Last updated: 2nd September 2026
DEVELOPMENTS IN PARENT VISAS
A fact sheet from Emergico Migration. The Australian Government has recently made changes affecting the processing of some Parent visa applications, with further changes also being discussed. This update explains what has already changed, what may change, and what this could mean for Parent visa applicants.
The Australian Government has recently made changes affecting the processing of some Parent visa applications, with further changes also being discussed. This update explains what has already changed, what may change, and what this could mean for Parent visa applicants.
At a Glance
| Already changed: | Processing priorities for some Family visas changed following Ministerial Direction 117. |
| May change: | The Government may restrict the ability of some Parent visa applicants to lodge applications while in Australia. |
| Important: Proposed future changes have not yet been implemented. | |
Why are these changes happening?
The proposed changes are in response to a desire for the government to drive down the “Net Overseas Migration” (NOM) number, which is currently hovering at around 301,000.
NOM is – simplistically – the number of people coming in to Australia, minus the number of people leaving, at any given point in time.
Following the reopening of Australia’s borders after COVID-19, NOM increased substantially and the Government has been under political pressure to bring the number down.
Measures available to the Government include:
- Tightening visa eligibility criteria, making it more difficult to come in;
- Ministerial Directives, which mandate an order for processing, prioritising onshore lodged cases and deprioritising offshore lodged cases
- Refusing temporary visa applications where they do not meet criteria
- Discouraging or preventing the lodgement of onshore visa applications
- Finalising outstanding cases (in the case of refusal, people will need to leave Australia)
- Reducing the number of applicants waiting for a visa refusal appeal hearing by introducing new paper-based decision making capabilities for the ART
It is a balancing act because Australia needs a positive net migration number, otherwise skilled workers are in very short supply, and our key export industries, such as education, are in jeopardy. However, high numbers of migrants are – in the view of some politicians – concerning to the public, who are grappling with housing shortages, inflation etc.
This is why migration is now firmly in the public eye, and the government is making moves to tweak some settings.
How may this affect Parent visa applicants?
When it comes to Parents, there are two categories of change at the moment:
On 25 July 2026, Ministerial Direction 117 was signed. A Ministerial Direction instructs Department of Home Affairs decision-makers about the order in which certain applications should be processed.
The Direction is explained simply on the Department’s website, here. It applies to family visa applications.
Essentially, this Direction affects people who have applied for a permanent parent visa (it does not include the Subclass 870 – Temporary Sponsored Parent Visa category).
The Order of Processing Directive includes the following key differentiator.
- Highest Priority – Applications made while in Australia AND which can be granted while the applicant is in Australia.
- Lower Priority – Applications made while applicant is outside Australia or must be outside Australia at time of grant.
Below is a breakdown of the processing priority, as applied to Parent visas.
| Type of application | Priority Level | Visa Types |
|---|---|---|
| All Parent Visa Applications | Highest Priority | Ministerial Intervention related family visas. |
| Parent Visas - Contributory or Aged Contributory |
Highest Priority (Onshore Applications) |
Subclass 864 (Contributory Aged Parent Onshore)* Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent – ONLY where grant may be made while parent is onshore)* Subclass 884 (Contributory Aged Parent Temporary) * |
|
Lower Priority (Offshore Applications) |
Subclass 143 (Contributory Parent Offshore) * Subclass 173 (Contributory Parent Offshore – Temporary) * |
|
| Parent Visas - Parent, Aged Parent |
Highest Priority (Onshore Applications) |
Subclass 804 (Aged Parent)* |
|
Lower Priority (Offshore Applications) |
Subclass 103 (Parent Offshore)* |
Applications marked with * are subject to “Capping and Queueing”, and to this end, Ministerial Direction 103 prevails to determine that these applications will further be processed in queue date order.
In summary, this means that onshore applicants for Subclass 864 (Contributory Parent) will experience the quickest processing times from here. Subclass 143 applicants can expect processing times to extend, as priority must be given to the 864 applicants.
We are usually reluctant to comment on things that might happen, but the proposal which affects Aged Parent applicants is a significant one.
The proposal is to limit access to onshore lodged applications. There are different ways, legislatively, that the Government could seek to do this:
- They could apply a “No Further Stay” condition to Subclass 600 Visitor visas. This has the effect of preventing a person in Australia on such a visa to lodge another application while in the “migration zone”. It is called Condition 8503. Anecdotally we hear that most Subclass 600 visas are now being issued with Condition 8503.
- The Government may legislate within the specific visa subclass to prevent an application for certain visas to be made while an applicant is holding a particular visa. For example, this was implemented last year in respect of Student visas, where a legislative instrument specifies the types of visas which, if held, preclude an onshore student visa application. Included in that list are the Subclass 600 visa (Visitor); Subclass 601 (Electronic Travel Authority) and Subclass 651 (eVisitor).
Should similar measures be put in place in respect of the Subclass 804 or 864 visa, it would effectively prevent these applications from being lodged in Australia in most circumstances, as most parent applicants enter on visitor visas.
The Minister has not yet specified when an announcement will be made, but we anticipate it may be sometime in September.
Again, we cannot be sure that such measures will be taken. However, the possibility has been publicly reported.
General advice
This information is general in nature and is not specific advice about your individual circumstances.
If you are a current client and would like to know if you have other options, please let us know.
If you have already applied for a Subclass 804 visa
It may be worth considering whether moving to a Subclass 864 visa is economically feasible. There are additional application costs, including the substantial second Visa Application Charge, but the change in processing priority could potentially result in significantly faster processing.
If you are considering a Subclass 804 or 864 application
If you are considering entering Australia and lodging a Subclass 804 or 864 application onshore, potential future changes mean there may be limited time in which to act. Please contact us if you are in that situation.
