870 Sponsored Parent visa process in 2026: sequencing sponsorship and application
The Subclass 870 runs in one fixed order: the sponsorship is decided first, and only then can the visa application be lodged — within 6 months of sponsorship approval if you apply from outside Australia, or within 60 days if you hold Permission to Apply in Australia. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 870) page, as of August 2026, you cannot apply for or be granted this visa without an approved Parent Sponsor.
What comes first: the sponsorship or the visa application?
The sponsorship comes first, and it is a separate decision from the visa itself.
The Department must approve your Parent Sponsor before any 870 application exists to assess. Two consequences follow from that ordering. A parent who lodges first and hopes the sponsorship catches up has no valid application. A family that wins sponsorship approval but treats the visa paperwork as a slow, open-ended task is working against a deadline that has already started running.
Sponsorship capacity is also capped in ways that shape family planning:
- A sponsor's household is limited to one sponsorship at a time.
- One sponsorship can cover up to 2 parents per household.
- A sponsor cannot lodge a new sponsorship application until the current approved sponsorship ends.
So for a household intending to bring both parents over, the two sponsorships sit inside the same approval, while a second round of sponsorship has to wait for the first to run its course.
How long do you have to lodge after sponsorship is approved?
Six months if you apply from outside Australia; 60 days if you are in Australia and hold Permission to Apply.
The clock starts at sponsorship approval, not at the moment your family feels ready. Permission to Apply in Australia is granted only in limited circumstances, and the Department notifies the approved sponsor — not the applicant — when it is granted. That notice arrives as a Permission to Apply letter, and a copy of it must be attached to the visa application.
| Where you are when you apply | Lodgement window | If the window is missed |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Australia | 6 months from sponsorship approval | No visa application is on foot; a fresh sponsorship would be needed |
| In Australia with Permission to Apply | 60 days from sponsorship approval | The sponsor may apply again for Permission to Apply if the sponsorship is still valid and there are exceptional circumstances for applying while in Australia |
| In Australia, Permission to Apply refused | 6 months from sponsorship approval, applying from outside Australia | Or apply for and be granted a different kind of visa to remain in Australia |
Assume a sponsor's approval arrives in March and the parent is in Australia with Permission to Apply. The application is due in early May, not "whenever the documents are ready." Assume the same approval with the parent offshore: the outer boundary is September, and travel plans, health checks and police certificates all have to fit inside it.
What has to be ready before you open the online form?
Four groups of material drive the timeline: identity, the Permission to Apply letter, evidence of temporary intent, and character and health checks.
Identity and passport
You must hold a valid passport; the Department states it will only grant the visa if you do. Provide the passport pages showing your photo, personal details, and issue and expiry dates, plus a national identity card if you have one and proof of any change of name. If you cannot prove your identity, the application can be refused and another visa might not be granted for 10 years.
Evidence of genuine intention to stay temporarily
The official page asks for as much evidence as possible that the stay is temporary. Its non-exhaustive examples include itemised personal bank statements covering a 3-month period, tax records, pension or other regular income, evidence of previous international travel, significant financial ties such as a house, business or other major assets at home, family ties and commitments at home, and a letter setting out the purpose of the stay, the plans and who you intend to visit.
Character documents
Provide an Australian police certificate if you have spent 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16. Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted — not standard disclosure certificates and not certificates issued by state or territory police. You also need an overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, military service or discharge records if you served in any country's armed forces, and completed Form 80.
Health exams and health insurance
Check ImmiAccount to see whether health examinations are required; doing them before lodgement can speed up processing. Separately, clause 870.224 of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires adequate arrangements for health insurance for the intended stay. The current official visa page does not set out that requirement in its document list, so confirm how to evidence it against the Department's most recent published guidance before you lodge.
What happens at lodgement itself?
You apply online in ImmiAccount, attach your documents, and pay — and nothing moves until the fee is paid.
The steps are short and sequential:
- Log in or create an ImmiAccount.
- Complete the Application for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa.
- Attach your documents.
- Pay the application fee.
The Department warns that it will not process the application until payment is made, and that complete applications might be processed quicker while incomplete ones might be delayed or refused if there is insufficient information.
Cost is paid in two instalments: the first when you apply, the second when the Department asks for it — before it will grant the visa. The official page lists the visa cost as "from" two tiers (up to 3 years, and up to 5 years) without publishing figures in the page text, and directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator, which does not include the second instalment or other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application, recognised through a valid passport from a listed country; family members are eligible on the basis of the primary applicant's passport.
How long will the wait be, and what can stretch it?
The Department publishes an indicative guide rather than a promise, and it does not send progress updates within normal processing times.
Use the visa processing time guide tool for recently decided applications; it is a guide only and not specific to any one application. The Department says it will not give updates on progress within normal processing times, that you can check progress in ImmiAccount, and that it will contact you if anything further is needed. Processing can take longer if the form is filled in incorrectly, documents are missing or more information is required, or verification takes time.
While waiting, three obligations sit with the applicant. Tell the Department if things change after lodgement but before the decision — phone number, email, address, passport, marital or de facto status, the birth of a child, or a criminal conviction. Notify any mistake as soon as possible using Form 1023. And do not arrange travel to Australia until the Department has told you in writing that the visa is granted. Then pay the second instalment when invoiced: non-payment means refusal. This is general information about how the published process works, not advice on any one family's circumstances, so verify the current requirements against the Department's official page or a registered migration agent or legal practitioner before acting.
Where does one 870 sit in a ten-year plan?
One 870 is a slice of a 10-year ceiling, not a step towards permanent residence.
The visa allows stays of up to 3 or 5 years at a time, with a cumulative maximum of 10 years across Subclass 870 visas. It does not lead to permanent residence, and you cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa while you have applied for or hold this one. It cannot be extended; staying longer means applying for and being granted another visa. You cannot work in Australia on this visa, and you cannot include family members in the application.
Two timing rules matter for repeat planning. If you are applying for another 870 from outside Australia, you are not eligible for grant unless you have been outside Australia for at least 90 consecutive days since your relevant departure day — calculated from the first day you left Australia after the visa ceased if you were in Australia when it ceased, or the last day you left while the visa was in effect if you were already outside. And if you held an 870 and were outside Australia on 1 July 2021, the 18-month automatic extension under the COVID-19 visa concessions does not count towards the cumulative 10-year maximum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to wait for sponsorship approval before lodging?
Yes. The official page states you must have an approved Parent Sponsor before you can lodge, and that you cannot apply for or be granted the visa without one. The sponsorship is decided first and sets the start date for the lodgement window.
What is Permission to Apply in Australia?
It is permission to apply from inside Australia rather than outside, granted only in limited circumstances. If it is granted, the Department tells the approved sponsor and issues a Permission to Apply letter, which must be attached to the application; the lodgement window then shortens to 60 days.
Can I include my spouse or another child in the application?
No. The official page states you cannot include family members in a Subclass 870 application. Each parent who wants to come needs to be covered by the sponsorship in their own right.
How many parents can one sponsor cover?
One sponsorship can cover up to 2 parents per household at a time, and a sponsor's household is limited to one sponsorship at a time. A sponsor cannot lodge a new sponsorship application until the current approved sponsorship ends.
Can I work in Australia on this visa?
No. The official page states you cannot work in Australia while you hold a Subclass 870 visa. The visa is for visiting and reuniting with children, and it permits travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while it is valid.
What happens if I don't pay the second instalment?
The visa will not be granted. The Department sends an invoice when the second instalment is due and states it will refuse the application if the invoice is not paid.
Do I get a refund if I withdraw or if the visa is refused?
No. The official page states the visa application fee is not refunded if you withdraw your application, and that it is not refunded if the application is refused.
Can this visa lead to permanent residence?
No. The Subclass 870 is a temporary visa that does not lead to permanent residence, and you cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa while you have applied for or hold it. Staying longer requires a different visa.