Australia Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa Subclass 870: Cost & Income Test for Sri Lankan Families (2026)

For Sri Lankan families with a child settled in Australia, the subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa offers something rare in the Australian parent visa system: a route that is genuinely affordable, does not require an Assurance of Support bond, and does not demand that the Balance of Family test be met. The visa application charge is AUD 6,070 for three years or AUD 12,140 for five years — a fraction of the AUD 94,000-plus that a permanent subclass 143 costs — and the sponsoring child simply needs to meet a minimum taxable income threshold. This guide covers every detail Sri Lankan families need to know before they apply.

What the Subclass 870 Visa Is — and Where It Fits Among Parent Visas

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) is a temporary Australian visa designed for parents of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens. It allows the parent to live in Australia as a temporary resident for the duration of the visa — either up to 3 years or up to 5 years, depending on which visa application charge the applicant pays at lodgement.

Crucially, the 870 is a temporary visa, not a permanent one. It does not grant the right to work, does not lead directly to permanent residence, and cannot be held at the same time as a subclass 600 Visitor visa (more on that below). Its purpose is to give parents of Australian residents an extended, legitimate period of stay in Australia — well beyond the 3 or 6 months a visitor visa typically allows.

Within the broader Australian parent visa landscape, the 870 sits alongside the subclass 143 Contributory Parent (Permanent) visa and the subclass 103 Parent (Permanent) visa. The permanent visas offer the right to settle indefinitely and eventually apply for citizenship, but both carry far higher costs and longer waits. The 870 is better understood as a long-stay temporary option — practical for families where the parent wants extended visits to Australia without the full commitment or cost of a permanent visa application. Our separate guide on the subclass 143 covers those permanent pathway costs in detail.

The Cost: AUD 6,070 for 3 Years or AUD 12,140 for 5 Years

The visa application charge (VAC) for the subclass 870 is straightforward compared to permanent parent visas. At the time of application, the parent chooses the duration they want, and the corresponding VAC is paid at lodgement.

• Up to 3 years: AUD 6,070 visa application charge
• Up to 5 years: AUD 12,140 visa application charge

These figures are as of June 2026. Visa application charges are subject to periodic adjustment by the Australian government, so always verify the current amounts on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging an application. The AUD amounts are fixed at lodgement — there is no second instalment, unlike the subclass 143.

In approximate Sri Lankan rupee terms, AUD 6,070 translates to roughly LKR 1.2 million to LKR 1.4 million at current indicative rates, and AUD 12,140 is in the range of LKR 2.4 million to LKR 2.8 million. These are entirely exchange-rate-dependent and will vary — treat them as illustrative only. The actual LKR cost at the time of payment is what matters, and rates move significantly over time.

Sponsor Income Test: AUD 83,454.80 Minimum Taxable Income

To sponsor a parent on the subclass 870, the sponsoring child in Australia must demonstrate that they meet a minimum income requirement. As of June 2026, the taxable income threshold is AUD 83,454.80. This is the minimum taxable income the sponsor must have earned in the financial year before the sponsorship application.

This income test is assessed against the sponsor's taxable income — meaning the figure shown in their Australian Tax Office notice of assessment or tax return for the relevant year. Gross income and net income are not the same as taxable income; the threshold applies specifically to taxable income as reported to the ATO.

The threshold figure is set by a legislative instrument and is reviewed and updated periodically by the Australian government. The AUD 83,454.80 figure applies as of June 2026, but it is important to confirm the current applicable threshold on the Department of Home Affairs website at the time of application — do not rely on any figure quoted in a guide, including this one, without checking official sources first.

Combining Income with a Partner or Sibling

A key feature of the 870 income test is that the threshold does not have to be met by the sponsoring child alone. If the sponsor does not individually earn AUD 83,454.80 in taxable income, they may be able to combine their income with that of a partner or a sibling who is also a sponsor of the same parent.

For Sri Lankan families where the sponsoring child in Australia has a partner who also works, or where two children of the parent are both based in Australia, this combined income option can make the sponsorship accessible even if no single individual meets the threshold on their own. The combined taxable income of the two sponsors must collectively reach the threshold.

The rules around combined sponsors — including who qualifies as an eligible co-sponsor and how the income is assessed — are specific and should be verified with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent. The broad principle is that a partner or sibling can contribute their income to meet the threshold jointly, but the mechanics of the application process require careful attention.

Subclass 870 vs Subclass 143 vs Subclass 103: Side-by-Side

Why the 870 Is Easier Than the 143: No Balance of Family, No AoS Bond

Two of the biggest obstacles in permanent parent visa applications are the Balance of Family test and the Assurance of Support bond. The subclass 870 removes both of these requirements entirely.

The Balance of Family test requires that at least half of the applicant's children live lawfully and permanently in Australia, or more of the applicant's children live permanently in Australia than in any other single country. For many Sri Lankan families, this test is a serious hurdle — if the parent has multiple children and not enough of them are settled in Australia, the 143 or 103 application fails at this point. The 870 has no such requirement, meaning a parent can be sponsored by one child in Australia even if the majority of their children remain in Sri Lanka or elsewhere.

The Assurance of Support bond is the AUD 14,000 term deposit or bank guarantee that the sponsoring child must lock away for 10 years under the permanent parent visa process — a sum that is tied up and inaccessible for a decade. The 870 does not require an AoS bond at all. The sponsor simply needs to meet the income threshold, and that is the extent of the financial commitment on the sponsor's side beyond the visa application charge itself.

What the Visa Does NOT Do: No Pathway to Permanent Residence

This point deserves its own section because it is the most common misunderstanding about the subclass 870. Holding this visa does not create a pathway to permanent residence in Australia. When the 870 expires, the parent must leave Australia unless they hold or obtain another valid visa.

The 870 can be renewed — a parent can hold it for a cumulative maximum of 10 years over their lifetime (combining multiple grants of the 870). After that cumulative maximum is reached, no further subclass 870 visas can be granted. During the period they hold the 870, a parent can also be included in a subclass 143 or 103 application, and some families do use the 870 as a practical way for the parent to spend extended time in Australia while a permanent visa application is processing in the queue.

The key point for Sri Lankan families is to plan with clear eyes: if the goal is permanent settlement in Australia, the 870 is not the answer by itself. It is a long-stay temporary option that buys time and family closeness, but it is not a substitue for a permanent pathway.

What Sri Lankan Applicants Should Prepare

The 870 application has two sides: the sponsoring child's side (in Australia) and the parent's side (typically in Sri Lanka before or during the application). Both sides require solid documentation.

• Sponsor's side — Australian Tax Office notice of assessment or tax return confirming taxable income for the relevant financial year, meeting or exceeding AUD 83,454.80 (or combined with a partner or sibling if income combining is being used)
• Sponsor's side — Proof of Australian citizenship, permanent residency, or eligible NZ citizen status
• Sponsor's side — Evidence of the family relationship between the sponsor and the parent (birth certificates, etc.)
• Parent's side — Valid passport (ensure it has sufficient validity for the intended visa period)
• Parent's side — Medical examination at a Department of Home Affairs approved panel physician — in Sri Lanka, check eMedical for approved providers
• Parent's side — Police clearance certificate from Sri Lanka (obtainable from the Criminal Investigation Department in Colombo) and from any other country the parent has lived in for 12 or more months in the past 10 years
• Parent's side — Certified English translations of any documents in Sinhala or Tamil, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, and passports if necessary
• Financial documentation — if Sri Lankan bank accounts or assets are part of the overall picture, prepare certified statements from your Sri Lankan bank (Bank of Ceylon, Commercial Bank, Sampath, HNB, People's Bank, NSB, Seylan, DFCC, or NDB) showing consistent balances, with source-of-funds letters where needed

How ShowMoneyLK Helps: Sri Lankan-Side Bank Documentation for the Sponsor's Case

ShowMoneyLK helps Sri Lankan families prepare the financial documentation that supports their visa applications. For the subclass 870, our most direct contribution is on the Sri Lankan side — when the sponsoring child or the parent needs to demonstrate financial position using Sri Lankan bank accounts, savings, or assets. We prepare certified bank statements, balance confirmation letters, and source-of-funds letters from Sri Lankan banks including Bank of Ceylon, Commercial Bank, Sampath, HNB, People's Bank, NSB, Seylan, DFCC, and NDB — formatted and presented in the way Australian visa officers expect.

If the parent in Sri Lanka is contributing to their own travel and accommodation costs during their stay in Australia, or if the sponsoring child maintains savings in Sri Lanka that form part of their overall financial picture, we make sure that Sri Lankan documentation is clean, consistent, and credible. We are also honest about what is and is not achievable — if the financial picture has gaps, we will tell you that plainly rather than help you present something that will not hold up. For families working through a complex application, our sister guide on financial sponsorship documentation covers the broader principles of what visa officers look for.