Parents of young children who want to extend their stay in Australia beyond 3 months can do so with a visitor visa. To extend their stay, they require a strong case which shows that they are either:In December 2015, the Australian government’s migration advisory body, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), released their report titled “Review of family migration pathways”. The review considered how to improve family migration and make it more efficient and effective. A key issue they looked at was how to determine when an Australia visa holder can stay in Australia on a permanent basis (that is, how long parents can stay in Australia).
How Long Parents Can Stay On Visitor Visa In Australia
The Family stream is the primary visa category or permanent residence for parents of Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents. This visa category was introduced to Australia’s Migration Program in 2009 by the Rudd government as a part of its new family and community stream migration. The Rudd government announced on 20 April 2010 that an additional 12,000 study visas would be added to the Family Stream to help meet demand through the 2010/11 Migration Program year.
What Visa To Apply For
Deciding which visa is the best option for your parents to visit Australia can be confusing. If you’re wondering which visa to apply for to allow your parents to visit Australia, there are a few options available depending on your parents’ country of origin and how long they’d like to stay here in Australia.
Electronic Travel Authority
An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is a travel authorisation linked to your e-passport, which allows entry into Australia as many times as they would like during a 12-month period and for up to 3 months per visit. There is no visa application charge for Electronic Travel Authority but there may be an administration cost of $20.
ETAs are available to citizens of 33 countries and British Nationals (Overseas). Most eligible nationalities are European. Citizens of certain Central, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries are not eligible to apply for an ETA. It is a good option for parents looking to visit their children in Australia for up to 3 months, provided they hold citizenship from an eligible country.
The ETA is a cheap and easy to apply for option. However, the eligibility is limited and visitors cannot stay for more than 3 months at a time. It will also allow them to study for up to 3 months in Australia, although if your parents are intending to study in Australia a student visa may be more appropriate.
eVisitor Visa
An eVisitor visa (subclass 651) is very similar to the ETA. It allows you to enter Australia as many times as you’d like during a 12-month period and for up to 3 months per visit. There is no cost to apply for an eVisitor visa. The only major difference between the eVisitor visa and ETA are the eligible countries and the application process.
eVisitor visas are available to citizens from 35 different countries, but not British nationals. Similarly to the ETA, the eVistor visa is eligible for most European citizens excluding certain Central and East European countries. An eVisitor visa is a good option for parents looking to visit their children in Australia for up to 3 months, provided they hold citizenship from an eligible country.
Visitor Visa
A visitor visa (subclass 600) is a good option for parents that are looking to visit Australia and are not eligible for the ETA or eVisitor visa. The visitor visa costs $370 to apply for and is open to all nationalities. The length of time you can stay and the number of times you may enter Australia on this visa can vary. You can apply to stay in Australia for either 3, 6 or 12 months with a single entry or multiple entries. A visitor visa is a good option if your parents would like to stay with you for longer than 3 months (up to a year) or if they aren’t eligible for the ETA or eVisitor visa.
Sponsored Parent Visa
A sponsored parent visa (subclass 103) is a permanent visa that allows the parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand Citizen to migrate to Australia permanently. The cost to apply for this visa starts from $6,490 and it is open to all nationalities. In most cases, this visa will require parent sponsorship by the child of the visa applicant(s). However, there is also an option to apply for this visa without sponsorship as a retiree if you meet certain requirements.
A sponsored parent visa is a good option for parents that are looking to move to Australia permanently. However, it’s not the most suitable option for parents that are just looking to visit Australia temporarily.
Parent Visa
A parent visa (subclass 870) is a temporary visa that allows the parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand Citizen to live in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. The cost to apply for this visa starts from $5,090 for a 3-year visa or $10,180 for a 5-year visa and is open to all nationalities. To apply for this visa, the child (Australian citizen or permanent resident) must sponsor their parents’ application.
A parent visa is a good option for parents that are looking to stay for up to 3-5 years but are not interested in permanently migrating to Australia. The main benefit of this visa over the permanent parent visa is that it is processed much more quickly.
If you’re looking to apply for a visa for your parents to visit Australia, you’ll first need to decide how long you’d like them to stay. The most suitable visa can vary depending on their country of origin and intended length of stay. If you are looking for advice on which is the best visa to apply for contact AustraliaMigrate today for assistance.