What the Subclass 103 Provides
The subclass 103 Parent visa, once granted, gives the holder permanent residence in Australia — the right to live, work, and access Medicare indefinitely. It also provides a 5-year travel facility from the date of grant and places the holder on the pathway to Australian citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence (including 12 months as a permanent resident).
Permanent residence
Indefinite right to live in Australia, access Medicare, and work without restriction on grant.
Lower government charges
Approximately AUD 4,990 — significantly lower than the contributory parent visa pathways. Confirm current amount on DoHA.
Pathway to citizenship
Eligible for Australian citizenship after 4 years of lawful residence, including 12 months as a permanent resident.
Eligibility Requirements
1. The sponsoring child must be settled in Australia
The applicant must have at least one child who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen and who has been settled in Australia for at least 2 years before the application is lodged. Step-children and legally adopted children count as 'children' for this purpose.
2. The Balance of Family test must be satisfied
The parent must pass the Balance of Family test: either (a) at least half of the parent's children are settled in Australia as citizens or PRs, or (b) more of the parent's children are settled in Australia than in any other single country. If the parent cannot pass this test, the 103 is not available — the 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa does not require it.
3. Assurance of Support must be provided before grant
The sponsoring child (or another eligible assurer) must be able to provide an Assurance of Support — a legally binding undertaking to repay certain welfare payments if the parent accesses them. For the 103, the AoS is arranged at the grant stage (years after lodgement), not at lodgement. The assurer must meet an income test and lodge a bond with Services Australia.
4. Health and character requirements
All applicants must meet health requirements (medical examination at a Department-approved panel physician) and character requirements (police clearances). These assessments have limited validity and will likely need to be refreshed before the final decision, given the length of the processing queue.
Government Charges
The subclass 103 has a single instalment of government charges payable at the time of lodgement — there is no second instalment before grant. This is a key financial difference from the contributory pathways.
Queue Reality — What Families Must Understand
New subclass 103 applications lodged today are realistically waiting approximately 30 years before a decision. For an applicant who is currently in their 60s, this means a permanent residence outcome through the 103 may not occur within a realistic planning horizon. Confirm current estimates on DoHA.
Why the queue is so long
The 103 is a non-contributory visa — the lower government charges mean the program receives less funding relative to the contributory pathways. The Department of Home Affairs allocates a fixed number of places across all parent visa subclasses each year, and the vast majority of permanent places go to the contributory queue (143). Non-contributory applications (103, 804) share a relatively small allocation of the remaining places, resulting in an extremely long queue.
The 103 queue does not feed into the 143 queue
This is frequently misunderstood. Time spent waiting in the subclass 103 queue does not transfer to the subclass 143 queue and does not give any priority in the contributory program. If a family decides after lodging a 103 to pursue the contributory 143 pathway instead, they would need to lodge a fresh 143 application and join the 143 queue from the date of the new lodgement — with no benefit from the earlier 103 lodgement date.
Strategies while in the queue
Families with a 103 application pending may consider using the subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa to allow the parent to live in Australia for up to 10 years while the permanent queue processes. Visitor visas (subclass 600) can also be used for shorter stays. These options run in parallel with the 103 queue and do not affect the 103 lodgement date.
Subclass 103 vs 143 vs 870
The three main parent visa options differ significantly in cost, wait time, permanence, and the Balance of Family test requirement. Confirm all current figures on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Figures current at August 2026 — confirm on the Department of Home Affairs website before relying on these amounts.
The Application Process
Frequently Asked Questions
This information is general in nature and does not constitute immigration assistance or legal advice for any individual situation. Requirements including occupation lists, fees and processing criteria change without notice.
Nanak Migration Group Pty Ltd makes no representation that information on this site is complete, current or applicable to your circumstances. Nothing here guarantees, implies or represents any visa outcome, approval likelihood or processing time.
Obtain advice tailored to your situation from a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner. Navpreet Aulakh, MARN 2619467, is registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Information current as at August 2026. Verify all requirements with the Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) before lodging any application.