Visitor Visas · Published 2026-10-29 · Updated 2026-10-29

Visitor Visa 600 for Parents: Long Stays, Multi-Year Validity and the Alternatives

Reviewed by a registered migration agent · MARN 1795282
Updated 29 October 2026

Most parents who visit their children in Australia do it on the ordinary Visitor visa (subclass 600). What many families do not know is that Home Affairs treats parents and step-parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents as a special case: a Tourist stream visa can be granted valid for more than 12 months, with multiple entries, so the parent can come and go for years without reapplying. This guide explains that option, the Sponsored Family alternative, and when a parent needs a different visa altogether.

Everything below is taken from the Home Affairs visa pages as read on 29 October 2026, with our visitor visa stay-length guide and 600 visa page for the general rules.

Option 1: Tourist stream with long validity

	Tourist stream (applied from outside Australia)
Who applies	The parent, online, from outside Australia; no sponsor
Base charge	A$250
Standard grant	3 months per visit; up to 12 months “in certain circumstances”
Parents of Australians	May be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, decided case by case, usually multiple entry
Stay cap	No more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period
Health insurance	Adequate arrangements required for a long-validity grant; condition 8501 may be attached
Condition 8503	Sometimes attached; blocks onshore applications for another visa

Home Affairs’ own words: a parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident who meets all the visa criteria “may” be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, considered case by case; the holder “can’t stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18 month period” and “must also have made adequate arrangements for health insurance”. In practice grants of 18 months, 3 years or 5 years are made, with the longer validities going to parents with a clean travel history and, often, those with a permanent Parent visa application in the queue.

How to ask for it. Home Affairs says: if you are requesting a longer visa, tell us in your application, and attach the extra evidence, for example proof that your child is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. In practice that means the child’s citizenship certificate or visa grant, proof of the parent-child relationship, the parent’s travel history and compliance with past visas, evidence of funds or the child’s support, and the health insurance arrangements.

Option 2: Sponsored Family stream

	Sponsored Family stream
Who applies	The parent, with the Australian child as sponsor (Form 1149); sponsor must be settled, usually resident in Australia for the last 2 years, and at least 18
Base charge	A$250; no fee to become a sponsor
Security bond	Sponsor may be asked for one, “usually between AUD 5,000 and AUD 15,000 per person”, paid before decision, refunded if the parent complies and leaves before expiry
Standard grant	3 months; up to 12 months in limited circumstances
Entries and validity	Generally single entry, with 6 months to enter after grant
Condition 8503	Always attached: no new visa application from inside Australia

This stream exists for parents whose own circumstances (limited funds, little travel history, a country with high overstay rates) make a Tourist stream grant uncertain. The sponsor’s standing and the bond take the place of that evidence. The price is flexibility: one entry, a firm exit, and no option to switch visas onshore.

What Home Affairs looks for in a parent’s application

Genuine visitor. The parent must intend to stay temporarily and obey the visa’s conditions and stay period. Officers weigh ties to the home country (home, income, other family), previous travel and visa compliance, and the stated purpose and length of the visit.
Funds. Either the parent’s own means or the Australian child’s support, documented.
Health. A health examination may be required for longer stays, and health insurance is expected for long-validity grants.
Honesty about intentions. A parent who plans to apply for a Parent visa should say so; a visitor visa is not a back door to residence, and 8503 exists to stop that.

Alternatives when a visit is not enough

Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (870): 3 or 5 years at a time, up to 10 years in total, after the child is approved as a parent sponsor (an income test applies). The parent cannot work, and the visa is for parents who want to live with the family for years rather than visit. See our 870 page.
Permanent Parent visas (103, 143 and the onshore equivalents): permanent residence, but with very long waits; the contributory visas are faster and far more expensive. See our parent visa page. Many families lodge the permanent application and use long-validity visitor visas in the meantime.

Watch this space: “No further stay” on visitor visas

On 17 September 2026 the Government announced that future visitor visas will be granted with condition 8503 “No further stay”. The change applies to visas granted after it commences, not to visas already held, and no commencement date had been published as at 29 October 2026. If it proceeds as announced, parents who might have switched to another visa onshore will need to plan that step from outside Australia.

General information only, current as at 29 October 2026 and subject to change. It is not migration advice for your family’s circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

Can my parents get a visitor visa for Australia that lasts more than a year?

Yes, possibly. Home Affairs says that a parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident who meets all the criteria may be granted a Tourist stream Visitor visa (subclass 600) valid for more than 12 months, decided case by case. The visa allows multiple entries, but the parent cannot stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period, and must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance. In practice grants of 18 months, 3 years or 5 years are made depending on travel history and circumstances.

How long can a parent stay on each visit?

The stay period is printed on the grant letter. Home Affairs generally grants 3 months per visit and may grant up to 12 months in certain circumstances; a parent with a long-validity visa must still leave so that total time in Australia stays under 12 months in any 18 months. No Visitor visa allows more than 12 consecutive months in Australia.

What is the difference between the Tourist stream and the Sponsored Family stream for parents?

In the Tourist stream the parent applies from outside Australia (A$250 base charge), no sponsor is needed, and multi-year validity is possible. In the Sponsored Family stream the Australian child sponsors the parent (Form 1149, sponsor settled in Australia, usually for the last 2 years); the visa is generally granted single entry with a 6-month window to enter, carries condition 8503 'No further stay' so the parent cannot apply for another visa while in Australia, and the sponsor can be asked for a security bond, usually A$5,000 to A$15,000 per person, refunded when the parent leaves on time. Sponsored Family is used when a parent's own circumstances would make a Tourist stream grant unlikely.

Do my parents need health insurance for a visitor visa?

For a long-validity grant to a parent, Home Affairs requires adequate arrangements for health insurance, and it may attach condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance) to the visa. Even where it is not a condition, visitors are not covered by Medicare unless a reciprocal agreement applies, so insurance for the whole stay is strongly advised.

Can my parent apply for another visa while visiting?

Only if their Visitor visa does not carry condition 8503 'No further stay'. Sponsored Family stream visas always carry it; Tourist stream visas sometimes do. Home Affairs can waive 8503 in limited circumstances, generally where compelling and compassionate circumstances beyond the person's control arose after grant. Since 17 September 2026 the Government has also announced that future visitor visas will be granted with 8503, which would close the onshore switch for new visitors once it commences.

Is there a visa that lets a parent stay longer than 12 months at a time?

Yes. The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) allows a parent to stay 3 or 5 years at a time, up to 10 years in total, after the Australian child is approved as a parent sponsor, which includes a household income test. For permanent residence, the Parent visa (103) and Contributory Parent visa (143) exist, but they have very long processing times, so most families combine a visitor visa now with a longer-term plan.