Considering which visa is the most suitable choice for your parents to visit Australia can be puzzling. If you’re confused about which visa to apply for to let your parents come to Australia, there are several choices available relying on your parents’ country of residence and the time they want to stay there in Australia.
1. ETA
An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is travel permission connected to the e-passport, which lets arrival into Australia as many times as they want during a 12-month period and for up to 3 months each time. Electronic Travel Authority has no visa application charge but there may be an administrative expense of $20.
ETAs are defined for the citizens of 33 countries and British Nationals (Overseas). Most authorized countries are European. Citizens of specific Central, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries are not authorized to apply for an ETA. It is an appropriate choice for parents wanting to visit their children in Australia for up to 3 months, providing that they hold citizenship from an authorized country.
The ETA is an inexpensive and simple to apply visa option. Still, the authorization is restricted and visa holders cannot remain for more than 3 months each time. It will also let them study for up to 3 months in Australia, although if the parents want to study in Australia a student visa may be more suitable.
2. E-Visitor Visa
An e-Visitor visa (subclass 651) is very identical to the ETA. It lets you arrive in Australia as many times as you want during a 12-month period and for up to 3 months at a time. There is no expense to be paid for an e-Visitor visa. The only chief discrepancy between the e-Visitor visa and ETA are the authorized countries and the application process.
E-Visitor visas are defined for citizens from 35 various countries, but not British citizens. Very much like ETA, most European citizens are eligible for the e-Visitor visa except for specific Central and East European countries. An e-Visitor visa is a great choice for parents who want to visit their children in Australia for up to 3 months, only if they are citizens of one of the authorized countries.
3. Visitor Visa
A visitor visa (subclass 600) is a suitable choice for parents who want to see their children in Australia and are not eligible for the ETA, or e-Visitor visa. The visitor visa application fee is around $370 and is available to all nationalities. The time you can be in Australia and the number of times you may enter Australia on this visa can be different. The time to stay in Australia can be for either 3, 6, or 12 months with a single entry or multiple entries. A visitor visa is an appropriate choice if your parents want to stay with you for longer than 3 months (up to a year) or if they aren’t authorized for the ETA or e-Visitor visa.
4. Sponsored Parent Visa
A sponsored parent visa (subclass 103) is a permanent visa that let the parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand Citizen enter Australia permanently. The expense to apply for this visa begins from $6,490 and it is available to all nationalities. In most cases, this visa will need parent sponsorship by the child of the visa applicant. Still, there is also the probability to apply for this visa without being sponsored as a retiree if you have specific conditions.
A sponsored parent visa is a suitable choice for parents who want to migrate to Australia permanently. Still, it’s not the most appropriate choice for parents who just want to go to Australia temporarily.
5. Parent Visa
A parent visa (subclass 870) is a temporary visa that lets the parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand Citizen stay in Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. The application fee for this visa begins from $5,090 for a 3-year visa or $10,180 for a 5-year visa and is available to all countries. To apply for this visa, the parents (Australian citizens or permanent residents) must be sponsored by their children.
A parent visa is a suitable choice for parents who want to stay for up to 3-5 years but are not willing to migrate permanently to Australia. The chief advantage of this visa over the permanent parent visa is that its processing time is too shorter.
Contributory parent visa 143
The parent visa 143 holder is allowed:
- To stay in Australia as long as he/she wants
- To work and study in Australia
- To register in Medicare, Australia’s program for health-related care and costs
- To sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- To enter and exit Australia for five years
- To apply for Australian citizenship (once residence requirements have been met)
