Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
The 870 lets a parent stay for up to three or five years at a time, ten years in total, with no balance of family test and a decision in months. The parent cannot work, must hold health cover for the whole stay, and the sponsor must show taxable income of at least $83,455. The Department's position is that a person who has applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the permanent or contributory parent visas, which is why we treat it as a decision about residence, not a stopgap.
Verified against the Department of Home Affairs on 8 September 2026.
Who the 870 suits, and who it does not.
Most wrong choices are made here, before any form is filled.
Usually the right visa for
- A family that has ruled out permanent residenceLong stays, quickly.
- A parent who fails the balance of family testThe only parent visa without it.
- A retired parent who does not need to workNo work is a condition.
Usually the wrong visa for
- A family that may want a permanent parent visa laterThe Department treats a prior 870 as a bar.
- A parent who needs to work or rely on MedicareNeither is available.
- A sponsor earning under $83,455The income test fails.
What the 870 asks of the family.
Each requirement has detail and exceptions. These decide most applications.
- 01
An approved parent sponsor first
The child applies to be a Parent Sponsor before any visa application: a citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, 18 or over, usually resident here for at least four years, no outstanding public health debts, character checks.
- 02
Sponsor income of at least $83,455
Taxable income for the last financial year. A partner's income can be combined if the sponsor earns at least half of the threshold alone. For a sponsor who runs a business, the tax position and the way income is drawn decide this test, and it is worth reviewing before the year ends.
- 03
Health insurance for the whole stay
Condition 8501: adequate cover held and maintained throughout.
- 04
Health and character
Standard examinations and police clearances, and no outstanding public health debts.
- 05
Lodged within six months of sponsorship approval
Or within 60 days if the Department has permitted an onshore application.
- 06
A genuine temporary stay
No work, departure at the end of the visa, no pathway to residence.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship application | First, paid by the sponsor | $420 |
| Visa charge at lodgement | Per parent | $1,515 |
| Visa charge at grant, three years | Per parent | $4,855 |
| Visa charge at grant, five years | Per parent | $10,925 |
| Health insurance, per parent per year | Every year of the stay | $2,000 to $4,000 |
| Health and police checks, per person | Before grant | $600 to $900 |
| Our professional fee | Fixed, covering sponsorship and visa | On request |
- Weeks 1 to 4Sponsorship application with income, residence and character evidence, prepared so it is decided once.
- Months 1 to 6Sponsorship decided. The visa must then be lodged within six months.
- Weeks after approvalVisa application from outside Australia with health cover evidence, the medical and police clearances.
- MonthsGrant while the parent is outside Australia, for three or five years, subject to the cap of 15,000 grants a year.
- Years 3 to 10A further 870 up to ten years in total. After that the parent must leave, and the permanent parent visas are not available to them.
Permanent residence in about 15 years for parents who pass the balance of family test.
Read the 143 guideSubclass 173Contributory Parent (Temporary) visaTwo years here with work rights and Medicare, as the first stage of the 143.
Read the 173 guideSubclass 804Aged Parent visaFor a parent already here and over 67: an onshore application with a bridging visa for the wait.
Read the 804 guideWhat families ask us about the 870.
Why do we call the 870 a decision about residence?
Because the Department states that a person who has already applied for or holds an 870 cannot apply for the Parent, Contributory Parent, Aged Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visas. Lodging it settles the question for the family, whether or not they meant it to.
How is the sponsor's income assessed?
Taxable income of at least $83,455 in the last financial year, with a partner's income added if the sponsor earns at least half alone. For business owners, dividends, trust distributions and wages are treated differently, which is where our commercial practice adds value.
What does the 870 cost in total?
$6,370 for three years or $12,440 for five, paid as $1,515 at lodgement and the balance at grant, plus a $420 sponsorship application and health cover for every year.
Is there a cap on the 870?
Yes, 15,000 grants each program year. Once it is reached, further visas wait for the next program year.
Can the parent work at all?
No. The visa carries a no work condition. Parents who need to work should look at the 173 or 884.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) 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 870.
- 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 870.
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.