SPONSORED PARENT 870 VISA
On 1 March 2019, Minister Coleman announced that applications to sponsor your parent for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa will be available commencing April 2019.
The sponsored parent visa provides parents with a pathway to temporarily remain in Australia with their children and grandchildren. Due to the competitive nature of the general Parent visa places and associated lengthy waiting periods, this is a option for parents wishing to live in Australia for up to five years.
Some drawbacks to this new parent visa are the will not have work rights while in Australia and must maintain health insurance. On the plus side the usual balance pf family test applicable to the parents visas will not apply to theirs subclass 870 parent visa.
General Information
The new temporary visa provides parents with a new pathway to reunite with their children and grandchildren in Australia, while ensuring that taxpayers are not required to cover additional costs. The visa responds to community concerns about the limited number of Parent places in the migration program and associated lengthy waiting periods.
To be eligible for the visa, a parent must be the biological, adoptive, or step-parent of the sponsor, who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
Sponsorship applications can be lodged from 17 April 2019. When a sponsor has been approved, the visa applicant will then be able to lodge their visa application. Visa applications must be lodged within six months of sponsorship approval and cannot be lodged until a sponsor has been approved.
The visa allows parents to remain in Australia for up to five years at a time without departing. It provides an alternative option to Visitor visas which only allow shorter periods of stay. Parents will still eligible to apply for Visitor visas and/or permanent Parent visas.
New Parent Visa - Existing Pathways
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa replaces the Visitor visa concession that existed for parents of Australian citizens/permanent residents to stay in Australia for longer periods.
While the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa allows for a significantly longer stay period than a visitor visa, it is still only a temporary visa and does not allow for permanent residence in Australia like a permanent Parent visa.
The new visa provides a pathway for existing Parent visa applicants to travel to Australia temporarily to spend time with their children and grandchildren while their permanent Parent visa application is being processed.
Potential applicants are in the best position to determine which visa is most appropriate for their own circumstances, noting that each visa has different requirements, visa application charges, conditions and stay periods.
Visa Eligibility
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa applicants must:
Be sponsored by a person who is an approved parent sponsorBe at least 18 years of ageMake an application while outside AustraliaProvide evidence of health insuranceNot have an outstanding debt to Australian GovernmentSatisfy the usual health and character requirements.
Family Balance Test
Unlike permanent Parent visas, the good news is that there is no Balance of Family Test requirement for this visa, meaning a visa applicant is not required to have more than half of their children residing in Australia.
How Long Can I Stay
The visa allows parents to stay in Australia temporarily for a period of up to five years at a time. A parent must be outside Australia for at least 90 days before being eligible to apply for a further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa. A parent will be able to hold visas up to a total stay in Australia of 10 years, reflecting that the visa is a temporary visa and does not lead to permanent residence.
Visa Cost
The visa application charge is:
$5,000 for a visa of up to three years’ duration; or $10,000 for a visa of up to five years’ duration.
The visa application charge is payable in two instalments, with one payment at time of application and the remainder paid prior to visa grant.
Work rights
Visa holders will generally be subject to a “no work” condition (more details to follow).
Contact Visa Crew
This new parent visa does provide additional options for families in Australia who wish to sponsor their parents to reside in Australia on a temporary or permanent basis. We believe this is a positive development from the Department of Home Affairs. Depending upon your particular circumstances we would advise you speak with a Registered Migration Agent who will make a considered decision based on your situation. The new visa does bring more options for families but also understand this may also bring additional hurdles down the line for you.
Our Registered Migration Specialist will conduct a full assessment and advise which visa option is best for your circumstances. If you would like to find out more about the new Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa or discuss your Parent Visa options further and evaluate which Parent visa pathway to take, please contact us. TODAY!
Tel: 0455 295 988