Australia Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 870 for Pakistani Parents: Fees, Income Test and Timeline (2026)

What is the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)?

It is a temporary visa for parents who want to spend long periods with their children in Australia without applying for permanent residence. The Department of Home Affairs describes it as a visa that lets a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. It does not lead to permanent residence, and the legal home for it is Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.

The visa works in two steps that people often confuse. First the Australian child applies to be an approved Parent Sponsor. Only after that is approved can the parent lodge the visa application. Each step has its own application, its own charge and its own processing time.

What the visa lets a parent do

• Visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, depending on the option bought.
• Apply for further Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas, up to a maximum combined stay of 10 years in Australia.
• Travel in and out of Australia as many times as wanted while the visa is valid.

A parent cannot work in Australia on this visa. Home Affairs says so plainly, and it is a condition, not a suggestion. A parent who is also a carer for grandchildren should be clear that unpaid family care is one thing and employment is another, and should ask for advice if the arrangement looks like a job.

What the visa does not do

It does not lead to permanent residence. It cannot be extended in Australia: Home Affairs says you cannot stay longer by extending this visa and must apply for and be granted another visa. You cannot include family members in the application. And a parent who holds or has applied for this visa cannot apply for a permanent or temporary parent visa at the same time.

Which Pakistani parents qualify?

The Home Affairs page and the regulations set no nationality restriction for this visa, so a Pakistani passport holder can apply. What counts is the relationship to the sponsor, the parent's own circumstances and the sponsor's status.

According to the Home Affairs eligibility section, the applicant must:

• be the biological or legal parent, including adoptive parent, the step-parent or the parent-in-law of the Parent Sponsor;
• be at least 18 years old;
• have an approved Parent Sponsor;
• have met and complied with any previous visa obligations;
• meet the health requirement and the character requirement;
• have, or have access to, enough money to support themselves in Australia;
• genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily and do only what the visa allows;
• have and maintain adequate health insurance from an Australian health insurance provider; and
• have no debt to the Australian Government, or arrangements to repay it.

Two features set the 870 apart from the permanent parent visas. Home Affairs states that there is no balance of family test and no Assurance of Support requirement for this visa. A balance of family test is the rule that at least half of a parent's children must live in Australia, and it blocks many permanent parent applications. Its absence is the main reason families choose the 870.

The genuine temporary stay test

Because the visa is temporary, the case officer must be satisfied that the parent intends to stay only temporarily. Home Affairs asks for evidence of ties to the home country, the parent's financial position and the planned activities in Australia. Its examples include itemised personal bank statements showing a 3-month period, tax records, pension or other regular income, previous international travel, a house, a business or other major assets at home, family ties and a letter stating the reasons and plans for the visit. A Pakistani parent who owns the family home in Lahore, receives a pension and has other children in Pakistan has a natural story to tell. A parent who has sold everything and has nobody at home has a harder one.

Where the parent must be when applying

The parent must be outside Australia when applying, unless the department has given Permission to Apply in Australia, which is approved only in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious illness or accident, or a natural disaster that prevents travel home. Home Affairs says a request will generally not be approved because it is inconvenient, because a family member is about to give birth, because the parent provides child care, or because the parent has sold assets at home in the expectation of staying.

Who can sponsor, and what is the income test?

The sponsor is the child of the parent, or the child's spouse or de facto partner. The sponsor must be at least 18 and must be an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who has been usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years and has not been unlawful or held a bridging visa (other than bridging visa A, B or C) in that period. If you sponsor your partner's parents, your partner must also be a citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

As of 7 November 2026, the Home Affairs Sponsored Parent (Temporary) page states that the sponsor's taxable income for the most recent completed taxable income year before lodgement must be at least AUD 83,454.80.

We found that exact figure on the Home Affairs page only. The test comes from a legislative instrument made in 2019 (Legislative Instrument 19/146) and is indexed, so the amount changes. Always read the current figure on the Home Affairs page the day you lodge.

Combining income

If the sponsor cannot pass the income test alone, Home Affairs allows them to combine taxable income with a partner, another child of the prospective applicant who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or both. When income is combined, the sponsor's own taxable income must be at least 50 percent of the threshold. The proof is a Notice of Assessment from the Australian Taxation Office for the most recent completed taxable income year before lodgement, with the tax file number blacked out. A partner or another child who contributes income must supply their own Notice of Assessment.

The sponsor's obligations

A sponsor must agree to share information with the visa applicant and government agencies, must have met any previous sponsorship obligations and must owe no money to the Australian Government. Home Affairs says some obligations continue after the sponsorship ends, including paying outstanding health debts the sponsored parent incurred in Australia, even after the parent has left. Sponsors can be barred from sponsoring further parents for a period if they do not meet their obligations.

One sponsorship at a time

The sponsor's household is limited to one sponsorship at a time, and a sponsorship can cover up to 2 parents per household at a time. A sponsor cannot lodge a new sponsorship application until the current approved sponsorship ends. A family that wants both parents to come, and has two married siblings in Australia, needs to plan which household sponsors.

How much does the 870 cost?

As of 7 November 2026, the Home Affairs Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa page lists the visa application charge from AUD 6,370 for a visa of up to 3 years or AUD 12,440 for a visa of up to 5 years.

The charge is paid in two instalments. As of 7 November 2026, the Home Affairs current visa pricing table shows a first instalment of AUD 1,515, then a second instalment payable before grant of AUD 4,855 for the 3 year visa or AUD 10,925 for the 5 year visa.

The pieces add up: 1,515 plus 4,855 is 6,370, and 1,515 plus 10,925 is 12,440. The Home Affairs visa pricing estimator, run on 7 November 2026 for a Pakistan passport, returned a first instalment of AUD 1,515 and noted that it does not include the second instalment. Home Affairs states that the second instalment must be paid before the visa is granted, and that if the invoice is not paid the application will be refused.

The full bill, not only the visa charge

• Sponsorship application. Home Affairs lists the Parent Sponsor application charge at AUD 420 on its sponsorship page. We found this on that page only, so confirm it at lodgement.
• Visa application, first instalment. Paid when the parent lodges.
• Visa application, second instalment. Paid when invoiced, before grant.
• Health examinations, police certificates and biometrics. Separate costs, not in the estimator.
• Health insurance. The parent must hold adequate insurance from an Australian provider for the stay. Premiums depend on age and cover.
• Translations and flights. Yours entirely.

Additional applicants are not eligible for this visa, so a spouse who wants to join needs their own route. Home Affairs states that no refund is paid if an application is refused or withdrawn, so a weak file is an expensive gamble.

How long do the sponsorship and the visa take?

Shorter than the Prospective Marriage visa, and in two stages. On 7 November 2026, the Home Affairs global visa processing times guide showed the Parent Sponsor application at 50 percent and 90 percent processed in 4 months, and the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa application at 50 percent processed in 7 months and 90 percent in 9 months.

Add the two stages and a realistic planning range for a clean file is roughly a year from the day the sponsor lodges, with room either side. The department calls the guide an indication drawn from recently decided applications, not a promise. It says an application may take longer if it is filled in incorrectly, lacks documents, needs more information or takes time to verify. Home Affairs also notes that the sponsorship times rose because of targeted efforts to finalise older cases.

The two clocks that run against you

• The sponsor must lodge the visa application within 6 months of sponsorship approval, or within 60 days where Permission to Apply in Australia was granted.
• Police certificates are valid for 12 months for immigration purposes, so ordering them too early risks a request for new ones.

How do the two applications work, step by step?

1. Check eligibility on both sides. The sponsor needs the right residence status and income. The parent needs a valid passport, the relationship, enough money, health insurance and a genuine temporary stay story.
2. The sponsor applies online in ImmiAccount through an Application for Family Sponsorship, attaches the documents, pays the sponsorship fee and notes the Sponsorship TRN. Home Affairs will not process it until it is paid.
3. Wait for the sponsorship decision. If approved, the sponsor receives the approval date and the sponsorship obligations.
4. The parent lodges the visa application online from outside Australia within 6 months of approval, attaches the documents and pays the first instalment.
5. Respond to requests. Home Affairs may ask for health examinations or biometrics, and for more information. Attach anything you did not provide in ImmiAccount as soon as you can.
6. Pay the second instalment when invoiced.
7. Receive the decision in writing. Do not buy a ticket until you hold the grant letter.

If anything changes after lodging, such as a new phone number, a changed marital status, a birth or a criminal charge, the parent must tell the department. If a mistake is found, the parent files Form 1023, the Notification of incorrect answers.

Which documents do Pakistani parents need?

For the parent

• Passport pages showing the photo, personal details and the issue and expiry dates, plus the national identity card if the parent has one.
• Proof of any change of name, such as a marriage or divorce certificate or a birth certificate showing both parents' names.
• Evidence of funds: itemised personal bank statements covering a 3-month period, tax records, and pension or other regular income.
• Evidence of ties to Pakistan: property, a business, other major assets, and family commitments.
• A letter stating the reasons and plans for the visit, the purpose of the stay and who the parent intends to visit.
• Police certificates from every country where the parent spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, and Form 80, the personal particulars form. Military service records or discharge papers apply if the parent served in any armed force.
• Health examination results, if requested in ImmiAccount. Home Affairs says doing them before lodging may let the file move faster.

For the sponsor

• Citizenship certificate, or proof of permanent residence and four years of usual residence.
• Evidence of the relationship to the parent: birth certificates, marriage or death certificates, adoption certificates, family status certificates or family books where officially issued.
• The Notice of Assessment from the Australian Taxation Office, with the tax file number blacked out, for the income test year.
• An Australian Federal Police national police certificate with complete disclosure, and a certificate from any country where the sponsor spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years, plus written consent to disclose relevant convictions to the visa applicant.

Preparing Pakistani documents

Home Affairs requires English translations. A translator outside Australia need not be accredited, but must give their full name, address, telephone number and qualifications and experience in the language. Home Affairs says documents do not need to be certified. Our guide to translating Pakistani documents for Australia, the UK and Canada explains the format, and our notes on the police character certificate from Pakistan cover the process. For a parent's medical, see our guide to the immigration medical exam for Canada and Australia from Pakistan; the panel logic is similar.

What are the stay limits, the 90-day gap and the no-work rule?

3 or 5 years, 10 years in total

A parent can apply to stay for up to 3 or 5 years at a time, with a cumulative maximum stay of 10 years. Once a parent has held the visa for the cumulative maximum, they cannot get another 870 and must leave Australia or be granted a different kind of visa.

Applying for another 870

Home Affairs says a parent applying for another Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa must lodge from outside Australia, unless Permission to Apply in Australia was issued. A parent who applies from abroad is not eligible for the grant unless they have been outside Australia for at least 90 consecutive days since the relevant departure day. For a parent who was in Australia when the last visa ended, that day is the first day they left after the visa ended. For a parent who was outside Australia, it is the last day they left while the visa was in effect. A parent who plans to rotate between Lahore and Australia should work out that 90-day gap on a calendar before committing.

Work

The parent cannot work. Check the conditions on the grant letter in VEVO.

Health insurance and debts

The parent must keep adequate health insurance from an Australian provider. Without cover, hospital costs fall on the family, and the sponsor remains responsible for health debts the parent leaves behind. This is the single biggest financial risk of the visa, and it is the reason insurance is a visa criterion, not a recommendation.

Subclass 870 or another parent route?

The 870 is one of several ways to bring parents to Australia. We have not verified current fees and queue lengths for every other route, so the table compares the features that Home Affairs states for the 870 against the general shape of the alternatives, and you should check the live pages before choosing.

A parent who wants to attend a wedding or a graduation for a few weeks should not pay a 5-year charge. A parent who wants to spend long periods each year with grandchildren, and who has the ties at home to show a temporary intention, is the person this visa is built for. A parent who wants to settle permanently needs a different strategy and advice before any application is lodged.

If your child is an international student under 18 and you want to live with them, the correct visa is different: see our guide to the Student Guardian visa subclass 590 for Pakistani parents.

What mistakes sink 870 files?

We have no refusal statistics for this visa and will not invent any. These are the weaknesses we see, each tied to a published rule.

• Lodging the visa after the 6 months have passed. The sponsorship ends and the sponsor starts again.
• Using the wrong income year. The test counts the most recent completed taxable income year before lodgement. A new tax year, or a late tax return, can change the answer.
• Combining income without a Notice of Assessment from each person. Every contributor needs one.
• No story of ties to Pakistan. The department must see a temporary intention.
• Bank statements that do not show regular income. A recent lump sum raises questions.
• No Australian health insurance in place. It is a criterion.
• Ignoring the second instalment invoice. Home Affairs states the application is refused if it is not paid.
• Working or doing paid care. It breaches the condition and puts the visa at risk.
• Applying for another parent visa while holding an 870. Home Affairs says it is not allowed.
• Misleading information. A false document can lead to refusal and a ban on future visas.

What does a realistic timeline look like?

This is an illustration built on the processing guide as of 7 November 2026, not a prediction. Suppose Sadia, an Australian citizen in Sydney, wants her mother Razia, aged 66 and living in Lahore, to stay with her for several winters.

1. January 2027. Sadia checks her last completed tax year, finds it above the threshold on the day, and gathers her Notice of Assessment, citizenship certificate, police certificates and her family book.
2. February 2027. Sadia lodges the sponsorship and pays the fee. The guide suggests about 4 months.
3. June 2027. The sponsorship is approved. Razia has until December 2027 to lodge. She gets health insurance quotes, six months of pension statements and a letter explaining her plans.
4. July 2027. Razia lodges from Lahore and pays the first instalment of AUD 1,515. She chooses the 3 year option, which means a second instalment of AUD 4,855 later.
5. Early 2028. If the file follows the 7 to 9 month range, a decision arrives. Razia pays the second instalment when invoiced, buys cover and books a flight only after the grant letter.

The family spends about AUD 6,790 in government charges on that path (the 420 sponsorship fee plus 6,370), before insurance, medicals, translation and flights. Three years later, if Razia wants more time, she must apply again from outside Australia and wait out the 90-day gap first.

Frequently asked questions