Conditions for Applying for a Parent Migration Visa: 

• The child must be settled in Australia (usually living there for at least two years) and be the sponsor.
• Must pass the family balance test—at least half of the children must live permanently in Australia, or the number of children living in Australia must be greater than those living in other countries.
• Must meet relevant health and character requirements.
• If applying for any “aged” category visa, must meet the conditions for being an “aged” parent.

Categories for Parent Migration Visas:

Applicants can apply for one of the following parent migration visa categories:

• Parent visa(Subclass 103)
• Contributory Parent visa(Subclass 143)
• Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
• Aged Parent visa(Subclass 804)
• Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) 
• Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884) 

Assurance of Support (AOS)

• The Assurance of Support (AOS) is a requirement that must be met before a parent migration visa is approved.
• The AOS is a commitment by the sponsor (not necessarily the same as the guarantor) to repay the Australian government for the welfare benefits provided to the migrant during the relevant assurance period.
• For (contributory) parent migration applications, the relevant assurance period is 10 years. Currently, all AOS applications and approvals are handled by Centrelink, not the Department of Home Affairs.