Category Archives: 884 visas

Number of Parent Visas Granted to date (updated to 28 Feb 2025) – Program year to 30 June 2025

We have received details of the number of parent visas granted up to 28 February 2025 from the Department of Home Affairs.

These are as follows (the number of visas refused is in italics):

  • Subclass 143, Contributory Parent – 5,600 – 308
  • Subclass 173, Contributory Parent (Temporary) – 144 – 46
  • Subclass 864, Contributory Aged Parent – 263 – less than 15
  • Subclass 884, Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) – 11- less than 5

Total Contributory Parent Visas granted to 28 Feb 2025 = 6,018

  • Subclass 103, Parent – 1,253 – 167
  • Subclass 804, Aged Parent – 26 – 24

Total non-Contributory Parent Visas granted to 31 Dec 2024 = 1,279

Total of the above = 7,297

The total capped number of these visas for the year to 30 June 2025 – as discussed here – is 6,800 for Contributory Parent visas, and 1,700 for non-Contributory Parent visas, to give a total for the parent visa program in the 2024/25 program year of 8,500.

This means there is scope for roughly 800 more CP visa grants and just over 420 non-CP visa grants to the end of June 2025.

Separately, we have been advised that the number of subclass 870 visas granted in the current program year up to 28 February 2025 is 2,044.

Our recent blog advised details of the number of parent visas granted up to 31 December 2024.

Parent visa numbers are capped – Program year ended 30 June 2025

As is customary – although perhaps not this early in the year, which is maybe indicative of the Federal Election being called imminently – Australia’s Immigration Minister has capped the number of parent visas that can be granted by the Department of Home Affairs in the program year, which for 2024_25 ends on 30 June 2025.

In summary:

  • A maximum of 6,800 Contributory Parent visas can be granted between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025
  • Of this number no more than 112 can be granted to what are known as pathway applicants, being applicants who hold subclass 410 or 405 visas
  • A maximum of 1,700 non-Contributory Parent visas can be granted between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025
  • Of this number no more than 13 can be granted to pathway applicants, these again being those applicants who hold subclass 410 or 405 visas

These numbers do not include subclass 870 Sponsored Parent Temporary visas, and are in line with the capped number of parent visas in the last couple of years.

Our last blog at the end of January advised details of the number of parent visas granted; we will be posting again in the next few weeks with updated details of the number of parent visas that have been granted.

Parent Visa Numbers are Capped for the Year to 30 June 2024

A Legislative Instrument has been published by Australia’s Immigration Minister that caps the number of visas that can be granted to parents in the program year to 30 June 2024 as follows:
  • Contributory Parent visas – 6,800
  • Non Contributory Parent visas – 1,700
Of these totals some 112 Contributory Parent visas can be granted to Retiree pathway applicants; 13 can be granted to non-Contributory Parent visa applicants by Retirees.
 
Retiree pathway applicants are those who are applying under the pathway that is available to subclass 410 and 405 visa applicants.

Queuing Confusion! – Subclass 143 Contributory Parent Visa Applications

As noted in an earlier blog post the Department of Home Affairs now queues applications for Contributory Parent visas.

The process of queuing Contributory Parent visa applications has had a slow start, but we are now starting to see subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa applications being reviewed by delegates at the Parent Visa Centre with a view to them being given a queue date.

Specifically, from Ministerial Direction 103:

queue date means the date  on which the applicant is assessed by a delegate as meeting all of the prescribed criteria for the visa, other than the following:

(c)  for Onshore Parent visas (Subclass 804) and Contributory Parent visas (Subclass 864 and 884), the applicant’s payment of the second instalment of the visa application charge and, where applicable, assurance of support requirements;

(d)  for Parent visas (Subclass 103) and Contributory Parent visas (Subclass 143 and 173), the applicant’s health and character requirements, payment of the second instalment of the visa application charge and, where applicable, assurance of support requirements.

Customarily with the non Contributory Parent visa caseload (subclasses 103 and 804) the queue date given is the date the application is assessed by the delegate as meeting certain requirements.

Some of the queue dates issued recently – notably in October 2023 – were the dates on which the delegate assessed the prescribed criteria as being met, as per the Ministerial Direction.

However, a short time later these applicants (or their agents) received letters from the Department of Home Affairs advising of updated queue dates, which was the date the visa application was submitted to the Department.

We have made enquiry of the Department and have been advised:

The Department is currently assessing a large number of Contributory Parent visa applications for a place in the queue. In order to ensure that clients are not disadvantaged by the delay in assessing their application for the queue, the Parent Visa team are currently utilising provisions within Ministerial Direction 103 to assign a retrospective queue date.

Given the large number of Contributory Parent visas under current assessment this will ensure that cases lodged months or potentially years apart do not ‘skip’ each other for a place in the queue due to our processes. It will also align with the queue method applied to Contributory Parent visas that were lodged up to 1 June 2018. To ensure equity, the Parent Visa team are currently revising the queue date assigned to a small number of Contributory Parent visa applications that were incorrectly assigned a 2023 queue date.

While we do not wholly subscribe to the procedure being adopted – it doesn’t align with the queuing of non Contributory Parent visa applications under subclasses 103 and 804 – this response does provide context to what we and some other visa applicants have experienced recently.

 

Parent visas granted to date in Program Year 2022/23, ending on 30 June 2023

Go Matilda Visas has details of the number of parent visas granted from 1 July 2022 to the end of April 2023.

Parent, subclass 103 1,276
Aged Parent, subclass 804 43
Contributory Parent, subclass 143 5,627
Contributory Parent (Temporary), subclass 173 322
Contributory Aged Parent, subclass 864 80
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary), subclass 884 less than 5
   
TOTAL 7,348

The migration program planning level for parents for the program year to 30 June 2023 is 8,500 – so we anticipate a further 1,000+ parent visa grants before the end of next month.

Subject of course to any reduced cap that the Immigration Minister might place on parent visa numbers for the 2022/23 program year.

Go Matilda Visas is a pro-active firm of migration advisors that takes a particular interest in parent visas being sought by those with a child or children residing in Australia.

If you require assistance with a parent visa application and would like an initial free chat please complete the enquiry form on this page.