The Australian Government had previously announced that it would be making changes to some of the requirements for parent visas. The most significant changes relate to the minimum income requirement for assurers (mostly the children) of visa applicants. The visas that would have been affected by these changes are both the temporary and permanent versions of the contributory parent visa (143 and 173), the contributory aged parent visa (864 and 884) and the non-contributory parent visa (103 and 804), as well as the ‘remaining relative’ (835) visa.
Under the changes, a single person wanting to sponsor their two parents would have needed an annual income of $86,607, up from $35,793, while a couple sponsoring two parents would need a combined income of $115,476.
What are the applicable AoS amounts?
- If you are an individual providing an AoS:
- for contributory parent visas (10-year AoS) - $15,000 for the primary visa applicant and $6,000 for any adult secondary visa applicant,
- for other visas such as non-contributory parent visas (2-year AoS) - $7,500 for the primary visa applicant and $3,000 for any adult secondary visa applicant,
- If you are a corporation or unincorporated body providing an AoS:
- for contributory parent visas (10-year AoS) - $30,000 (to cover a maximum of 2 adult assurees),
- for other visas such as non-contributory parent visas (2-year AoS) - $15,000 (to cover a maximum of 2 adult assurees).
Below are some examples of the new AoS requirements had the changes not been revoked:
Example 1:
Sarah is single and living in Australia. She wants to bring both of her parents to Australia on a Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 143. She will need to show an income of $89,739.27 for the past 2 financial years. She will also have to provide an AoS of $15,000 for her mother (the main visa applicant) and $6,000.00 for her father (the secondary visa applicant) for a period of 10 years.
Example 2:
Tom and his wife want to sponsor Tom’s mother on a Non-contributory Parent Visa Subclass 103, so that she can live with them in Australia and help them with caring for their 2 young children. The combined income for the past 2 financial years for Tom and his wife must be $92,634.09. They will need to provide an AoS of $7,500 for a period of 2 years.
Example 3:
Malika and her husband would like to help her parents and 2 siblings (both under the age of 18) move to Australia on a Contributory Parent Visa Subclass 864. They will need to have a combined income for the past 2 financial years of $130,266.70. Also, they will have to provide an AoS of $15,000 for her father (the main visa applicant) and $6,000.00 for her mother (the secondary visa applicant), which will be held for a period of 10 years from when the visa is approved.
The Australian Government’s decision to reverse the changes will be a relief for migrants who have been very concerned by the changes and how they would affect the chances of their parents moving to Australia to be closer to their children.
Sources:
https://www.dss.gov.au/living-in-australia-and-overseas/updates
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/parent-visa-hopes-crushed-as-australia-demands-sponsors-earn-more
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-10/parent-visa-changes-affecting-migrants/9726472
Comment from Principal Migration Agent and Lawyer Chris Johnston
It is great news that the Australian Government has decided not to go ahead with the proposed AoS changes, which would have jeopardised the hopes of parent visa applicants.
However, we note that the Government has said that it still intends to introduce revised changes to the parent visa requirements. Hopefully, any changes that are introduced will not be applied retrospectively.
Do you need help with an Australian visa or citizenship application?
At Work Visa Lawyers we are experienced in assisting applicants in all matters relating to Australian visa applications. Our areas of expertise include Skilled Migration visas, Business Skills Migration visas, Employer Sponsored Work Visas, Partner and other Family Migration visas as well as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) Review, Judicial Review and Ministerial Intervention. We have also assisted applicants with Australian citizenship applications, especially for those with unusual circumstances.
If you require further information regarding your Australia visa or citizenship options you can contact us through:
(08) 8351 9956 or +61 8 8351 9956
or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
