The new temporary sponsored visa will be introduced in November 2017, with 15,000 visas available annually. The purpose of the visa is to allow the parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents and “eligible” New Zealand citizens to spend time with their family in Australia without placing additional burden on Australia’s health care system.

The visa comes with the following features:

• ·         Temporary stay of sponsored parents in Australia for periods up to three or five years.
• ·         Renewal of the visa to be done “offshore” to allow a cumulative stay of upto 10 years.
• ·         Temporary sponsored parent visa holders will not be eligible to apply onshore for a permanent parent visa.
• ·         The visa holder’s sponsor, their Australian child, will have legal liability for any public health expenditure (including aged care arrangements) incurred by the visa holder in Australia.

Existing contributory and non-contributory parent visas will remain unchanged and open to new applicants.