Secure Your Parents' Place in Australia with the 103 Visa

What Is the 103 Visa?

Quick answer: The 103 visa is Australia’s non-contributory Parent visa. It gives permanent residence to a parent of a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who passes the balance of family test. There is no age limit and the government charge starts from AUD 8,665, but applications are capped and queued: Home Affairs estimates about 42 years for a new application.

The 103 is one of several options on our permanent parent visa Australia hub. Families who can afford a higher charge often choose the Contributory Parent visa (143/173), which has a much shorter queue.

What Does “AX/103” Mean?

Australian visas have a class (letters) and a subclass (numbers). The Parent visa appears as Class AX, subclass 103, so you may see “AX/103” or “AX 103” on Home Affairs letters. It is the same visa – the non-contributory permanent Parent visa.

Parent Visa 103 Eligibility

Applicant requirements

• Parent of a settled Australian: your child must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• Balance of family test: at least half of your children must live permanently in Australia, or more of your children must live in Australia than in any other single country.
• No age requirement: unlike the aged parent visas (804 and 864), you can apply at any age.
• Health and character: every applicant must pass health checks and provide police certificates.
• Assurance of Support: an assurer must provide a 4-year Assurance of Support and bond before grant.

Sponsor requirements

Your sponsor is usually your child (or their partner). They must be 18 or older, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and settled – generally living lawfully in Australia for at least two years.

Balance of family test examples

• Two children – one in Australia, one in the UK: passes – half of your children are in Australia.
• Three children – one in Australia, two in the UK: fails – more children live in the UK.
• Five children – two in Australia, one each in India, Canada and the UK: passes – Australia has more of your children than any other single country.

103 Visa Processing Time and Queue (2026)

The 103 visa processing time is driven by how few Parent visa places are available each year. For 2026–27 the overall Parent programme has 7,060 places, shared across contributory and non-contributory visas.

Is there a parent visa queue calculator? No official one. Home Affairs gives you your queue date in writing after the core criteria are assessed, and publishes queue release dates you can compare against during the year.

103 Visa Fee and Cost (2026–27)

Charges rise every 1 July, so confirm current figures with the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator before lodging. By comparison, the contributory 143 costs from AUD 49,900 per parent but is estimated at about 18 years.

Parent Visa 103 Bridging Visa, Location and Visits

• No bridging visa: the 103 does not give you a bridging visa, even if you lodge while visiting Australia. You must hold another valid visa whenever you are in Australia.
• Location at grant: you generally need to be outside Australia when the 103 is granted.
• Longer visitor visas: parents outside Australia who are in the 103 queue can be granted a multiple-entry visitor visa valid for up to 5 years, with stays of up to 12 months in any 18-month period. UK passport holders can also use the eVisitor visa (651) for shorter trips.
• Longer stays: the Sponsored Parent visa (870) allows stays of 3 or 5 years at a time, up to 10 years, while the 103 waits in the queue.

Parents who have reached Age Pension age (currently 67) and want to apply from inside Australia with a bridging visa should compare the Aged Parent visa (804) and the Contributory Aged Parent visa (864).

Medicare for 103 Visa Applicants

Once the 103 is granted, parents can enrol in Medicare as permanent residents. Before grant, Services Australia says 103 applicants may be eligible if they come from a country with a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia – and the UK is one of these countries. Private health insurance is still recommended for visits.

Switching from the 103 to the Contributory 143

Many families lodge a 103 to secure a place in the queue and later switch to the Contributory Parent visa (143) when they can afford the higher charge. Home Affairs has a switching process before a decision is made, which may let you keep your original queue date and move into the much faster contributory queue.

103 vs Other Parent Visas

Retiring to Australia from the UK

Australia has no retirement visa for new applicants, so UK parents with a child settled in Australia usually rely on a parent visa. Keep in mind:

• Age Pension: the Australian Age Pension normally needs at least 10 years of Australian residence.
• UK State Pension: it can be paid in Australia, but annual increases are not applied to UK pensions paid there. Check with the UK Pension Service.
• Re-entry with a British passport: after grant, the 103 gives a 5-year travel facility. After that you need a Resident Return visa or Australian citizenship to return as a resident.

What You Can Do After the 103 Visa Is Granted

• Live in Australia permanently.
• Work and study without restriction.
• Enrol in Medicare.
• Travel to and from Australia for 5 years from grant.
• Apply for Australian citizenship once you meet the residence requirements.

Read our guide to Australian permanent residency for the full list of rights.

How GIEC Global’s Parent Visa Consultants Help

With a wait measured in decades, a 103 application has to be right from the start. As an Australia immigration consultant supporting families in the UK and Australia, GIEC Global’s immigration consultants:

• check the balance of family test and your sponsor’s eligibility;
• compare the 103 with the 143, 804, 864 and 870 for your budget and timeline;
• prepare and lodge a complete online application through ImmiAccount;
• plan longer visitor visas or the 870 so your parents can spend time in Australia; and
• advise on switching to the contributory 143 when the time is right.

Explore more on our Migrate to Australia page or read our Australia immigration FAQs.

Reviewed by the GIEC Global Australia immigration team. Queue and processing data reflects Home Affairs figures as at 31 August 2026; Medicare and Assurance of Support details reflect Services Australia and Department of Social Services guidance. Last reviewed 30 October 2026. Visa rules and charges change regularly – always confirm details on official government websites before applying.