Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870): 3 or 5 years at a time, up to 10 years

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) lets a parent stay in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years at a time, to a cumulative maximum of 10 years, with no balance of family test and no Assurance of Support requirement.

Ask an Australian migration lawyer to check the application before it is lodged. For the broader comparison, see parent visas compared.

Eligible relationships include biological, legal or adoptive parents, step-parents and parents-in-law. The application requires approved sponsorship, which ends if the parent does not apply within six months after approval. The parent must have and maintain adequate health insurance.

Who can be a sponsored parent

The applicant must be at least 18 years old and have one of these relationships to the Parent Sponsor:

1. Biological parent.
2. Legal parent, including an adoptive parent.
3. Step-parent.
4. Parent-in-law.

Family members cannot be included in the parent’s visa application.

Who can sponsor: the Parent Sponsor and the limit of two parents per household

Sponsorship can cover up to two parents per household at a time. The sponsor cannot lodge a new sponsorship application until the current approved sponsorship ends.

The application sequence matters:

1. Obtain approval of the parent sponsorship.
2. Lodge the parent’s visa application within six months after sponsorship approval; otherwise, the sponsorship ends.
3. Apply from outside Australia unless the parent has Permission to Apply in Australia.

3 or 5 years and the 10-year cap

Five years is a possible stay under a single visa; ten years is the cumulative ceiling, not a single grant.

Subclass 870 holders cannot work in Australia.

Cost

AUD420 is the sponsorship application fee. The visa application charge has separate first and second instalments, with a higher second instalment for a stay of up to five years.

Fees as at 19 October 2026

The visa instalments are listed in the Home Affairs current visa pricing information. Home Affairs also directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator for visa costs.

For a broader charge comparison, see parent visa fees.

Health insurance

Adequate health insurance arrangements must be held and maintained. The absence of an Assurance of Support requirement does not remove the insurance requirement or the sponsor’s support obligations.

The requirements include:

• Maintaining adequate health insurance.
• Sponsor-provided financial support and accommodation while the parent is in Australia.
• Sponsor repayment of outstanding Australian public health debts incurred by the parent.

The 90-day rule between 870 stays

The Home Affairs subclass 870 guidance states that eligibility for grant requires at least 90 consecutive days outside Australia since the relevant departure day.

The separate lodgement rule also applies: the parent must be outside Australia when applying unless Permission to Apply in Australia has been granted.

What the 870 does not do: it never leads to permanent residence

Subclass 870 is temporary and does not lead to permanent residence. Its longer permitted stays do not turn it into a permanent visa.

For comparison with permanent parent categories, see the 143 contributory parent visa and 103 parent visa.

Permanent parent applications: the order matters

A person cannot apply for subclass 103 if they have already applied for or hold subclass 870, according to the Home Affairs subclass 103 eligibility rule. This is an application restriction, not a blanket statement about holding both visas.

Before you lodge

Compare every family visa by relationship, a visa for parents to visit Australia, and temporary parent visa options.

An application prepared by an Australian migration lawyer is more likely to succeed because sponsorship timing, application location and the interaction with subclass 103 can affect eligibility. Enquiries from this site go to Australian Migration Lawyers.