Family · Parent visa cost
Parent visa cost in Australia, 2026: every option, both instalments and the total for a couple
Parent visas are among the most expensive visas Australia offers, and the price depends on which one: from about A$8,700 for a non-contributory 103 to about A$49,900 for a contributory 143, before the Assurance of Support bond, health checks and police certificates. Most parent visas are paid in two instalments, one at lodgement and one before grant, years apart. This page sets out the Home Affairs charge for each option, the two-step temporary routes, the 870, and what the total looks like when both parents apply.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed November 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Parent 103 / Aged Parent 804
- A$8,665 for one applicant
- Contributory 143 / 864 (direct)
- A$49,900 for one applicant
- 173 then 143
- A$53,350 across both steps
- Sponsored Parent 870
- A$6,370 (3 yrs) or A$12,440 (5 yrs)
- Second instalment
- Paid before grant
- Charges checked
- 8 Nov 2026, Home Affairs pricing
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About the CPD →MARN 1576536 · Charges read from the Home Affairs current visa pricing table (last updated 1 July 2026) on 8 November 2026
Every parent visa charge
The charges below are the Department's own, for an application lodged now. The total column is for one applicant paying both instalments.
| Visa | First instalment, main applicant | First instalment, each extra adult / child | Second instalment (A$) | Total, one applicant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent (subclass 103) | A$6,600 | A$3,300 / A$1,655 | 2,065 for each person | A$8,665 |
| Aged Parent (subclass 804) | A$6,600 | A$3,300 / A$1,655 | 2,065 for each person | A$8,665 |
| Contributory Parent (subclass 143), applying directly | A$6,300 | A$2,125 / A$1,065 | 43,600 | A$49,900 |
| Contributory Parent (Temporary) (subclass 173) | A$4,245 | A$2,125 / A$1,065 | 29,130 | A$33,375 |
| Contributory Parent (subclass 143), as a 173 holder | A$555 | A$280 / A$135 | 19,420 | A$19,975 |
| Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864), applying directly | A$6,300 | A$3,145 / A$1,580 | 43,600 | A$49,900 |
| Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) (subclass 884) | A$6,300 | A$3,145 / A$1,580 | 29,130 | A$35,430 |
| Contributory Aged Parent (subclass 864), as an 884 holder | A$555 | A$280 / A$135 | 19,420 | A$19,975 |
| Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) | A$1,515 | Not available: one parent per application | 4,855 for up to 3 years, or 10,925 for up to 5 years | A$6,370 or A$12,440 |
Under the contributory visas, a dependent child under 18 included in the application pays a second instalment of A$2,095 rather than the adult amount. Some applicants in special circumstances, such as people who applied for an older parent visa before 2003 and withdrew it, are charged differently; the pricing table sets those cases out. From 1 July 2026 a lower charge also applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens applying for the 143.
How the instalments work
The first instalment is paid when the application is lodged. The second instalment is paid before the visa is granted, when the Department asks for it. For the non-contributory 103 and 804 the second instalment is small, A$2,065 for each person; for the contributory visas it is most of the price. Because parent visa queues are long, the two payments can be years apart, and charges are indexed in the meantime, usually each 1 July, so the amount is confirmed when the Department asks for it.
The two-step routes: 173 to 143, and 884 to 864
The contributory visas can be taken in one step or two. In two steps, the parent first holds a temporary visa (the 173, or the 884 for an aged parent) and later applies for the permanent visa, paying reduced charges for the second step. Taken together the two steps cost more than the direct route: A$33,375 for the 173 and A$19,975 for the 143 that follows, A$53,350 in all, against A$49,900 direct; for aged parents, A$35,430 and A$19,975, A$55,405 in all, against A$49,900 direct. The two-step route spreads the cost rather than reducing it.
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870
The 870 is a temporary visa, granted for up to three years or up to five, with a first instalment of A$1,515 and a second that depends on the length chosen: A$4,855 for up to three years, A$10,925 for up to five. Home Affairs states that additional applicants are not eligible, so each parent applies separately and pays separately. The child's sponsorship is a separate application with its own charge. The 870 guide covers the sponsorship and the conditions.
When both parents apply
The second parent pays the extra-adult charge at lodgement and, under the contributory visas, the full adult second instalment. Worked from the table:
- Parent (103), a couple: A$6,600 + A$3,300 at lodgement, then A$2,065 each, A$14,030 in all.
- Contributory Parent (143) directly, a couple: A$6,300 + A$2,125 at lodgement, then A$43,600 each, A$95,625 in all.
- Sponsored Parent (870), two parents for up to five years: two applications of A$12,440 each, A$24,880, plus the sponsorship.
Other costs to plan for
Home Affairs lists the Assurance of Support bond as a further cost for the 103, 804, 143, 173, 864 and 884; the bond is lodged with Services Australia and its amount and period are set there. The Assurance of Support guide explains who can give it. Health examinations and police certificates are paid to the panel clinics and police authorities and vary by country. Professional fees, if an agent is engaged, are separate from all of the above.
The charge is only one side of the choice. Whether a parent can apply at all turns on the Balance of Family test, and the waiting time differs between the contributory and non-contributory visas; the processing time guide covers the queues.
Compare the options for your parents
A consultation sets the options open to your parents side by side, with their charges, timing and the Balance of Family test, before any money is committed.
Book a consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited
General information only, current at 8 November 2026; not advice on your own case. Charges from the Department of Home Affairs current visa pricing table (last updated 1 July 2026) and the Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa page, read on the date above; charges are indexed, usually each 1 July, and should be confirmed with Home Affairs before each instalment is paid. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
Not sure which visa fits you?
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Book 30 minutes with Keshab.
Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536), reads your situation with you and tells you which route fits, what it costs and what happens next.
Video consultation. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes, credited in full if you go ahead. Advice on your own case is given in the consultation, and you leave it with a clear plan in writing.
What you get
- 30 minutes (A$330) or 60 minutes (A$550) by video with a registered migration agent, Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.
- A written summary of your options and next steps after the session.
- What to bring: Passport bio page, current visa grant or VEVO check, and whatever papers exist.
- Prefer no call? The written pathway check is done in writing, A$550.
Book a parent visa consultation — A$330 inc. GST, credited In writing, no call — A$550
Need 60 minutes, or bringing a partner, employer or documents to go through? Extended consultation, A$550 inc. GST.
MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
Questions we get asked first
How much is a parent visa in Australia in 2026?
It depends on the visa. On the Home Affairs pricing table, the Parent (103) and Aged Parent (804) visas cost A$6,600 at lodgement plus a second instalment of A$2,065, a total of A$8,665 for one applicant. The Contributory Parent (143) costs A$6,300 plus A$43,600, a total of A$49,900, which matches the figure on the 143 visa page. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) 870 costs A$6,370 for up to three years or A$12,440 for up to five, across two instalments.
When is the second instalment paid?
Before the visa is granted. The first instalment is paid when the application is lodged, and Home Affairs lists the second instalment as payable before grant of the visa.
Is the two-step 173 then 143 route cheaper?
Not in total. A 173 costs A$4,245 plus A$29,130, and the 143 that follows for a 173 holder costs A$555 plus A$19,420, so the two steps together come to A$53,350 for one applicant, against A$49,900 for applying for the 143 directly. The two-step route spreads the cost over time, which is why some families use it.
How much does it cost for both parents?
For the 103, a couple pays A$6,600 plus A$3,300 at lodgement and A$2,065 each as the second instalment, A$14,030 in all. For a direct 143, a couple pays A$6,300 plus A$2,125 at lodgement and A$43,600 each as the second instalment, A$95,625 in all. The 870 does not take additional applicants, so each parent makes their own application.
What other costs are there?
Home Affairs lists the Assurance of Support bond as another cost for the 103, 804, 143, 173, 864 and 884. Health examinations and police certificates are paid to the clinics and police authorities. For the 870, the sponsor's application is a separate step with its own charge. Professional fees are separate again if an agent is used.
What does the consultation cost?
A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes by video with Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536), credited in full if you engage WIDEN. For a parent visa the session compares the options that are open to your parents, with their charges, timing and the Balance of Family test.
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