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste concession

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge applies to eligible applicants lodging a valid application with a passport from:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Rights and Conditions

What you can do

• Visit Australia for the visa period.
• Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa remains valid.
• Reapply for eligible further subclass 870 visas within the 10-year limit.

Work restriction

You cannot work in Australia.

Permitted unpaid activities include:

• Caring for grandchildren or other minor relatives in a domestic environment.
• Non-commercial volunteer work, such as helping a charity.
• Assisting at a local school attended by the sponsor's children or other minor relatives.

You cannot undertake unpaid work:

• In a commercial environment.
• In a family business.

Family members

You cannot include family members in your visa application.

Health Insurance

You must have and maintain adequate health insurance from an Australian health insurance provider for unforeseen medical treatment while in Australia.

Some countries have reciprocal healthcare agreements with Australia. See Services Australia for details.

Required Evidence

Provide accurate information and documents.

Identity

Provide:

• Current passport pages showing photo, personal details, issue date and expiry date.
• National identity card, if available.
• Evidence of name changes, if applicable.

If you cannot prove your identity, your application will be refused and you might not be granted another visa for 10 years.

Temporary stay intention

Provide evidence that you intend to visit temporarily, such as:

• Bank statements covering a three-month period.
• Tax records, pension evidence or other regular income.
• Previous international travel evidence.
• Evidence of financial, family or other ties to your home country.
• A letter explaining your visit, plans, intended contacts and relationship to them.

Character

Provide:

• An Australian Federal Police complete disclosure National Police Certificate if you spent 12 months or more in Australia during the last 10 years since turning 16.
• Overseas police certificates for each country where you spent 12 months or more during that period.
• Military service records or discharge papers, if applicable.
• Form 80 — Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment.

Only complete disclosure certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted for Australian police checks.

Health examinations

Check ImmiAccount to find out whether health examinations are required. You may complete required examinations before lodging to help processing.

Translations and uploads

• Translate all non-English documents into English.
• Upload original documents and translations.
• Scan or photograph documents in colour and clearly.
• Save multi-page documents as one file.
• Attach each document only once.
• Document certification is not required.

Translations prepared in Australia must be completed by a NAATI-accredited translator. Overseas translators must include their name, address, telephone number, qualifications and experience in English.

How to Apply

1. Confirm you meet the eligibility requirements.
2. Ensure your Parent Sponsor is approved.
3. Gather identity, character, financial, temporary-stay and other supporting evidence.
4. Create or log in to ImmiAccount.
5. Complete the Application for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
6. Attach supporting documents.
7. Pay the first visa application instalment.
8. Provide any further information, biometrics, health examinations or second instalment when requested.

Complete applications may be processed more quickly. Incomplete applications may be delayed or refused.

After Applying

Do not arrange travel to Australia until the visa has been granted in writing.

Use ImmiAccount to:

• Check application progress.
• Respond to requests for further information.
• Attach additional documents.
• Update changed circumstances.

Tell the Department promptly if your contact details, passport, marital or de facto status change, if a child is born, or if you are convicted of a crime.

To correct an error, attach Form 1023 — Notification of incorrect answers in ImmiAccount.

You may withdraw your application before a decision, but the visa application fee will not be refunded.

Sponsor Changes

If your sponsor withdraws their sponsorship, you must find a new Parent Sponsor or your visa will cease.

A new sponsorship application must be lodged within 35 days of the original sponsorship withdrawal.

If your sponsor dies, a new sponsorship application may be lodged within 90 days of the sponsor's death.

If a new sponsorship is not approved, you must obtain another visa or arrange to leave Australia.

Obligations

You must:

• Obey all Australian laws.
• Meet all visa conditions.
• Maintain adequate health insurance.
• Leave Australia or obtain another visa before your visa expires.
• Keep your passport and travel documents valid.

Check visa expiry and conditions through VEVO.

Visa Record

Your visa is digitally linked to your passport. You will not receive a passport visa label.

Use VEVO to prove your visa status and conditions.