Australia Parent Visa 870 From Pakistan: 3 or 5 Years, AUD 6,370 or AUD 12,440, Sponsor Rules
Australia parent visa 870 lets Pakistani parents stay 3 or 5 years from AUD 6,370 or AUD 12,440. Sponsor fee AUD 420, 7 month wait, and the order to apply in.
The Australia parent visa most Pakistani families use for long visits is the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870: it lets a parent stay up to 3 or 5 years per visa, costs from AUD 6,370 for 3 years or AUD 12,440 for 5 years, and needs an approved Parent Sponsor who has paid AUD 420. It does not allow work and never leads to permanent residence.
The 870 suits a son or daughter settled in Australia who wants a mother or father close for years rather than weeks. We read the Department of Home Affairs' 870 page, its pricing data and its processing time guide on 1 November 2026. Here is the cost, the wait, who can sponsor, what the parent must show and the order to apply in.
The visa costs from AUD 6,370 for 3 years or AUD 12,440 for 5 years
Home Affairs lists the 870 from AUD 6,370 for a visa of up to 3 years and AUD 12,440 for up to 5 years. The child in Australia pays a separate AUD 420 to become a Parent Sponsor. Health checks, police certificates and biometrics cost extra.
| Item | Charge listed by Home Affairs |
|---|---|
| 870 visa, up to 3 years | From AUD 6,370 |
| 870 visa, up to 5 years | From AUD 12,440 |
| Parent Sponsor application | AUD 420 |
Home Affairs says the visa is paid in two instalments. The first is paid when you apply, and the second when Home Affairs asks for it. Its pricing estimator does not include the second instalment, and the page does not say how the listed figure splits. Ask before you budget, because the total is a serious sum in rupees.
The sponsorship fee is not refunded if the sponsor withdraws, Home Affairs says.
The sponsor applies first and is approved in about 89 days
The child in Australia must become an approved Parent Sponsor before the parent can apply. Half of sponsorships were decided in 89 days and 90 per cent in 4 months. The parent then has 6 months from approval to lodge the visa.
The visa itself took 7 months for half of applicants and 9 months for 90 per cent, according to the Home Affairs processing guide updated on 29 September 2026. Home Affairs says sponsorship times rose because it is clearing older cases. So from the day your child applies to sponsor, allow about a year in total.
| Stage | 50% decided in | 90% decided in |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Sponsor approval | 89 days | 4 months |
| 870 visa | 7 months | 9 months |
The sponsor must be a citizen, or a resident for 4 years
The sponsor must be 18 or older and the child of the parent, or the child's spouse or partner. They must be an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia for at least 4 years.
- A household can hold only one sponsorship at a time.
- One sponsorship covers up to 2 parents: one or both of your parents, one or both of your partner's parents, or one of each.
- The sponsor must not have been unlawful, or on a bridging visa other than A, B or C, in the last 4 years.
- The sponsor agrees to support the parent with money and housing, and to repay any public health debt the parent runs up in Australia.
That last point matters. A hospital bill a parent cannot pay becomes the sponsor's debt, even after the visa ends. Good health insurance is not optional here.
The parent needs health insurance, money and a plan to go home
The parent must be the biological, adoptive, step or in-law parent of the sponsor, aged 18 or over. There is no balance of family test and no Assurance of Support. The parent must meet health and character rules and show enough money to live on.
- Hold health insurance from an Australian health insurance provider for the whole stay.
- Show a genuine plan to stay only temporarily.
- Be outside Australia when applying, unless Home Affairs grants permission to apply inside in rare cases such as serious illness.
- Have no debt to the Australian government.
Family members cannot be added to the application. A parent's unmarried younger child in Pakistan, for example, needs their own visa. For the parent's own paperwork, the police character certificate status check helps track the Pakistani certificate once applied for.
Apply in this order to avoid losing the 6 month window
The sponsorship comes first. The visa comes second, within 6 months of approval. Missing that window ends the sponsorship, and the household cannot lodge a new one until the old one ends.
- The child in Australia applies online to be a Parent Sponsor and pays AUD 420.
- Wait for sponsorship approval, which took 89 days for half of recent cases.
- The parent buys Australian health insurance and gathers passport, money and police papers.
- The parent applies online for the 870 within 6 months, choosing 3 or 5 years, and pays the first instalment.
- Pay the second instalment when Home Affairs asks, then wait for the grant before booking flights.
The visa is linked to the passport digitally, with no label. Parents can travel in and out as often as they like while it is valid. For shorter trips of a few weeks, the Australia visitor visa 600 is cheaper and simpler.
A parent can stay 10 years in total, with 90 days out between visas
Each 870 visa allows up to 3 or 5 years. A parent can apply for further 870 visas up to a total of 10 years in Australia. Before a new one is granted from outside Australia, the parent must have spent 90 days in a row outside Australia.
The 870 cannot be extended from inside Australia. Holding it, or applying for it, also blocks the parent from applying for a permanent or temporary parent visa. If permanent residence is the goal, pick the route before you start.
Common questions
How much is the Australia parent visa 870?
From AUD 6,370 for up to 3 years or AUD 12,440 for up to 5 years, plus AUD 420 for the sponsor.
How long does the 870 parent visa take?
Half of recent visas took 7 months and 90 per cent took 9 months, after sponsorship approval.
Can parents work in Australia on the 870?
No. The 870 does not allow work.
Does the 870 lead to permanent residence?
No. It is temporary and blocks other parent visa applications while held.
Can both my parents come on one sponsorship?
Yes. One sponsorship covers up to 2 parents.
How long can my parents stay in total?
Up to 10 years across several 870 visas.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 1 November 2026. We read the Home Affairs Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa 870 page, the pricing data that page loads, and the global processing time guide updated 29 September 2026. We could not confirm how the listed visa charge splits between the two instalments, or the cost of health checks and Australian health insurance for a Pakistani parent.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
