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Planning to bring your parents to Australia? A queue of about 15 to 33 years changes the plan

Visa guide · 2026-08-31 · 4 min read

Anyone in Kampala or Entebbe with a relative in Australia may be tempted to think a parent visa is simply a matter of paperwork. Current data says otherwise. The non-contributory Aged Parent visa queue is roughly 33 years, while the contributory pathway, priced at close to $50,000 per applicant, still takes around 15 years.

A queue that people do not outlast

Figures presented to a Senate committee covering the 21 months to 31 March this year show that over 1,500 parent visa applicants died before a decision. Each of them had met the cost and the document requests. For a family, the point is stark: the visa may arrive after the reason for applying has gone.

Two things keep the queue long

A small annual allocation

Each year the government sets how many parent visas it will grant. The cap has dropped from 8,500 places to 7,060 for this financial year, while the number of people waiting has swollen beyond 157,000.

An onshore shortcut

Parents who enter on a visitor visa and then apply while in Australia can remain on bridging visas as the case is processed, and are often handled before people who applied from overseas. A review commissioned by the government in 2023 described offering a visa that will probably never arrive in a lifetime as both cruel and unnecessary.

What may change next

A wider migration overhaul has been anticipated. One possible measure would stop spouses, children and parents of Australian citizens from lodging applications while visiting as tourists. That could help families applying correctly from outside Australia, but it might also take away a route that currently keeps parents in the country while they wait. Nothing is final, so treat it as something to watch rather than rely on.

Why the sums rarely work

Families sometimes compare the two streams only by price, and that misses the point. A parent in their seventies who joins a 15-year queue is gambling on a long life, and a parent who joins a 33-year queue is almost certainly not going to see the end of it. The better question is what you need from the visa and by when. If it is help with children over the next few years, a permanent visa may simply be the wrong tool, and temporary stays, however awkward, may be the realistic bridge.

A checklist if your parents are already waiting

• Check the stream. The two kinds of parent visa differ enormously in price and wait, so confirm your parents are in the right one.
• Stay compliant on visitor stays. If they travel between Uganda and Australia while the permanent application is open, every entry must follow the rules.
• Keep an eye on ministerial directions that decide which applications are processed first.
• Replace hope with a realistic date and test your family plans against it.

Common mistakes families make

Many applicants assume the cheaper stream will do and later find the timeline unworkable. Others rely on a temporary visa and forget that stays come in six-month blocks, after which parents must leave Australia for extended periods. That strains careers, finances and the health of older parents. If you are a skilled worker in Australia who depends on that help, and your own record is not yet strong, a verified Talent Tabloid profile is an optional way to show your experience to employers while you sort the family side out. It is never required.

For anything involving cost or timing, take advice from an agent registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). If you hold documents such as an Interpol police clearance from Uganda, keep them tidy, but only gather what an application actually asks for.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the wait for an Aged Parent visa?

Roughly 33 years for the non-contributory visa.

Does paying more shorten it?

The contributory pathway costs close to $50,000 per applicant and still takes around 15 years.

Can parents wait in Australia?

Some parents hold temporary visas in six-month blocks and then leave. A breach of conditions can jeopardise the permanent application.

Is the visitor-then-apply route likely to continue?

It may be restricted. The idea has been proposed, though nothing has been finalised.

Where can I read related guidance?

See our posts on new dependant visa rules and what record migration numbers mean, or browse the Australia pages.

Key takeaways

• Expect about 33 years on the Aged Parent visa and around 15 on the contributory route.
• More than 1,500 applicants died waiting in the 21 months to 31 March this year.
• The cap is 7,060 places this year, against a backlog above 157,000.
• A restriction on onshore applications is proposed, not finalised.
• Use an agent registered with MARA and keep every visitor stay compliant.

#parent visa #aged parent visa #family visa #australia #uganda