Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 870) — Australia

You have to provide clear proof of your identity, your relationship to your sponsoring child, and your health and character status. Home Affairs won’t assess your application without consistent and complete documentation.

Identity and relationship proof

You need to prove who you are and confirm your link to your approved Parent Sponsor.

Provide:

• A valid passport (bio-data page)
• Documents confirming your identity
• Evidence of any name changes
• Evidence that your Parent Sponsor is approved
• Documents that prove your parent–child relationship

Acceptable relationship evidence includes official records showing you’re the parent of the sponsoring child, who must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. These documents should clearly link you to the sponsor by name and date of birth.

If you previously applied for another parent visa, such as:

make sure your personal details match across all applications. Inconsistencies can delay processing.

You’ll also need to provide evidence of adequate health insurance arrangements for your stay.

Health, character and supporting documents

You must meet health and character requirements set by Home Affairs.

Provide:

• Police certificates from every country where you lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years
• Military service records, if applicable
• Completed character declarations, including any past visa refusals or cancellations
• Form Form 80, if requested

Police certificates expire 12 months from the date of issue. If processing takes longer, you may need to get updated certificates.

If you’re asking for priority processing based on compelling and compassionate circumstances, you’ll need to submit written evidence supporting your claim.

Upload all requested documents through your application as directed by Home Affairs. Missing documents can result in delays or refusal.

You’ll need to pay a substantial government fee and plan for a processing period that can extend close to a year. Home Affairs sets the charges and publishes updated processing time guidance through its official tools.

Application fees

The Parent Sponsored Visa (Temporary) (subclass 870) requires full payment at the time you lodge your application.

Home Affairs may update fees, so confirm the current amount using the official fee calculator before you apply.

You pay this fee directly to the Department of Home Affairs. Australian Border Force doesn’t handle visa application payments.

If Home Affairs asks you to complete Form Form 80, submit it promptly. Delays with Form 80 can extend your processing time, especially where character checks apply.

Permanent parent visas like the Parent Visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804), and Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864) have different fee structures and longer-term financial commitments. Check with Home Affairs for current charges for those visas.

Typical processing windows and guides

processing times for the subclass 870 typically range between 6 and 12 months.

Use the visa processing time guide tool on the Home Affairs website to check recently finalised cases. The tool provides an indication only, not a guaranteed timeframe.

Applications referred for character assessment can take longer, particularly where Form 80 review is required.

Processing times depend on:

• Completeness of your application
• Whether Home Affairs requests more documents
• Character considerations
• Current processing priorities

Check current timeframes with Home Affairs before making travel or family plans.

Seek professional guidance if character issues, past cancellations, or legal errors affect your record. You’ll also need help if you plan to request a review, argue for priority processing, or manage complex background disclosures.

Character, cancellations and complex cases

If Home Affairs has cancelled or refused your visa on character grounds since your last arrival in Australia, your options are extremely limited. In that situation, the only visa you can apply for—if you meet eligibility criteria—is a Protection visa (subclass 866).

You cannot be granted another visa, including the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870), while that restriction applies. This rule also affects applications for the Parent Visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804), and Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864).

Seek legal advice immediately if you:

• Received a character refusal or cancellation notice
• Have criminal charges or convictions in any country
• Previously held another visa such as the Child Visa (offshore) (subclass 101) and later faced compliance issues
• Need to respond to a notice requesting further character information

Character assessments rely heavily on Form Form 80. Build a complete 10‑year history of:

• All residential addresses
• Employment and education
• Every overseas trip

Gaps cause delays. Inconsistent dates create credibility issues.

If both Form 80 and Form 1221 apply to you, ensure every date and answer matches exactly. Declare all travel, including to conflict‑affected regions.

Use passport stamps, boarding passes, and booking records to reconstruct dates. Approximate dates are acceptable if exact ones are genuinely unavailable.

Complex histories require structured evidence. Get advice before you lodge.

Appeals, priority processing and legal advice

If Home Affairs refuses your visa, you may have a right to seek a review of that decision. You must act within the required timeframe and identify any legal or factual errors in the original decision.

Seek advice if your refusal involves:

• Character findings
• Incorrect factual assumptions

Other grounds include missing or misunderstood evidence, or procedural fairness concerns.

A registered migration agent or independent immigration lawyer can assess whether the decision contains reviewable errors. Don’t rely on informal advice when deadlines apply.

Priority processing requests require clear evidence. You must demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances, not just inconvenience.

Examples of evidence may include:

• Medical documentation
• Evidence of urgent family circumstances

Documents showing significant hardship may also help.

Submit structured, well‑organised evidence with your request. Unsupported statements rarely succeed.

When your case involves past cancellations, overlapping parent visa pathways (such as subclasses 103, 143, 804, or 864), or character disclosures under Form 80, professional guidance reduces the risk of further refusal.

You can extend your stay under the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) within the limits set by Home Affairs. You must also keep lawful status at all times to avoid cancellation or future visa issues.

Extensions and concessions

Home Affairs allows further stay on the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) within the maximum period permitted under this visa category. You cannot use this visa to transition directly to permanent parent visas such as the Parent Visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804), or Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864) while you hold it.

If concessions apply, your visa period may be extended without requiring a new substantive application. In recent years, some holders received an automatic 18‑month extension under temporary government measures.

You must check your individual visa grant notice and ImmiAccount to confirm your new expiry date.

If you plan to move to a permanent pathway, you must:

1. Review eligibility criteria for the relevant parent visa.

2. Prepare supporting documents, which may include Form Form 80 (Personal particulars for assessment including character assessment).

Confirm lodgement rules directly with the Department of Home Affairs.

Do not assume eligibility for other family visas, such as the Child Visa (offshore) (subclass 101), as each visa has separate criteria.

Maintaining valid status

You must remain lawful in Australia at all times. Monitor your visa expiry date and any conditions attached to your grant.

Key actions include:

• Check your visa conditions in ImmiAccount.
• Apply for any extension before your current visa expires.

Keep your sponsor’s approval valid if required. Notify Home Affairs of changes to your personal details.

If your visa expires and you do not hold another valid visa, you become unlawful. That can affect future applications for parent visas, including subclasses 103, 143, 804, or 864.

Home Affairs assesses your compliance history when you apply for further visas. Accurate information, including details previously provided in Form 80 or other applications, must remain consistent across all submissions.

Home Affairs refuses many applications for avoidable reasons. Most refusals involve missing documents, sponsor issues, or character and disclosure problems that raise credibility concerns.

Common documentation and process mistakes

You must submit a complete and accurate application. Home Affairs does not overlook missing identity documents, unsigned forms, or incomplete answers.

Common problems include:

• Failing to attach all required identity documents
• Not including the Permission to Apply letter, where required

Other issues involve lodging the application outside the permitted timeframe, submitting forms that are incomplete, inconsistent, or not in English, or failing to show evidence of an approved Parent Sponsor.

Not providing proof of adequate health insurance or submitting incorrect or invalid police certificates also cause refusals.

If you previously considered options such as the Parent Visa (subclass 103), Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143), Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804), or Contributory Aged Parent Visa (subclass 864), don’t assume similar documents apply. Each visa has its own requirements.

Use this checklist before lodgement:

Filing a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass 870) application does not guarantee approval. Processing delays often result from preventable document errors.

Character and disclosure pitfalls

Character issues lead to both delays and refusals. Home Affairs treats non‑disclosure more seriously than many underlying offences.

You must disclose:

• All criminal convictions, including spent convictions
• Pending charges

Every country you have travelled to, all addresses and employment history for the last 10 years, and informal activities such as caregiving, volunteering, or extended travel must be listed.

Undisclosed criminal history commonly results in refusal. Serious offences make approval unlikely.

Inconsistencies between Form Form 80 and Form 1221 often trigger delays. Travel history, employment, and residential addresses must match exactly across both forms.

Omitting travel to sensitive or conflict‑affected regions can suspend processing while additional security checks occur. Unexplained gaps in your timeline also raise credibility concerns.

Providing false or misleading information can result in visa refusal, cancellation, and possible restrictions on future applications. You must answer every question honestly and account for every period clearly and consistently.