Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) vs 143 Contributory Parent
The 870 is a long visit: three or five years at a time, up to ten in total, no work, no Medicare, private insurance, a sponsor child who meets an income test, and no path to permanent residence. The 143 is permanent residence for a parent, with Medicare and the right to stay for life, at a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and a queue measured in years. A family that wants the parent here now, for the grandchildren’s early years, uses the 870 and may lodge the 143 as well; a family that wants the parent settled, and can pay, lodges the 143 and reads the queue.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status
- Temporary: 3 or 5 years per grant, 10 years maximum in total · Permanent
- Work
- Not permitted · Permitted
- Medicare
- No; private health insurance required · Yes, from grant
- Balance of family test
- Not applied · Applied
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) | 143 Contributory Parent | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Temporary: 3 or 5 years per grant, 10 years maximum in total | Permanent |
| Work | Not permitted | Permitted |
| Medicare | No; private health insurance required | Yes, from grant |
| Balance of family test | Not applied | Applied |
| Sponsor | A child in Australia approved as a parent sponsor, with an income test | A settled child in Australia; an assurance of support |
| Government charge | $6,370 for up to 3 years; $12,440 for up to 5 years | $4,040 first instalment; $43,600 second instalment per parent before grant |
| Waiting | Months | Years in the contributory queue |
| Watch out | Cannot be extended on the spot; a further 870 is a new application | The second instalment and the health requirement at the end of the queue |
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 870 is a long visit: three or five years at a time, up to ten in total, no work, no Medicare, private insurance, a sponsor child who meets an income test, and no path to permanent residence. The 143 is permanent residence for a parent, with Medicare and the right to stay for life, at a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and a queue measured in years. A family that wants the parent here now, for the grandchildren’s early years, uses the 870 and may lodge the 143 as well; a family that wants the parent settled, and can pay, lodges the 143 and reads the queue.
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
870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) or 143 Contributory Parent — which is better?
The 870 is a long visit: three or five years at a time, up to ten in total, no work, no Medicare, private insurance, a sponsor child who meets an income test, and no path to permanent residence. The 143 is permanent residence for a parent, with Medicare and the right to stay for life, at a second instalment of $43,600 per parent and a queue measured in years. A family that wants the parent here now, for the grandchildren’s early years, uses the 870 and may lodge the 143 as well; a family that wants the parent settled, and can pay, lodges the 143 and reads the queue.
What is the main difference between the 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) and the 143 Contributory Parent?
Status: 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) — Temporary: 3 or 5 years per grant, 10 years maximum in total; 143 Contributory Parent — Permanent. Work: 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) — Not permitted; 143 Contributory Parent — Permitted. Medicare: 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) — No; private health insurance required; 143 Contributory Parent — Yes, from grant.
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