Bringing Your Parents to Australia? Understand the Long Wait First

News · 2026-08-31 · 5 min read

Many families who have settled in Australia hope to one day bring Mama and Papa over for good. Before you start that journey, there is one figure to think about carefully: 33 years. That is about how long the present queue runs for the non-contributory Aged Parent visa. The contributory option, often seen as the quicker route, costs close to $50,000 per applicant and still takes around 15 years. For many households, the wait can last longer than the reason for bringing parents over in the first place.

Sadly, this is already happening to real families. Senate estimates figures for the 21 months to 31 March this year show that more than 1,500 parent visa applicants passed away before their turn came. Many of them had paid tens of thousands of dollars and handed over every document requested, yet their time ran out before a decision arrived.

The best moment to think this through is early, before any money is committed to a pathway that may not turn out the way you imagine. Below is a clear look at where things stand and what it could mean for your family's plans.

Where the Long Queue Comes From

The slow pace is not a mistake. It is built into how the system works, and it has been that way for years. Two main factors keep the line long:

Only a limited number of places each year. The government sets a ceiling on parent visa grants every year. That ceiling has gone down, from 8,500 places to 7,060 for this financial year, while the backlog has grown past 157,000 people.
A second route from inside Australia. Some parents arrive on a visitor visa and then lodge a parent visa application while already in the country. They can stay on bridging visas indefinitely while waiting, and they are often processed ahead of those who applied properly from overseas. Former deputy immigration secretary Abul Rizvi has described this as the loophole that regulators now want to close. It also explains why offshore applicants can feel like they keep sliding further back.

A 2023 government-commissioned review of the migration system did not soften its words. It called the practice of offering people a visa that will probably never come in their lifetime both cruel and unnecessary.

Changes on the Horizon, With Two Sides

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been expected to announce a wider migration overhaul, and reports say family visa settings are included. One proposal would prevent spouses, children and parents of Australian citizens from applying for visas while they are in Australia as tourists. That targets the onshore route described above.

For families who followed the rules and applied from offshore, closing that gap could, in principle, reduce some of the queue-jumping. On the other hand, it is still unclear whether newly arrived parents will be allowed to use the onshore pathway at all. If not, families would lose one of the few ways they now have to keep parents in Australia while a permanent visa is pending.

No decision is final yet. Still, if your family is using or planning to use the visitor visa then onshore application route, follow the news closely in the coming months.

When Your Parents Are Part of Your Support System

For many applicants, a parent visa is not only about sentiment. It is about everyday needs. Skilled migrants who work long and demanding hours, such as a Sydney-based surgical trainee, often rely on a parent being around to help with childcare and the household while they grow their careers. When that help is only possible in six-month blocks on a temporary visa, and parents must leave Australia for long stretches in between, the pressure builds on careers, on family budgets, and on the health and stability of ageing parents.

Practical Steps While Your Parents Wait

If your parents are already in the queue, these steps are worth taking now:

Check the exact stream. Contributory and non-contributory parent visas differ greatly in cost and waiting time. Review whether the one you chose still suits your situation.
Keep every temporary stay compliant. If your parents travel back and forth on visitor visas while the permanent application is pending, make sure each entry follows the rules. A breach can put the main application at risk.
Follow ministerial directions on processing priority. These directions decide which applications are handled first, and they can change the real order of the queue a great deal, no matter when a person lodged.
Plan with honest timelines. Processing estimates change. If your plans depend on a parent visa being granted within a certain period, test that against current data instead of an estimate from years ago.

A Gentle Reminder for Families

The parent visa system is under real pressure, and an overhaul will likely change the rules for both new and current applicants. For now, families in the queue are working within a system that government-commissioned reviewers have themselves called unsustainable. If you are thinking of starting, or you are already midway and unsure how a policy change could affect you, it is wise to get tailored, independent advice before your next step. Choosing the wrong stream or timing can cost more than money; it can cost years your parents may not have.

Whether you are an OFW now settled in Australia or a family member helping from the Philippines, take this one step at a time and keep your paperwork in order.

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