Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
143 Contributory Parent (permanent) vs 173 Contributory Parent (temporary)
Same program, same parents, same end point, split differently. The 143 is permanent residence in one application with the full contributory charge paid before grant. The 173 is a two-year temporary visa with a smaller second instalment, after which the parent applies for the 143 from inside Australia and pays the balance, so the contribution is spread over two stages and the parent is in Australia sooner, with work rights and Medicare on the 173, at a higher total cost and with a second application to make. A family that can pay the whole charge applies for the 143 directly; a family that needs to split it, or wants the parent here while the 143 queue runs, uses the 173.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status
- Permanent on grant · Temporary, 2 years; then the 143 from inside Australia
- Charge
- $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant · A first instalment and a smaller second instalment on the 173, then the balance on the 143; the total is higher
- Where the parent waits
- Offshore applicants abroad; onshore applicants on a bridging visa · In Australia on the 173, with work rights and Medicare, for the 173’s 2 years
- Applications
- One · Two: the 173, then the 143
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 143 Contributory Parent (permanent) | 173 Contributory Parent (temporary) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Permanent on grant | Temporary, 2 years; then the 143 from inside Australia |
| Charge | $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant | A first instalment and a smaller second instalment on the 173, then the balance on the 143; the total is higher |
| Where the parent waits | Offshore applicants abroad; onshore applicants on a bridging visa | In Australia on the 173, with work rights and Medicare, for the 173’s 2 years |
| Applications | One | Two: the 173, then the 143 |
| Assurance of support | Required before grant | Required at the 143 stage |
| Balance of family test | Applied | Applied at the 173, and read again at the 143 |
| Watch out | The second instalment arrives years after lodgement and must be paid to be granted | The 143 must be lodged while the 173 is in effect; letting it lapse loses the pathway |
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
Same program, same parents, same end point, split differently. The 143 is permanent residence in one application with the full contributory charge paid before grant. The 173 is a two-year temporary visa with a smaller second instalment, after which the parent applies for the 143 from inside Australia and pays the balance, so the contribution is spread over two stages and the parent is in Australia sooner, with work rights and Medicare on the 173, at a higher total cost and with a second application to make. A family that can pay the whole charge applies for the 143 directly; a family that needs to split it, or wants the parent here while the 143 queue runs, uses the 173.
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
143 Contributory Parent (permanent) or 173 Contributory Parent (temporary) — which is better?
Same program, same parents, same end point, split differently. The 143 is permanent residence in one application with the full contributory charge paid before grant. The 173 is a two-year temporary visa with a smaller second instalment, after which the parent applies for the 143 from inside Australia and pays the balance, so the contribution is spread over two stages and the parent is in Australia sooner, with work rights and Medicare on the 173, at a higher total cost and with a second application to make. A family that can pay the whole charge applies for the 143 directly; a family that needs to split it, or wants the parent here while the 143 queue runs, uses the 173.
What is the main difference between the 143 Contributory Parent (permanent) and the 173 Contributory Parent (temporary)?
Status: 143 Contributory Parent (permanent) — Permanent on grant; 173 Contributory Parent (temporary) — Temporary, 2 years; then the 143 from inside Australia. Charge: 143 Contributory Parent (permanent) — $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant; 173 Contributory Parent (temporary) — A first instalment and a smaller second instalment on the 173, then the balance on the 143; the total is higher. Where the parent waits: 143 Contributory Parent (permanent) — Offshore applicants abroad; onshore applicants on a bridging visa; 173 Contributory Parent (temporary) — In Australia on the 173, with work rights and Medicare, for the 173’s 2 years.
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