Australian Visas for People Aged 55+

Visas for Parents

The Parent visa scheme is complex, with different requirements imposed on the different subclasses. The basic concept is that you have an Australian child who will sponsor you for migration to Australia, who can support you financially if required. Visas for parents fall into two categories – while the requirements are generally the same, the Contributory Parent visa scheme allows you to pay higher visa application charges for faster processing.

Contributory Parent Visa

The Contributory Parent visa scheme allows applicants the option of paying higher visa processing fees to secure faster processing of their visa. The Contributory Parent visa scheme also allows applicants to choose between applying directly for a permanent visa, or breaking down the payments into instalments over two years with a temporary visa option before moving onto the permanent visa. You can also bring your dependent children, relatives, or your partner with you on these visas, but remember that each person will attract a separate fee to migrate with you!

The following subclasses of visa are available under this category:

Subclass 143 – Contributory Parent (Permanent) visa
Subclass 884 – Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary)visa
Subclass 864 – Contributory Aged Parent (Permanent) visa

For each visa, you will need to show the following:

An Assurance of Support
That you meet the Balance of Family test
That you are sponsored by an Australian citizen, Australia resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
That you meet mandatory health and character requirements
If you apply for the Contributory Aged Parent visas, you must also be the Australian pension age – currently 65, but this will rise.

Contributory Parent visas are usually processed within 12 – 24 months. If you are applying for a Contributory Aged Parent visa, your migration agent or immigration lawyer may be able to help you with a Bridging visa that will allow you to wait in Australia for your Temporary Contributory Aged Parent visa to be processed.

The Visa Application Charges currently sit at almost $50,000AUD. If you apply for the Temporary Contributory Parent visa first, you only need to pay around $30,000 at the temporary stage, and you can delay the remaining amount of approximately $20,000 for two years, while you live in Australia on the Temporary Contributory Parent visa. You can also delay paying your Assurance of Support until you apply for the Permanent Contributory Parent visa. This effectively spreads the costs of the Contributory Parent visa scheme over two years. If you prefer, you may apply directly for the Permanent Contributory Parent visa. However – be warned! Visa Application Charges are usually not refundable, so make to contact an experienced lawyer to handle your application.

Our Australian migration agents and experienced immigration lawyers are experienced in handling all Contributory Parent visa applications – don’t risk your application fees or your opportunity to live in Australia permanently – contact us today!

Parent visa and Aged Parent visa

You may be eligible for a Parent visa if you are outside of Australia, have a child living in Australia, and are prepared to wait in a queue for your visa to be approved. You might be able to apply in Australia for this visa, but you must be offshore when it is granted. Be aware – you will not automatically be granted a Bridging visa so that you can wait for your visa to be processed in Australia. You may be eligible for an Aged Parent visa if you meet the same criteria, but are in Australia at the time of application and at the time the visa is decided.

Currently, wait times for Parent and Aged Parent visas are estimated to be around thirty years. Both your Visa Application Charges and your Assurance of Support for these visas are more affordable than amounts payable under the Contributory Parent visa scheme, with current Visa Application Charges priced at less than $4000. You may bring your dependent children, relatives, or your partner with you on these visas, but remember that each person will attract a separate fee to migrate with you!

The following subclasses of visa are available under this category:

Subclass 103 –Parent visa
Subclass 804 – Aged Parent visa

For each visa, you will need to show the following:

An Assurance of Support
That you meet the Balance of Family test
That you are sponsored by an Australian citizen, Australia resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
That you meet mandatory health and character requirements
If you apply for the Aged Parent visa, you must also be the Australian pension age – currently 65, but this will rise in 2017

Aged Dependent Visa

If you are single, over 65 and dependent on a relative in Australia, then you may be eligible for an Aged Dependent visa. This visa is also economical in terms of the Visa Application Charges, which currently sit at less than $4000. However, due to the current planning of places allocated to each visa subclass by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, this visa has a current processing time of approximately 56 years. You can attach your dependent children or other dependent children to this type of visa application.

The following subclasses of visa are available under this category:

Subclass 838 – Aged Dependent visa (applying onshore)
Subclass 804 – Aged Dependent visa (applying offshore)

For each visa, you will need to show the following:

You meet the dependency requirements, and have done so for at least the last three years
You meet the age requirements – currently, you must be at least 65, but this will rise in 2017
You are sponsored by a relative or their partner who live in Australia
You meet the mandatory health and character requirements

Carer visa

If you are either inside or outside Australia, and you need to care for an Australian relative who cannot be cared for by another person, then you may be able to apply for a Carer visa.

The following subclasses of visa are available under this category:

Subclass 836 – Carer visa (applying onshore)
Subclass 116 – Carer visa (applying offshore)

For each visa, you will need to show the following:

You have a partner, child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew (or step-equivalent) who lives in Australia and needs care or assistance.
you need to either;
- stay in Australia to care for a relative in Australia with a long-term medical condition, or
- assist a relative in providing care to a member of their family unit living in their household
your relative (or their family member) has a medical condition which requires direct care for at least two years
your relative cannot reasonably get the care they need from any other relative in Australia or from welfare, hospital or nursing community services in Australia
you are willing and able to provide substantial and continuing assistance.
your relative or their partner can sponsor you
you meet the mandatory health and character requirements.

You can bring your partner, dependent children or other dependent relatives on this visa. Carer visas are subject to the Other Family visa Capping and Queueing procedure, meaning that when the number of Carer visa applications reaches the cap for that year, your application will be queued until a processing place is available. Currently, there are less than 500 places available each year for Carer visas, with a wait time of 2 – 4 years for processing. Visa Application Charges for the Carer visa scheme are extremely economical, with the current charge being just over $1500.

Migrating to Australia can be complex for older citizens, but with the assistance of an experienced migration lawyer, your future in Australia can be a possibility. Australian migration law is constantly changing, and both requirements and prices often become much more challenging in a very short space of time. Don’t waste time or risk your future in Australia – contact our experienced migration lawyers today! What our Clients Say

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Visas for People Aged 55+