Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
The 143 is the permanent parent visa we recommend most often for a parent under 67, or for a parent of any age who is outside Australia. The Department charges $49,900 per parent across two instalments and currently estimates about 15 years for a new application. The large payment comes at the end, not the beginning, and there is no bridging visa, so the wait is spent overseas with visits in between.
Verified against the Department of Home Affairs on 8 September 2026.
Who the 143 suits, and who it does not.
Most wrong choices are made here, before any form is filled.
Usually the right visa for
- A parent under 67The onshore aged visas are closed to them.
- A parent living overseas, any ageThe visa is granted offshore in any case.
- A family that can plan for $43,600 in about 15 yearsOnly $6,300 is due at lodgement.
Usually the wrong visa for
- A parent already here and over 67The 864 costs and takes the same, and comes with a bridging visa to stay.
- A family that needs the parent here nowNo bridging visa follows a 143. Look at the 173, or the onshore visas.
- Anyone who has applied for or holds an 870The Department treats it as a bar.
What the 143 asks of the family.
Each requirement has detail and exceptions. These decide most applications.
- 01
A settled sponsor
Usually the adult child: an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who has lived here lawfully for around two years.
- 02
The balance of family test
At least half of the parent's children are Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens living here, or more live here than in any other single country. All children of the parent and their current partner count, including step and adopted children, with narrow exclusions.
- 03
Health and character
A panel medical and police clearances from every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last ten years, checked at queuing and again before grant.
- 04
An Assurance of Support
A financial commitment lodged with Services Australia before grant: $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 per adult dependant, held ten years and returned if no recoverable welfare payments were made. The assurer must pass an income test, which for self employed sponsors needs clean accounts.
- 05
No 870 on the record
The Department's position: the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
- 06
Outside Australia at grant
Unless the parent holds a 173 when the 143 is decided.
Every charge, and when it falls due.
Main applicant, from 1 July 2026. The Department adds a surcharge for card payments. Health, police and translation costs are extra. The cost stack models one or two parents and the waiting years.
| Item | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First instalment, main applicant | Lodgement | $6,300 |
| First instalment, second parent | Lodgement, approximate | $3,150 |
| Second instalment, each applicant | Release, about 15 years later | $43,600 |
| Assurance of Support | Before grant, refundable after ten years | $10,000 |
| Health and police checks, per person | Queuing and again at release | $600 to $900 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, staged across lodgement and release | On request |
- Weeks 1 to 8Strategy and lodgement. Balance of family, sponsor and budget confirmed; lodged in ImmiAccount with the first instalment.
- Months 1 to 6Queue date. The Department checks the core criteria and places the file in the contributory queue.
- Years 1 to 14The queue. The parent lives overseas or visits on visitor visas. Every change is reported. We review the file annually.
- Final 12 monthsRelease. Fresh health and police checks, the Assurance of Support and the $43,600 second instalment on short deadlines.
- GrantOutside Australia at grant, then entry by the initial entry date. Medicare and the ten year bond period run from arrival.
The same queue with the charge split in two and two years here between the stages.
Read the 173 guideSubclass 864Contributory Aged Parent visaFor a parent already here and over 67: same cost, same wait, bridging visa to stay.
Read the 864 guideSubclass 103Parent visaA fifth of the charge for a 33 years queue.
Read the 103 guideWhat families ask us about the 143.
Is the whole $49,900 paid up front?
No. $6,300 is paid at lodgement. The $43,600 second instalment and the $10,000 bond are requested when the file is released from the queue, about 15 years later on current estimates.
Where does the parent live during the 143 queue?
Outside Australia, with visits on visitor visas. Lodging onshore is allowed but no bridging visa is granted, and the visa can only be granted while the parent is outside Australia unless they hold a 173.
How is the wait calculated?
Home Affairs publishes an estimate for new applications, 15 years as at 31 May 2026, and the queue dates it is currently releasing, up to November 2018. With 7,060 parent places for 2026 to 2027 the estimate can lengthen.
Can a business owner sponsor and provide the Assurance of Support?
Yes. The assurer passes an income test with Services Australia, and for a self employed sponsor the accounts and tax returns need to show it clearly. Our commercial practice regularly prepares that evidence alongside the visa file.
What if the parent turns 67 while the 143 is in the queue and is in Australia?
The 143 continues as lodged. Whether an onshore 864 would now serve the family better depends on the visa the parent holds and how far along the queue is, which we assess at the annual review.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) and the Parent visas queue release dates page (as at 31 May 2026); Services Australia for Assurance of Support amounts. Checked 8 September 2026. Charges change every 1 July. General information as at 8 September 2026, not advice on your circumstances.
How we help with the 143.
- StrategyA written letter that tests all seven parent visas against your family before anything is lodged, with the costs by year and a fixed fee.
- LodgementBalance of family and sponsor evidence prepared so the application is queued on the first assessment.
- The queueAn annual review: addresses, passports, sponsor, health, and the second instalment forecast.
- ReleaseHealth, police, the Assurance of Support and the payment lined up before the Department's letter.
- Both practicesWhere the sponsor runs a business, our commercial team prepares the income and structure evidence alongside the visa file.
Talk to us about the subclass 143.
One consultation, in person on St Kilda Road or by video. You leave with the visa confirmed, the costs by year and a fixed fee in writing.