Family Visa
Family visa pathways allow eligible partners, parents, children, and fiancé(e)s of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens to live in Australia temporarily or permanently, depending on the visa subclass and their circumstances.
5. Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173 / Subclass 884)
The Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173) and the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 884) allow parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to stay temporarily in Australia as part of a two-stage pathway toward permanent residence.
These visas allow parents to live, work and study in Australia temporarily while preparing to apply for the permanent Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143) or Contributory Aged Parent visa (Subclass 864).
The main difference between Subclass 173 and Subclass 884 is the location and age eligibility of the applicant. The Subclass 173 visa is generally applied for offshore, while the Subclass 884 visa is an onshore visa available to parents who meet the Australian Age Pension age requirement and who are already in Australia when lodging the application.
Both visas are temporary visas valid for up to two years and are designed as the first step in the contributory parent visa pathway.
Sponsor Requirements
To sponsor a parent for the Subclass 173 or Subclass 884 visa, the sponsor must:
•Be the applicant’s eligible child, who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
•Be settled in Australia
•Be 18 years of age or older
•Submit and be approved for a sponsorship application (Form 40 Sponsorship for Migration to Australia)
•Agree to provide accommodation, financial assistance, and general support to the applicant for the first 2 years after arrival in Australia
•Potentially arrange an Assurance of Support, which is a legal commitment to repay certain welfare payments made by the Australian Government
Applicant Requirements
To be eligible for the Subclass 173 or Subclass 884 visa, the applicant must:
•Be the parent of an eligible child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen
•Be sponsored by an approved sponsor
•Meet the Balance of Family Test
•Meet health and character requirements
•Have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government, or have arranged repayment
•Not hold or have applied for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) at the time of application
The Balance of Family Test means:
•At least half of their children live permanently in Australia, or
•More children live in Australia than in any other single country
Pathway After Subclass 173 or Subclass 884
The Subclass 173 and Subclass 884 visas are temporary visas and cannot be extended. Before the temporary visa expires, the visa holder may apply for the permanent stage of the contributory parent visa program:
•Subclass 173 → Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent visa – Permanent)
•Subclass 884 → Subclass 864 (Contributory Aged Parent visa – Permanent)
Applying through this two-stage pathway allows applicants to spread the visa application charges across two stages, rather than paying the full contributory visa cost upfront.
Once the permanent visa (Subclass 143 or 864) is granted, the parent becomes an Australian permanent resident, with the ability to live in Australia permanently, access Medicare, work and study without restriction, sponsor eligible relatives, and potentially apply for Australian citizenship if eligible.