Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) - Agent Training Manual

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. No (temporary) - but lets parents live in Australia long-term while a permanent option is considered.

Visa typeTemporary (up to 5 yrs)

LodgementOnshore or offshore

Stay3 or 5 years (renewable up to 10 years total)

Work rightsNo work permitted

Study rightsYes (incidental)

Government charge~$5,560 (5-yr) or ~$2,790 (3-yr), plus sponsorship fee

Processing time~6-10 months (after sponsor approval)

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 870 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Sponsor approval comes first
The child in Australia applies to be an approved Parent Sponsor and must meet income requirements. The visa application cannot precede sponsor approval.
Health insurance
Adequate Australian health insurance for the full stay is a grant condition - price it before the client commits.
Visa application
Choose 3-year or 5-year validity; evidence the family relationship and no outstanding public-health debt.
Decision and briefing
No work rights; renewable up to 10 years total but it never converts to PR by itself - keep the permanent parent options on the table.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 870 is viable.

An approved Parent Sponsor (your child) who meets income requirementsAdequate health insurance for the stayNo outstanding public health debtHealth and character requirements

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentApproved Parent Sponsor reference (sponsorship decided first)Australian health insurance policy for the stayEvidence of no outstanding public-health debt

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	~$5,560 (5-yr) or ~$2,790 (3-yr), plus sponsorship fee
Health examinations (per person)	~$300-500
Police certificates	~$42-150 each
Relationship registration (where used)	State fees vary
Parent sponsorship application (the child's application)	~$1,570 (indicative)
Australian health insurance for the stay	Quote before committing
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 870 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Jorge from Nepal

Background: Jorge, a hospitality manager from Nepal. Parents who want to spend extended time with family in Australia without joining the permanent parent queue.
Why it qualified: (1) An approved Parent Sponsor (your child) who meets income requirements. (2) Adequate health insurance for the stay. (3) No outstanding public health debt.
What made the file strong: The agent tested the weakest criterion first and fixed it before lodging, not after a natural-justice letter.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~6-10 months (after sponsor approval)).

Grant: Lena from Thailand

Background: Lena, a retired shopkeeper from Thailand. Parents who want to spend extended time with family in Australia without joining the permanent parent queue.
Why it qualified: (1) An approved Parent Sponsor (your child) who meets income requirements. (2) Adequate health insurance for the stay. (3) No outstanding public health debt.
What made the file strong: Dates, names and figures matched across every document - no internal inconsistencies to trigger checks.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (~6-10 months (after sponsor approval)).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Tunde from the Philippines

Background: Tunde, a marketing coordinator from the Philippines, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 870.
What went wrong: Sponsor not approved first (sponsorship is a separate step)
Outcome: The case officer decided on the papers without a further request - the file had to stand on its own, and it could not.
Lesson for the agent: Apply the decision-ready test: if you cannot evidence the claim today, the application is not ready to lodge.

Refusal: Anya from Turkey

Background: Anya, a small-business owner from Turkey, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 870.
What went wrong: Working in breach of the no-work condition
Outcome: The refusal went to review: another year, more cost, and no certainty the outcome changes.
Lesson for the agent: Front-load the file - address the weakness squarely in a submission instead of hoping the case officer will not notice.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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