Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
103 Parent (non-contributory) vs 143 Contributory Parent
The same permanent parent visa at two prices and two speeds. The 103 charges a first instalment and a small second one and sits in a queue the Department describes in decades, so for most parents it is a placeholder rather than a plan; the 143 charges a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. Both apply the balance of family test, the assurance of support and the health requirement at the end of the wait. A family that can pay lodges the 143; a family that cannot, with a parent young enough for a very long wait to matter, lodges the 103, and a parent old enough and in Australia considers the onshore 804 or 864 instead.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Queue
- Decades · Years
- Charge
- $6,600 first instalment, plus a smaller second instalment before grant · $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant
- Where the parent waits
- Abroad if lodged offshore; a bridging visa only for an onshore-eligible parent · Abroad if lodged offshore; on a bridging visa if lodged onshore
- Balance of family test
- Applied · Applied
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 103 Parent (non-contributory) | 143 Contributory Parent | |
|---|---|---|
| Queue | Decades | Years |
| Charge | $6,600 first instalment, plus a smaller second instalment before grant | $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant |
| Where the parent waits | Abroad if lodged offshore; a bridging visa only for an onshore-eligible parent | Abroad if lodged offshore; on a bridging visa if lodged onshore |
| Balance of family test | Applied | Applied |
| Assurance of support | Required before grant, for a shorter period | Required before grant, for a longer period at a higher amount |
| Switching | A 103 applicant can lodge a 143 later; the Department reads the earlier queue date in its practice | Not needed |
| Watch out | The parent may not live to see the grant; health is tested at the end | The second instalment arrives years after lodgement and must be paid to be granted |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The same permanent parent visa at two prices and two speeds. The 103 charges a first instalment and a small second one and sits in a queue the Department describes in decades, so for most parents it is a placeholder rather than a plan; the 143 charges a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. Both apply the balance of family test, the assurance of support and the health requirement at the end of the wait. A family that can pay lodges the 143; a family that cannot, with a parent young enough for a very long wait to matter, lodges the 103, and a parent old enough and in Australia considers the onshore 804 or 864 instead.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
103 Parent (non-contributory) or 143 Contributory Parent — which is better?
The same permanent parent visa at two prices and two speeds. The 103 charges a first instalment and a small second one and sits in a queue the Department describes in decades, so for most parents it is a placeholder rather than a plan; the 143 charges a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and is decided in years. Both apply the balance of family test, the assurance of support and the health requirement at the end of the wait. A family that can pay lodges the 143; a family that cannot, with a parent young enough for a very long wait to matter, lodges the 103, and a parent old enough and in Australia considers the onshore 804 or 864 instead.
What is the main difference between the 103 Parent (non-contributory) and the 143 Contributory Parent?
Queue: 103 Parent (non-contributory) — Decades; 143 Contributory Parent — Years. Charge: 103 Parent (non-contributory) — $6,600 first instalment, plus a smaller second instalment before grant; 143 Contributory Parent — $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant. Where the parent waits: 103 Parent (non-contributory) — Abroad if lodged offshore; a bridging visa only for an onshore-eligible parent; 143 Contributory Parent — Abroad if lodged offshore; on a bridging visa if lodged onshore.
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