Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa: Key Criteria and Requirements

870 Visa Key Facts

3 Steps to Apply for the 870 Visa

1. Confirm the Sponsor Meets the Settlement and Income Tests: The child sponsor must be settled in Australia and meet the minimum taxable income threshold.
2. Lodge the Sponsorship First: The sponsorship application must be approved before the parent’s visa application can be lodged.
3. Arrange Health Insurance Before Lodging: The parent applicant must hold adequate private health insurance as a condition of the visa.

Overview

The Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa is one of the most accessible parent visa options available in Australia, precisely because it avoids two of the main hurdles that make permanent parent visas difficult: the Balance of Family Test and the lengthy processing queues. For families where a permanent visa is not yet feasible or desired, the 870 provides a meaningful long-term solution.

That said, it has its own specific requirements – and some of them are more demanding than many families anticipate.

What the 870 Visa Offers

The 870 visa allows a parent to stay in Australia for an initial period of either three or five years. It can be renewed for a further three or five years, with a maximum total stay of 10 years across all grants. The visa holder:

May live with their child and family in Australia for the duration of their stay.

May travel in and out of Australia freely during the visa period.

Does not have work rights.

Does not lead to permanent residency – there is no pathway from the 870 to a permanent visa.

Must hold adequate private health insurance at all times.

Who Qualifies as the Parent (Applicant)

The parent applicant must be:

The biological, adoptive, or step-parent of the sponsor.

Applying from outside Australia (for the initial 870 – offshore lodgement is required).

Not currently holding, or having applied for, another parent visa or Partner Visa simultaneously.

Free from any outstanding public health debts to Australia.

Meeting health and character requirements – these apply in full.

There is no age restriction for the 870 – it is available to parents of all ages, including those under pension age. This makes it a flexible option where older permanent visa pathways are not suitable.

Who Qualifies as the Sponsor (Child)

The sponsoring child must be:

An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Settled in Australia – meaning they must have been lawfully resident in Australia for at least four years at the time of the sponsorship application. This is longer than the two-year settlement requirement for most permanent parent visas.

At least 18 years of age.

Meeting a minimum taxable income threshold, which the Department sets and adjusts periodically.

Free of any debt to the Australian Government.

Providing a written undertaking to ensure the parent complies with their visa conditions and to support the parent financially if required.

The income requirement for sponsors is one of the more commonly overlooked aspects of the 870. It applies not just at the initial application but upon renewal as well – and the threshold can increase. If the sponsor’s income drops between applications, renewal can be at risk.

The Sponsorship Application – A Two-Step Process

Unlike most visa applications, the 870 involves two separate steps lodged in sequence:

Step 1 – the sponsor lodges and receives approval of a sponsorship application.

Step 2 – once sponsorship is approved, the parent lodges the visa application.

Both steps are completed via ImmiAccount. The sponsorship approval must be in place before the visa application is valid, so planning ahead – particularly when parents are already visiting on a visitor visa – is important.

Health Insurance Obligation

Private health insurance is not optional on the 870 – it is a visa condition that must be satisfied throughout the entire stay. The Department will check at renewal that adequate health insurance has been maintained. Failure to maintain appropriate cover can affect renewal and future applications.

Families should plan the health insurance arrangement carefully, including understanding what “adequate” cover means in practical terms. There are a number of providers who offer compliant policies, and comparing these before the parent arrives is a worthwhile step.

What the 870 Does Not Do

It is important to be clear about what the 870 cannot achieve:

It does not provide a pathway to permanent residency. A parent who has spent 10 years on the 870 cannot transition to a permanent visa on the basis of that visa history.

It does not provide work rights.

It does not provide Medicare access.

Families who are planning for a long-term or permanent arrangement for ageing parents should consider whether a concurrent or sequential permanent parent visa application is appropriate, given the very long processing queues involved