Parent Visa: Queue Dates and Processing Times Explained

If you hope to reunite your parents in Australia, learning the Parent visa process can be overwhelming and daunting. The Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) employs a system of capping and queuing for Parent Visas, which contributes to the lengthy processing times. However, understanding the capping and queuing system for Parent Visas may be beneficial to meet your visa objectives for your parents.

What are the Types of Parent Visas?

Australia offers 6 Parent visa subclasses, which consist of both permanent and temporary visas:

Capping and Queuing: What Does It Mean for Parent Visas?

Due to high demand and limited places, all Parent visa applications are subject to a capping and queueing system for processing time.

Capping means that a maximum number of visas can be granted each program year. Once that limit is reached, no more visas can be granted. These visas will be in a ‘queue’ until the next program year when places become available.
Queuing means that applications that meet the visa core criteria are placed in a queue based on their queue date. The process from lodgement to queueing may take up to a few years from the Department.

How does the Queue work for Parent Visas?

When a valid Parent visa application is received, it is assessed against the core visa criteria, including health and character requirements.
If the application meets the visa core requirements, it will be assigned a queue date and placed in the queue. You will be notified of the queue date once DoHA assess the lodged application. If the applicants do not meet the core criteria, your Parent visa application will be refused.
- Important note: the queue date for only Contributory Parent visas lodged before 1 June 2018 is the application lodgement date.
Applications are released from the queue in order of the queue date for final processing throughout the year. If the program places have been filled for the program year, no further applications will be accepted into the ‘queue’ for the following year.

What are the Current Queue Release Dates for Parent Visas?

According to the Department’s website, the current queue release dates as of 31 July 2025 for:

Contributory Parent Visa queue date is up to May 2018.
Parent and Aged Parent Visas queue date is up to January 2013.

What about the Processing Times for Parent visas?

Due to the high demand and limited places, it is best to prepare for the lengthy processing times. DoHA processes Parent visa applications in a few stages:

Acknowledgment of a new Parent visa application
Initial assessment for queue date
Final assessment when released from the queue

The following estimates are provided for lodging your application

Contributory parent visa is approximately 15 years
Parent and Aged Parent visas are approximately 33 years

It is also worth noting that processing times can change due to factors such as:

Changes in planning levels
Volume of applications received
Number of applications withdrawn or refused
Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) outcomes
Ministerial Intervention cases
Changes to processing directions

When do I make a payment for the Second Instalment?

Visa applicants usually don’t need to pay for the second instalment fee until DoHA has completed assessing and is ready to make a visa decision. Only then will the Department notify you to make the payment for the second instalment for the visa application fee. Therefore, all communication should be up to date to receive any correspondence from the Department. You can also check your visa status by importing the paper application to ImmiAccount upon receiving the acknowledgement email from DoHA.

How Can Agape Henry Crux Help

By understanding the parent visa processing times, families can maximise their chances of reuniting in Australia. Consider seeking professional advice and guidance by consulting an experienced immigration lawyer at Agape Henry Crux in Sydney, Australia. Our team of immigration lawyers works closely together with two of our Accredited Specialists in Immigration Law, who specialise in handling highly complex matters. You can book a consultation to seek professional advice by calling 02-8310 5230 or emailing us at info@ahclawyers.com.

We speak fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese. If this isn’t your language, we can also help you arrange an interpreter.

This article/presentation (“publication”) does not deal extensively with important topics or changes in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you find this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances, please contact our office.

Client Testimonials

….we call it Support Network

Navigating the immigration law process may be difficult, and our former clients have agreed to share their experiences through telephone chats, emails, and in-person meetings.

These are their stories…

Parent Visa Grants