The main criteria are as follows:
1. The parent must be sponsored by a child who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
The sponsor must be “settled” – generally the sponsor would need have been lawfully
resident in Australia for at least 2 years.
2. The applicant must pass the “balance of family test”. That is, the number of children who are
lawfully and permanently resident in Australia must be:
3. Greater than, or equal to, the total number of children who are resident overseas; or
4. Greater than the greatest number of children who are resident in any single overseas
country.
5. An assurance of supportis required in all cases.
Your Sponsor
This information is for a person who wants to sponsor a parent for a Contributory Aged Parent visa
(subclass 864). You can sponsor more than one parent for this visa.
Who Can Be A Sponsor
You can sponsor your parent for this visa if you are:
- 18 years of age or older
- living lawfully in Australia for at least two years before the visa application is lodged
- one of the following:
a.an Australian citizen
b.an Australian permanent resident
c.an eligible New Zealand
If you are younger than 18 years of age:
- your spouse who is 18 years of age or older, your relative or guardian, or a relative
guardian of your spouse, can sponsor your parent(s). The sponsor must be an Australian
citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. - a community organisation can sponsor your parent(s) if:
a. they show there is a relationship between their organisation and you
b. a senior representative agrees for their organisation to support your parent(s) after
their arrival in Australia.
Sponsor Obligations
As a sponsor you must give a written undertaking to provide support for the applicant for their first
ten years of residency in Australia. This also applies to any accompanying dependent family members.
During this period, you must provide:
- support
- accommodation
- financial assistance.
Assurance Of Support
If you have also provided an accepted assurance of support for your parent, you are responsible for repaying to the Australian Government any social security payments your parent accesses during the ten-year period after they have been granted this visa in Australia. This ten-year period is not waived if you become an Australian citizen. This also applies to any family members who are part of the application of your parent.