Requirements to be a sponsor and applicant for the Sponsored Parent visa

What are the requirements to be a sponsor and applicant for the Sponsored Parent visa?

Olivia Zhu and Aaron Ji had high hopes the new parent visa would help them reunite with their respective parents long term. Source: Supplied

Sponsored Parent visa lets a parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years.

Applications to become an approved Parent Sponsor opened on 17 April 2019 while Applications for the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) open on 1 July 2019.

How long you can stay?

• This is a temporary visa so this visa does not lead to permanent residence.
• You can stay in Australia for up to three or five years at a time.
• You can stay for a cumulative maximum 10 year period.
• You must be outside Australia for at least 90 days before being eligible to be granted another Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, unless a Permission to Apply inside Australia is approved by us.
• You cannot work in Australia

Cost

• The sponsorship application fee is AUD420
• Visa cost is AUD5,000 for a visa of up to 3 years; or
• AUD10,000 for a visa of up to 5 years.
• Applicants might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Processing time

• Processing times are not yet available for this visa.
• It is expected processing times will be available approximately three months after applications open on 1 July 2019.

Sponsor’s requirements

• You must also be an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years, and
• You have not been unlawful or held a bridging visa (other than a bridging visa A, B or C) during the last 4 years
• You must have met and complied with any previous sponsorship obligations
• If you owe the Australian Government money, you must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.
• You must meet the income test. The minimum taxable income threshold is the full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings for the last income year. (annual income of at least $83,450)
• If you can't pass the income test yourself, you, your partner and another Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand child of the visa applicant can combine your income to meet the whole minimum taxable income threshold. If combining income, the sponsor must meet 50 per cent of the minimum taxable income threshold.
• You must meet character requirement

Applicant’s requirements

• You must be the biological, adoptive, step-parent or parent in-law of the Parent Sponsor
• You must be aged at least 18 years of age
• You must have an approved Parent Sponsor to apply for this visa.
• You must have met and complied with any previous visa obligations.
• You must meet health requirement and character requirement.
• You must intend to stay only temporarily in Australia
• You must have and maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need while you are in Australia.
• If you owe the Australian Government money or you have a public health debt, you must have paid it back or have arrangements in place to pay it back.

Applicants must

• have an approved Parent Sponsor before this visa application can be lodged
• apply online for this visa
• This visa application must be lodged within 6 months of the Parent Sponsor approval.

Number of places available

• Up to 15,000 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas may be granted each program year (from 1 July to 30 June).
• If the cap is reached in a program year, no further visas will be granted until the next program year commences on 1 July.

 

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