Welcome your parents to join you in Australia with the NEW five year Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa

Reunite your family with parents and grandparents via a new Australian government initiative, the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, for up to 10 continuous years. The government recognises the need to bring migrant families together. Read on to understand the new pathway to sponsor your parents to Australia…

The new visa’s provision is for parents to spend up to 10 years continuously in Australia. Initially, a parent may stay on a five-year visa and thereafter apply – after a short period (minimum 90 days) spent out of Australia – for another five-year visa. How do you apply to sponsor your parent/s, so they can apply for one of these new visas?

Sponsorship

Sponsorship is a responsibility and Australian sponsors are required to act as financial guarantors for any public health costs incurred whilst their visa-holder parent/s remain in Australia. These might include hospital and aged care fees. This decision was made to ensure that Australian taxpayers are not required to cover additional healthcare costs.

Sponsorship Eligibility

Including but not limited to, a sponsor must:

• Meet the sponsor/parent relationship criteria (a parent must be biological or adoptive or step-parent still de facto/married to the biological/adoptive parent)
• Be 18 years or older
• Be an Australian citizen/permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen residing in Australia for at least four years
• Have no Commonwealth or public health debts
• Meet the minimum household income threshold
• Provide police clearances
• Provide financial support and accommodation for their parent/s in Australia, as well as keep records thereof

The sponsorship application fee is $420.

Visa

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa does not allow for permanent residency in Australia and generally a ‘no work’ condition applies to this visa.

Under any one sponsorship, up to two parents at a time may be sponsored per household. This allows for more households to sponsor their parent/s and is based upon recognising the potential cost per household to support a parent or parents.

A cap of up to 15,000 visas per annum (from 1 July until 30 June) will be granted. The government has considered the ageing population and budget impacts of older migrants. Furthermore, a priority of young skilled migrant workers remains in place, hence limiting the number of Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas.

Visa Eligibility

Including but not limited to, a visa applicant must:

• Be sponsored by an approved parent sponsor – be a biological, adoptive or step-parent (approved)
• Be at least 18 years or older
• Be outside of Australia
• Provide evidence of access to funds
• Provide evidence of health insurance
• Satisfy health, character and national security criteria

The new visa application fee is $5000 for up to three years and $10000 for up to five years. The visa application fee is payable in two instalments. The fee contributes to the cost of services used whilst in Australia.

In addition to visa fees, sponsors must bear healthcare, living and accommodation costs of their visa-holder parent/s in Australia.

Importantly, migrant families have a new opportunity to reunite in Australia after being separated by distance for, in some cases, many years. As Mr Coleman has stated, “This new visa will deliver great social benefits to families across Australia”.

How can Great Migration Strategies help?

Talk to our Great Migration Strategies Team today to see how we can assist you with your sponsorship and visa applications. Contact us on (02) 8383 4400 or by visiting the Contact Us page on our website.