Australian Contributory Parent Visa:

This type of visa allows Australian resident children to sponsor their overseas parents for permanent residency in Australia. This specific parent visa is processed more quickly than the Parent/Aged Parent visas; on average between 12-18 months.                                                                                For the Contributory Parent Visas the applicant pays a much higher premium in visa application expenditure to the Australian Government plus a financial bond (the bond is refundable after 10 years).

Requirement Criteria

The Contributory Parent Visa is the term of an 'off-shore' visa which express that you can apply for it while you are onshore in Australia (providing certain limits do not apply to you such as a "no further stay" situation on your current visa) and you can stay in Australia for as long as your current visa lasts. However, if your current visa runs out before your Contributory Parent visa is granted then you will have to leave Australia until it has been granted.

The main criteria for a Contributory Parent Visa (CPV) are;

• You must meet the Balance of Family test whereby the majority of your children must be lawfully and permanently resident in Australia.
• You must be the parent of a child who is a settled Australian citizen or settled permanent resident and who is willing and able to sponsor your application;
• Your sponsor must be approved (their application is lodged at the same time as yours);
• You and your partner must both meet health, public interest, special return and character requirements.
• You will also be required to provide an Assurance of Support (Compulsory).
• You will be able to pay the Visa Application Charge(s).

You can apply for these visas either;

a) You apply immediately for a permanent visa;

OR

b) Through a two-stage process whereby you apply for a temporary visa and then during the two year validity period of the provisional visa you apply for the permanent residency visa.

The main dissimilarity is that the two-stage option allows you to increase the costs over a two year period but you remain a temporary resident until the final fee is paid.

Visa application charge

All applicants for a parent category visa are required to pay a first and second visa application charge (VAC).

First VAC
A first VAC must be paid per application and must be paid at time of lodging the application.
The first VAC is not refunded if the application is unsuccessful.

Second VAC
A second VAC is required for each individual applicant on the application. Payment of the second VAC is not required until just before grant of a visa.
The second VAC for the contributory parent category is considerably higher than for the parent category.

From Temporary to Permanent
Parents are able to apply directly for a permanent visa in the contributory parent category. Alternatively they can choose to initially apply for a temporary contributory parent category visa, and then within a two year period apply for the corresponding permanent contributory parent category visa.

The net costs of both options are similar, however the benefit of the two staged process is that the total costs of migration is staggered.

The applicant will pay a first and second visa application charge for both the temporary and permanent contributory parent category visa application.

The first and second VAC payable is based on the charges in place at the time that the application for the corresponding permanent contributory parent category visa is lodged.

Note: Visa application charges are subject to annual indexation.

For further information on fees and charges, refer to Form 990i on the department’s website.
See: Fees and Charges

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 39. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 23 June 2008.