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A visitor visa for parents to visit you in Australia is a critical visa option for many families. It is a faster and more cost effective alternative to bring your parents to Australia. If you are an Australian permanent resident or citizen, then longer validity visitor visas are available for your parents. Visitor visas are not intended for maintaining ongoing residence in Australia. Accordingly, longer Visitor visas will not be considered for parents who: are already in Australia; or have already spent 12 months in Australia in the last 18 months. If you have recently stayed in Australia for an extended period, you will generally not be considered for a longer Tourist visa until you have spent a minimum of 6 months outside Australia in the last 18 months at the time you apply for a new Visitor visa. For example, if you have spent the last 12 months in Australia, you should wait for 6 months before applying for a new visa if you wish to be considered under these arrangements. Short-stay visitor visas for Parents These are two types of short-stay visitor visas for parents that you can apply for online. Generally, approval will be granted within 24 hours. They allow multiple entries over a 12 month period but typically a maximum of 3 months for each stay in Australia. The main restriction for these visa types is that you must hold a passport from a specific country. ETA for Parents The ETA will only cost you $20 to apply for, but you must hold a passport from one of the following countries: Brunei – Darussalam Canada Hong Kong (SAR PRC) Japan Malaysia Singapore Korea, Rep of (South) United States. You can apply here. eVisitor for Parents This visa is free to apply for, but you must hold a passport from one of these countries: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Monaco The Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Republic of San Marino Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom – British Citizen Vatican City As at August 2021, processing time is: 75% of applications: 11 days 90% of applications: 45 days You can apply here. Longer Stay Visitor Visa Options for Parents Subclass 600 Visitor Visa for Parents Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents are able to apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) to visit Australia for a longer period. This allows parents who meet the criteria for a Visitor visa to have regular extended visits with their family in Australia without needing to apply for a new visa on each visit and also recognise the length of the Parent visa queue. Multiple entry visas with a maximum stay of 12 months will be considered on a case-by-case basis with maximum validity periods of up to: five years for parents outside Australia and in the Parent visa (subclass103) queue; three years for parents outside Australia who have: had a previous Australian visa and complied with the conditions; and have not applied for a Parent visa; or have applied for a parent visa but are not yet in the Parent visa (subclass103) queue; and 18 month for parents who have: not previously travelled to Australia; and have not applied for a Parent visa; or have applied for a Parent visa but are not yet in the Parent visa (subclass103) queue. These visas will also be considered for step parents and eligible New Zealand citizens. To be granted a Visitor visa, applicants must meet all the usual requirements including health, character, having sufficient funds and satisfying the decision maker that they intend a genuine visit and will comply with relevant visa conditions. Other options for parents If you are an Australian permanent resident or citizen your parents may be eligible for a longer stay visitor visa. Please note that these visas must be applied for while your parents are outside Australia. Parent Visa Applicants If your parent/s has already applied for a permanent parent visa and are awaiting grant, they may be eligible for a longer stay visitor visa. This could be valid for up to 5 years and would be multiple entry allowing up to 12 months’ stay for each visit. Parents of Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident Children If your parent is not in the parent queue, they can still be considered for a longer stay visitor visa. This would allow you to stay in Australia for up to 12 months on each visit. The duration of the visa will depend on whether they have had a history of travelling to Australia previously and returning within their visa period (this is known as compliant travel): 3 Years: history of compliant travel 18 Months: no history of compliant travel