Australia's two-step contributory parent route: what subclass 173 gives you before subclass 143 in 2026
Subclass 173 is the temporary first half of Australia's contributory parent route. It lets a parent live in Australia for up to 2 years, work and study there without access to government support, travel in and out as often as they wish during that period, and — critically — apply for the permanent Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143). According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' official page Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (Subclass 173), as of the August 2026 official pages, the permanent subclass 143 is applied for as a 2-step process: the parent first applies for subclass 173, then lodges the subclass 143 application before the temporary visa expires. The stated reason for that design is financial — applying for subclass 173 first "allows you to spread the cost of the visas over several years."
What does subclass 173 actually give a parent?
The visa grants four practical things, and one obligation that families often overlook:
- Residence for up to 2 years, with multiple entry — the holder can leave Australia and return as many times as they want within the 2 years.
- Work and study rights, with the explicit caveat that the holder will not receive government support.
- A pathway to permanence, because the subclass 143 application is built on top of the subclass 173 application rather than replacing it.
- Family inclusion — members of the family can be included in the application when it is made.
- A hard deadline: the subclass 143 application must be lodged before the subclass 173 visa expires, so that all applicable lodgement criteria are met.
What it does not give is permanence. The Department states plainly that subclass 173 cannot be extended or reapplied for; staying longer means applying for a different visa. This article describes how the route is structured for general understanding; it is not personalised advice, and the rules that apply to any one family depend on their circumstances and on the official requirements in force at the time, so the Department's current pages and a qualified professional remain the final reference.
Why does the rules design a temporary stage at all?
From a family planning perspective, the temporary stage does three jobs at once.
First, it splits a large, concentrated cost into two payments made years apart. The Department is explicit that the two-step route costs more in total than applying directly for subclass 143, and more than the non-contributory Parent visa (subclass 103) — but the cost is spread across two visas over a longer period. For a household funding a parent's migration out of current income rather than a lump sum, the timing of the outflow can matter more than the headline total.
Second, it gives the family a live-in trial period before permanence is settled. Two years is long enough to test whether ageing parents genuinely settle — health care routines, proximity to the sponsoring child, grandchildren's schooling — without the family committing to a permanent visa first.
Third, it preserves continuity of status. Because the subclass 143 application must be lodged while the subclass 173 visa is still valid, the temporary visa functions as the bridge: it keeps the parent lawfully in Australia while the permanent application is prepared and eventually decided.
When does the 2-year clock start, and why does that matter?
The visa period starts on the date the holder enters Australia after the visa is granted — not on the date of grant. This detail has real planning consequences.
Assume a parent is granted subclass 173 in one year but delays their first entry for several months to close out affairs at home. Their 2 years of residence, their multiple-entry travel window, and — importantly — the deadline for lodging subclass 143 all move with that first entry date. A family that enters early starts both the residence period and the countdown to the 143 application earlier; a family that enters late buys time at home but must still enter before the date specified in the grant letter, which is a stated obligation of the visa.
Because the visa cannot be extended or reapplied for, the first-entry date is effectively the single lever a family controls over how the two stages line up.
Who can apply, and what does the law require?
The Department's overview page sets out the baseline: the applicant must have an eligible child who is a settled Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen; must meet applicable visa conditions and follow Australian law; and must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) when applying.
The Migration Regulations 1994 add the detail behind those headlines. Subclass 173 criteria include the balance of family test (regulation 1.05), a sponsorship requirement that varies depending on whether the sponsoring child is over or under 18, a set of public interest criteria covering health, character and related matters, and a rule that no other parent visa application may still be outstanding. The regulations also provide that the visa is generally granted while the applicant is outside Australia, subject to narrow exceptions such as the contributory parent newborn child provisions and transitional arrangements.
Regulatory wording and its current operation should be confirmed against the Department's latest guidance and the Federal Register of Legislation before anyone relies on a specific criterion, since instruments in this area are amended regularly.
Can family members be included, and what do they have to clear?
Yes. Family members can be included when the application is made, and the application form must list all family members even if they are not migrating.
Family members who apply must meet health and character requirements, and — unusually for a family route — family members who are not coming to Australia might also need to meet those requirements. That means a parent's planning has to account for relatives who have no intention of moving, because their status can still affect the application.
What does the two-step route cost?
The Department states that subclass 173 costs from AUD33,375 for a single applicant, with additional charges for each family member who applies and concessions available only in limited circumstances. Payment is made in two instalments: the first when the application is lodged, the second when the Department asks for it. Applicants may also face related costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
Two cost points deserve emphasis for families comparing routes:
- The two-step route is more expensive overall than applying directly for subclass 143 — the premium buys time, not a discount.
- From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through a valid passport from a specified country — the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — and family members are eligible on the basis of the primary applicant's passport.
How does 173 plus 143 compare with the other parent options?
| Route | Type | Maximum stay | What the Department says about cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributory Parent (subclass 143), applied directly | Permanent | Permanent | Contributory parent visas may be processed faster, but cost more |
| Subclass 173 then subclass 143 | Temporary, then permanent | Up to 2 years, then permanent | Costs more than direct subclass 143, but spread across two visas over a longer period |
| Sponsored Parent (Temporary) (subclass 870) | Temporary, sponsored | Up to 3 or 5 years at a time, maximum total 10 years | Not addressed on the subclass 173 page |
The choice is rarely about which visa is "better" in the abstract. A family with liquidity and urgency may prefer the direct permanent route; a family that needs to phase payments, or that wants parents to test life in Australia first, is the family the two-step structure was written for.
How long will it take, and what does queueing mean here?
The Department is unusually direct about this: demand for Parent visas exceeds the number of places available each year, so processing times are long. Applications are subject to capping and queueing and are processed in the order received.
Assessment happens in two stages. First, an initial assessment checks eligibility and either adds the application to the queue or refuses it. Then, as places become available, applications are released from the queue for final assessment. Applications can take longer if they are incomplete, if documents are missing or further information is needed, or if verification is slow.
The operational warning attached to this is worth quoting in substance: the Department advises applicants not to arrange to stay permanently in Australia until the visa is granted, and notification of a grant is given in writing. For a family, that means selling a home, ending a lease abroad, or withdrawing from a foreign health system should wait for the written outcome rather than the lodgement receipt.
What obligations come with the grant?
Once granted, the visa is digitally linked to the passport — no visa label is issued. The holder must enter Australia before the date specified in the grant letter, and the holder and any included family members must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is subclass 173 a permanent visa?
No. It is a temporary visa that allows a stay of 2 years, with multiple entry during that period. Permanence comes only from the separate subclass 143 application, which must be lodged before the subclass 173 visa expires.
Can a parent work and study while holding subclass 173?
Yes — the Department lists work and study rights among the visa's features. The trade-off is that holders will not receive government support, so families should budget for private health cover and other costs rather than assuming access to public benefits.
Does the subclass 143 application have to follow the subclass 173 visa?
In the two-step structure described by the Department, yes: subclass 143 is applied for as a 2-step process by first applying for subclass 173. The subclass 143 application must be made before the subclass 173 visa expires so that the applicable lodgement criteria are met.
What happens if the 2 years run out?
The visa cannot be extended and cannot be reapplied for. Staying longer requires a different visa, and the Department points applicants to its visa finder for options. In practice this is why the 143 timing matters so much — the temporary stage is not renewable.
Is the two-step route cheaper than applying directly for subclass 143?
No. The Department states that subclass 173 followed by subclass 143 costs more than applying directly for subclass 143. What it offers instead is timing: the cost is spread across two visas over a longer period, and the family gets a 2-year residence period before permanence is settled.
Can a family apply if a parent already holds or has applied for a subclass 870 visa?
No, not for subclass 173. The Department's requirements state that the applicant must not have already applied for or hold a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) when applying for subclass 173.
Can other family members be added later?
Family members can be included in the application when it is made, and all family members must be detailed in the form even if they are not migrating. Those who apply must meet health and character requirements, so timing the composition of the application is part of the planning rather than an afterthought.