When looking at the different paths of the timescales of the parent visa application process in Australia, the current situation, as asserted by the now NDIA, is that apart from the large fees, the current timescale means that permanent contributory Parent visas are still much quicker than non-contributory Parent visas, with 15 years for contributory Parent visa applications, 33 years for Parent and Aged Parent visa applications, and 15 years for new applications.The 870 parent visa is outside the capped permanent parent queue, so is quicker for long temporary stays, but is not a permanent visa.
Current Parent Visa Processing Time in Australia
|
Visa |
Current official timing signal |
What families should read from it |
|
New applications are estimated at 15 years. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached cases queued up to November 2018. |
This is the faster permanent parent route, but it still involves a very long wait. |
|
|
Subclass 103 – Parent |
New applications are estimated at 33 years. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached cases queued up to July 2013. |
Lower-cost permanent option, but the queue is extremely long. |
|
Subclass 804 – Aged Parent |
New applications are estimated at 33 years. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached cases queued up to July 2013. |
Onshore aged-parent route, but the wait is still measured in decades. |
|
Subclass 864 – Contributory Aged Parent |
Same contributory queue setting as other contributory parent classes. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached cases queued up to November 2018. |
Faster than non-contributory aged-parent options, but still a long wait. |
|
This visa is not in the capped permanent Parent queue. Tracks it in the Global visa processing times tool instead. |
Strong fit for families who want parents in Australia sooner for a temporary stay of 3 or 5 years. |
A lot of families misread the official numbers. The approx. 4 weeks figure on the Parent queue table is only the acknowledgment period for a new application. It is not the final approval time. Processes permanent Parent visas in two stages: first the application is checked for queue placement, then it waits until a place becomes available for final assessment.
What the Official Milestones Actually Mean
|
Official milestone |
What it means |
|
Acknowledge new application |
Received the file and issued an acknowledgment. |
|
Queue assessment |
Checked core criteria and, if met, gives the case a queue date. |
|
Visa assessment / queue release date |
The application has reached the front of the queue for final processing. This still does not promise grant in the same program year. |
It can release more cases from the queue than there are visa places because some applicants will not meet final requirements. That means even queue release is not the same as visa grant.
Why Parent Visa Processing Times Are So Long
Australia’s permanent Parent program is capped. The 2025–26 planning level for Parent visas is 8,500 places, and demand is far above that level. Once the year’s places are used, the remaining cases wait for later program years. That cap is the main reason parent visa processing times stretch so far.
The permanent Parent visas are processed in queue date order after an initial assessment. In plain use, that means a perfect application still cannot skip decades of queue time if the visa class itself is heavily backlogged.
At Stepping Stones Career Solutions, this is usually the first reality check we discuss with families: the biggest difference in Australia parent visa processing time is not paperwork alone, it is the visa class you choose.
Subclass 143 Parent Visa Processing Time
The Parent Visa 143 processing time sits in the contributory category. Currently estimates new contributory Parent applications at 15 years, and the latest queue release date had reached cases queued up to November 2018. That makes the contributory parent visa processing time much shorter than subclass 103 or 804, though it is still very long.
Subclass 143 is an offshore permanent visa. Parents of any age can apply for it, but they must be outside Australia when the visa is granted, unless a specific retiree pathway applies. It also needs sponsorship, the balance-of-family test, and a longer Assurance of Support period than non-contributory Parent visas.
Subclass 103 Parent Visa Processing Time
The parent visa 103 processing time is much longer. Currently estimates new subclass 103 applications at 33 years, and the latest final processing release point had only reached cases queued up to July 2013. For many families, that gap is the clearest sign of how different subclass 103 is from subclass 143.
Subclass 103 is a permanent offshore Parent visa and also needs sponsorship plus the balance-of-family test. Its Assurance of Support period is shorter than the contributory route, at up to 4 years, but the trade-off is the far longer queue.
Subclass 804 Aged Parent Visa Processing Time
The aged parent visa 804 processing time is also estimated at 33 years for new applications, with Final processing for cases queued up to July 2013 as at 28 February 2026. So the aged parent visa processing time for subclass 804 remains one of the slowest parent routes.
Subclass 804 is an onshore permanent visa. The main applicant must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia, and onshore aged-parent applicants must be in Australia at lodgement and at grant. A “No Further Stay” condition can block an onshore application.
870 Parent Visa Processing Time
The 870 parent visa processing time works very differently. Subclass 870 from the capped-and-queued permanent Parent system, and tracks it through the Global visa processing times tool instead. That is why families often see subclass 870 as the faster reunion path if they want parents in Australia sooner.
Subclass 870 is a temporary visa for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, with a total stay of up to 10 years through further visas. The sponsor must be approved first, and the parent then lodges the visa application within 6 months of sponsorship approval, or within 60 days if it gives permission to apply in Australia.As done in the United States the visa was applied for online via the ImmiAccount.
The other big point to note is that, while on the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) subclass 870 visa you are not eligible to apply for a permanent Parent visa (subclass 103 or 804) and you are not able to apply for the permanent Parent subclasses whilst you are in the 870.
What Is The Time Taken To Process Aged Parent Visa 864?
The aged parent visa 864 processing time is the aged, contributory version of the faster permanent parent route. Current timing signals place it in the contributory stream, with new contributory Parent applications estimated at 15 years and queue release dates up to November 2018.
Subclass 864 also needs the applicant to be old enough for the Australian age pension and to meet the balance-of-family test. It is an onshore permanent option, so the location rules differ from subclass 143. Its Assurance of Support period is 10 years, the same as subclass 143.
Which Parent Visa Is Fastest?
|
Family goal |
Usually the stronger fit |
|
Fastest permanent parent route |
Subclass 143 or Subclass 864 |
|
Lower upfront government cost |
Subclass 103 or Subclass 804 |
|
Long temporary stay sooner |
Subclass 870 |
|
Onshore aged-parent permanent option |
Subclass 804 or Subclass 864 |
For permanent residence, the faster route is usually contributory: subclass 143 for offshore applicants and subclass 864 for aged onshore applicants. For temporary reunion, subclass 870 is often the quickest parent route because it is outside the capped queue. For lower upfront cost, subclasses 103 and 804 remain available, but the wait is much longer.
What Can Slow Parent Visa Processing Times Even More?
Queue length is the biggest driver, but avoidable delays still matter. Applications with all required information and documents can move more smoothly. Missing identity records, relationship proof, sponsor material, health steps, or replies to requests can still slow an already long process.
For permanent Parent visas, choosing the wrong class can also cost years. A family that needs a quicker permanent result may lose a lot of time by filing subclass 103 first and then deciding later that subclass 143 is the real fit. States that if an existing Parent or Aged Parent applicant later applies for a Contributory Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visa, the relevant lodgement date becomes the date of the new application.
A Simple Way To Think About Parent Visa Processing Time
If your priority is permanent residence sooner, look first at 143 or 864.
If your priority is keeping upfront government costs lower, look at 103 or 804, but go in with clear expectations about the wait.
If your priority is having parents in Australia sooner for a long temporary stay, the 870 parent visa processing time model is usually the one to study first.
That early choice can save years of drift. This is where Stepping Stones Career Solutions can add real value by checking age, location at lodgement, sponsorship, balance-of-family position, and the time-versus-cost trade-off before anything is lodged.
The current estimate for new contributory Parent applications is 15 years. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached contributory Parent cases queued up to November 2018. That is the current official marker for parent visa 143 processing time.
It depends on the subclass. Currently estimates 15 years for new contributory Parent applications and 33 years for new Parent and Aged Parent applications. Subclass 870 is outside the permanent Parent queue and is checked through the Global visa processing times tool.
There is no general 90-day rule controlling queue order or approval for subclasses 143, 103, 804, or 864. For subclass 870, the official timing rule is different: sponsorship must be approved first, then the parent usually has 6 months to lodge the visa application, or 60 days if it gives permission to apply in Australia. A “No Further Stay” condition can also block some onshore applications.
The current estimate for new aged parent visa 804 processing time cases is 33 years. As at 28 February 2026, final processing had reached subclass 804 cases queued up to July 2013.
For a permanent outcome, the faster route is usually the contributory stream, meaning subclass 143 or subclass 864. For a temporary stay, subclass 870 is often the quickest reunion path because it is outside the capped permanent Parent queue.
Yes. The sponsorship form for permanent Parent, Contributory Parent, Aged Parent, and Contributory Aged Parent visas is Form 40, and subclass 870 also requires an approved sponsor before the parent can lodge the visa application.
For permanent Parent visas, approval is tied to the queue and annual places, so the answer is usually measured in years, not months. Currently estimates 15 years for contributory Parent applications and 33 years for Parent and Aged Parent applications. The four-week acknowledgment figure is not the grant time.
No. Subclass 870 is a temporary visa for long family stays. A parent cannot apply for a permanent Parent visa while holding subclass 870, and the permanent Parent subclasses also block applicants who already hold or have applied for subclass 870.
A parent passes the balance-of-family test if at least half of their children are eligible children in Australia, or if they have more eligible children in Australia than in any other single country. This test subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804, 864, and 884. Subclass 870 is not part of that group.
If an existing Parent or Aged Parent applicant later applies for a Contributory Parent or Contributory Aged Parent visa, the relevant lodgement date becomes the date of the new application. In practice, families should not assume an old non-contributory application date will carry across.
