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What this visa is for#

The Australian Parent visa (non-contributory) (subclass 103) is a permanent visa in the Parent stream. It is for parents of settled Australian children. It is known for having a lower government charge than contributory parent visas, but also for having a very long queue.

What it is: Lower charge but a queue commonly measured in decades.

This visa sits in the Parent stream. In some datasets it may be grouped under the category label "partner", but it is a Parent stream visa.

A granted subclass 103 visa is a permanent visa. Permanent visas generally let the holder live in Australia indefinitely, work and study, enrol in Medicare if eligible, and sponsor certain relatives if the law allows at the time. Travel rights are linked to the visa's travel facility period, and Australian citizenship is a separate process with its own rules.

Who it is generally for#

This visa is for people who are the parent of a child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

This visa is for people who want a permanent parent visa with a lower upfront government charge than contributory parent visas, and who understand that the queue can be extremely long.

This visa is for people who can go through a long-running Department process and keep their records, identity documents, civil documents and contact details up to date over many years.

This visa is for people whose case may involve sponsorship, family relationship evidence, health checks, police checks and other documents requested at different stages of processing.

What it costs#

The government Visa Application Charge listed here is:

• Main applicant: $5,160
• Additional applicant 18 or over: $2,580

Those figures are the government charge only. A registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner may also charge professional fees for preparing, checking and lodging an application, answering Department requests, and managing the file over time.

The government charge is the same no matter who lodges the application. Using a migration agent or lawyer does not change the Department's visa application charge.

Charges are indexed and usually change on 1 July. Other costs can also arise during processing, such as health examinations, police certificates, translations, document certification and obtaining replacement civil records, but those amounts depend on the provider and the country involved.

How long it takes#

This is one of the slowest Australian permanent visa pathways. The defining feature of the subclass 103 is the queue, which is commonly measured in decades.

Processing time is not just about how fast documents are uploaded. Parent visas are subject to annual planning levels and queue management, so an application can remain on hand for a very long time even if it was validly lodged years earlier.

The Department may not ask for health checks, police certificates or other time-sensitive documents until much later in the process. That is common in long-queue visas, because those documents can expire. A long wait does not mean the application has been forgotten, but it does mean records need to be kept current over an unusually long period.

What the process involves#

The process starts with preparing and lodging a valid application in the Parent stream. A valid application usually depends on using the correct form or online pathway, paying the required charge, and including the basic information and documents the Department needs to accept the application.

After lodgement, the application usually enters the queue. For a long period there may be little visible movement apart from acknowledgements, file updates or requests to confirm details. This is normal for non-contributory parent visas.

The Department may assess sponsorship and family relationship evidence. This can include identity documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, name change documents, and records showing the relationship between the parent applicant and the child in Australia.

At later stages, the Department may ask for health examinations and police certificates. These are often requested closer to active assessment because they are time-limited. If they are done too early, they may expire before a decision stage.

The Department also expects applicants to keep contact details current. Address, passport details, relationship status and family composition can all matter over a long-running application. If something changes, the Department generally needs to be told through the proper update process.

If the visa is granted, it is a permanent visa. If the applicant is in Australia at a relevant stage, visa status during the wait can depend on what other visa they hold and whether a bridging visa has been granted in connection with a valid onshore application. Different visas and bridging visas carry different conditions.

What commonly goes wrong#

The most common problems are practical ones, not dramatic ones. A parent visa file can sit in the system for many years, so small administrative mistakes can create big delays later.

One common issue is incomplete evidence at lodgement. Missing birth certificates, inconsistent names across documents, or unexplained differences in dates can lead to requests for more information. When records come from more than one country, this becomes more common.

Another problem is poor document quality. Scans can be cut off, blurred or missing pages. If the Department cannot clearly read a passport biodata page, a civil certificate or a translated document, it may ask again, which slows the file down.

Documents often expire mid-process. Passports expire. Police certificates age out. Health examinations are only useful for a limited time in the process. In a queue measured in decades, it is normal for earlier documents to need replacement later.

Name changes and family changes are another frequent trouble spot. Marriage, divorce, death of a family member, a new passport, or a change in the sponsoring child's details can all affect the record. If the Department is not told, correspondence may go to the wrong place or the file may not match current identity documents.

Not telling the Department about a change of address is a very common and avoidable problem. In a long-running visa, people move house, change email addresses and stop using old phone numbers. If a request goes to an old address and no one responds by the deadline, the consequences can be serious.

Some applicants assume that once a parent visa is lodged, nothing else about their status matters. That is not safe. A pending visa application and a current visa are different things, and lawful status in Australia still matters while waiting.

Another common misunderstanding is assuming a bridging visa carries the same rights as the substantive one. It may not. Work rights, travel rights and study rights can be different, and some bridging visas stop when the holder leaves Australia unless another bridging visa is in place.

People also underestimate how hard it can be to replace old civil records. Birth, marriage and police documents from overseas can take time, especially where archives are incomplete or government systems have changed. In a visa with a very long queue, it helps to expect that old paperwork may need to be reissued later.

Translation issues can also slow things down. If a document is not in English, the Department generally expects an English translation. Missing translations, inconsistent translations, or translations that do not clearly match the original document can lead to further requests.

Finally, some people assume the application will move faster if more documents are uploaded repeatedly without being asked for them. Extra uploads do not necessarily bring the file forward. In some cases they only make the record harder to follow.

Frequently asked questions#

How long does the Parent visa subclass 103 take?#

This visa is known for a very long queue. Waiting times are commonly measured in decades rather than months or a few years. Processing is affected by queue order and planning levels, not just by how quickly documents are provided.

Is the subclass 103 a permanent visa?#

Yes. The subclass 103 is a permanent parent visa. Permanent residence and Australian citizenship are different things, so citizenship has its own separate requirements and timeline.

How much is the government charge for a Parent visa 103?#

The listed government Visa Application Charge is $5,160 for the main applicant and $2,580 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over. These are government charges only, and they are the same no matter who lodges the application. Charges are indexed and usually change on 1 July.

Can I stay in Australia while waiting for a subclass 103 decision?#

That depends on what visa is held at the time and whether any bridging visa applies after a valid onshore application. A pending application does not automatically mean unlimited stay rights in every situation. Different visas and bridging visas can have different conditions, including travel and work conditions.

Do I need to do health checks and police checks straight away?#

Not always. In long-queue parent visas, the Department often requests health examinations and police certificates later because those documents can expire. If they are obtained too early, they may need to be done again before a decision stage.

About this page. This is general information about how the Parent visa (non-contributory) (subclass 103) works. It is not immigration assistance and it is not advice about your situation. Under section 280 of the Migration Act 1958 only a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner can give you that. Charges are indexed and most change on 1 July, so check any figure against immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you rely on it, and check any agent's registration on the ثبت OMARA.