Parent (Contributory) Visas. 

On 5th March, 2003, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (MIMIA) announced that a new parent category visa will be available to parents who have children settled in Australia as Permanent Residents, eligible New Zealand citizens or Australia citizens. 

AS with the current Parent Visas the applicant would need to meet the Balance of Family criteria as well as the usual sponsorship, health and character requirements. 

Those parents would then be able to obtain Permanent Residency in Australia on the basis their sponsoring children pay a further health charge and an Assurance of Support (AoS) Bond of up to AUD$35,000.00 for the first applicant and AUD$29,000.00 for subsequent adult applicants This health charge and AoS is only AUD$1,050.00 if the applicant is a dependent of the parent and under 18 years of age. 

This Visa can be obtain either on-shore, for those parents of Pensionable age, or off-shore for all parents. Further, obtaining Permanent Residency can be obtained in a two step process if the Sponsoring children cannot provide the full AUD$35,000.00 in processing period. 

Applications for these Visa can only be applied for on or after 27th June, 2003 (for off-shore parents) or 1st July, 2003 (for on-shore parents). 

Parents who have a current application pending before DIMIA will be provided with the opportunity to transfer their existing application to these new Parent Visa applications at no extra cost, upon formal withdrawal of their existing Application.